Baking & Sweet Things

Sweet things make life… well, sweeter! And we don’t have to hop on the sugar and gluten roller-coaster to draw family and friends around you with a slice of homemade cake or pudding. Please indulge yourself, guilt free, in these blood-sugar friendly and healthy sweet recipes!

 

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A simple Go-To Banana Bread or Fruity Muffin Mix

Vegetarian & Dairy-free,easy Gluten-free and vegan options.

You will ♥ this recipe because it is so easy to turn vegan*- and is natually dairy-free and low sugar. I have swapped flours with gluten-free and wholemeal, the sugar to honey or brown, and the butter for vegetable oil and always the result is delish.

It’s my go-to and I know it off by heart, but it was originally a banana bread recipe. Any soft fruit works!

Today I made it for some hard working builders; it was a rainy day, and their faces lit up when I brought them these muffins. I had no banana, so I used pineapple and peach (not seasonal, but was to hand) and added half a cup of dessicated coconut. It takes 10 mins to make and 25 mins for muffins/up to 1 hr for a loaf at 180C/350F in reg. oven.

Ingredients (makes1 large loaf or 12-14 muffins)

  • 200g mashed soft fruit
  • 1/2 cup healthy oil
  • 2 eggs *to make vegan, substitute each egg with 1tbsp ground flaxseed mixed in 3 tbsp water. Easy!*
  • Spices
  • 3/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch sea-salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of plain flour of choice (wholemeal, gluten fee, rice flour all work well)

How-to

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 200g (1/2 pound?) mashed soft fruit with 1/2 cup liquid oil/melted butter.
  • Add 2 beaten eggs and any spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or vanilla essence).
  • Add in 3/4 cup sugar or any substitute- liquids okay, 1/2 tsp baking soda and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Add 1 1/2 cups plain flour- any variety- last, and stir to combine. A wooden spoon is fine don’t over-mix!
  • Spoon into a greased pan or muffin tins.
  • Bake 25mins (small muffins) to 1hr (large loaf) in a pre-heated, moderate oven.

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Inspired by sneaky mummy and mommy-chefs- a sweet with hidden benefits!

Baked Rice Pudding

Vegetarian & Gluten-free

Did you know enjoying a dish containing pureedvegetables helps you consume less calories overall? Check out my blog for other great weight-loss whispers!

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 2 cups Coconut Milk
  • 1 cup pureed cauliflower, made by blending 1/2 head of steamed cauliflower with coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup brown quick-cook rice, rinsed, drained
  • 1/3 cup honey or sugar substitute
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg

Sorry sweeties, I wouldn’t recommend making this vegan as the egg yolks make the custard set :)

How to

  • Preheat oven to 160°C/320F. Combine coconut milk, pureed sweet potato mix, rice, honey, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes, letting the flavours soak through.
  • Add egg yolks; stir to combine. Pour rice mixture into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 1 hour (stir after 30 minutes) or until rice is tender and custard is set. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Dessert this Sunday Lunch: Ginger Date and Nut cake with pudding sauce

Here’s a perfectly easy old-fashioned way to bake away a late-weekend’s fretted brow… just mix and make this gorgeous, “take anywhere”, moist, dense cake;AND it becomes a proper date pudding when the sauce is poured over. It does contain gluten, nuts & sugar. The cake itself is dairy-free. Do share your healthy exchanges for these!

Dates are one of the most wonderful ingredients in a cook’s cupboard- their inherent sweetness help minimise the added sugar (cut it by a half in any recipe), and they are rich in iron and B vitamins.

Any AHA!’s? I found it so comforting to take direction from the recipe book at a wobbly moment after husband goes away and a big week in store– though I changed it so much, it barely resembles the old fashioned tea loaf “to slice and serve with butter” first quoted. Welcome, delicious date & ginger cake with pudding sauce! Do you cook for comfort, at all, at all?

Try it and see for yourself! (I do apologise for the lack of order, internet being cheeky just now…)

Ginger Date and Nut cake with pudding sauce

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dark brown/molasses sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/4 cups wholemeal plain flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts- walnuts and hazelnuts are great here
  • Pinch ground ginger
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup stem or candied ginger (optional)

for the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup cream
  1. Combine the water, sugar, baking soda, butter or oil, and dates in a saucepan. Simmer for 1 min. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
  2. Add the beaten eggs and mix.
  3. Sift in the flour, salt, spice. Add the nuts and ginger if using. Mix well.

Bake in a preheated oven for 35 mins at 180degrees/ 350F or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
I used a square pan- it would look lovely in a ring pan- I always line my pans in baking paper for easy escape.
Allow to cool in the pan for 10mins before lifting out.

  • To make the sauce (not shown), bring all the ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan. Slice the cake, tip over the sauce, and garnish with lemon zest, shaved fresh ginger, and sliced strawberries.

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To judge of how good ANY dish is for you, you can ask yourself these questions:

1. Is it made from natural ingredients?
2. Does it include fresh fruit and veg?
3. Does it avoid most irritants- gluten (wheat), nuts, dairy?
4. Is it homemade; and made with love?

Be well!

love, Samantha.