Tasty Guides
PUDDINGS • SIMPLE SNACKS • TEATIME TREATS
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Delicious sugar-free cakes, bakes and desserts
irresistibsle recipe
FOURTH EDITION
Digital Edition
Have your cake and eat it! HEALTHY
PERFECT FOR DIETS
Feel-good nibbles for diabetics and Paleo dieters
free! Yes, it’s sugar- is free pe Every single recito help you of refined sugard feel great lose weight an
NO SUGAR
SWEETER OPTIONS
Tasty, tempting recipes with no refined sugar
Cutting down the amount of sugar you consume has many health benefits – and it’s surprisingly easy to do. Here’s how to eat well and live healthily
W
elcome to Sugar Free, a collection of 84 tempting recipes for cakes, bakes, biscuits, desserts and snacks that will help you achieve a more balanced, sugar-free diet, while still enjoying sweet treats. Whether you are dipping your toe into the world of baking without sugar for the first time, or learning to control a diabetic lifestyle, we’ve got tasty ideas for living healthily and eating well. We’ve long known that cutting down the saturated fat in your diet is a good idea. It’s quite simply better for you, can help you lose weight, and good nutrition will help your body fight all sorts of diseases. Cutting down the amount of refined and processed sugar in your diet can improve your health even further. As
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people begin to realise this, they are turning to sugarfree living as a real diet alternative.
Going sugar-free may sit alongside another lifestyle choice that you’ve already made. The Paleo diet, for example, is a popular back-to-basics concept that suggests eating like our ancestors is a more natural way to eat. This includes eliminating all processed sugars, which our bodies have not adjusted to digesting. It’s essential, especially in a Paleo diet, to break the modern habit of sugar addiction. Paleo dieticians suggest that you should cut out sugar altogether (including more natural versions that we’ve used in our recipes, such as honey, maple syrup and agave nectar), keeping fruit as the only intake. It’s important to keep fruit in your diet – despite the high fructose content – because it brings so many other nutritional benefits. Many of our fruitbased recipes are Paleo-friendly, or can easily be adapted to suit these requirements. Eliminating sugar can also help you succeed with the 5:2 diet – a method for weight loss that limits you to 500 calories for two days of the week. Refined sugar is packed full of carbohydrates and has no nutritional value, so a great way to stick to any calorie-controlled diet is to take it out of the equation completely. If you give up sugar before starting the 5:2 diet, you also won’t have to battle sugar cravings and mood swings on those days you are fasting.
Introduction
In our recipes we’ve used various sugar alternatives so you can still enjoy your favourite treats while staying sugar-free. In addition to the natural sweetness of fruit and honey, we have suggested a few natural sweeteners. Xylitol is the real showstopper here, and is becoming increasingly popular. This diabetic-friendly, completely natural sweetener tastes almost identical to sugar, making it the perfect ingredient for turning your favourite baking recipes sugar-free. Xylitol has 40% fewer calories than sugar and enjoys the same sweetness, but doesn’t raise
varying flavours in your recipes. Whichever you choose, remember that if you are following a new diet for health reasons, including being diagnosed as diabetic, then you should always check with your doctor before you try a new sugar alternative. Above all, lowering the sugar in your diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy – going sugar-free is proven to combat fatigue, smooth out your energy levels during the day and improve your overall mood. By ruling out processed sugars you are more likely to lose weight, too, and most importantly protect yourself against diabetes and heart disease. So what’s not to like? We hope you enjoy baking with Sugar Free!
your blood sugar levels. It is now becoming widely available in the health sections of supermarkets – although for pure xylitol, it’s always best to visit a health food specialist. Stevia, too, is popular as a low-calorie alternative to sugar, although diet professionals differ on their opinion of this and similar artificial sweeteners. The best trick is to experiment and see what works for you – there are plenty of brands that will give you Tasty Guides
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Cakes
A selection of mouth-watering scones, muffins, biscuits, cookies, cakes, buns and more
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Puddings
Lots of delectable desserts including tiramisu and trifle, ice cream, cherry pie and kiwi mousse
Simple Snacks
Satisfy your sweet cravings with our quinoa pancakes, strawberry yoghurt pots and fruit kebabs
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Teatime Treats
Tuck into a Bakewell tart, raspberry coconut slice, Danish pastry or banana loaf
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Bake this sugar-free cake for special occasions. If you like, add a cream cheese frosting for an extra layer of indulgence Prep and cook time: 3 h 30 min Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 250 g | 9 oz | 1 ¾ cups ground almonds 5 eggs 3 oranges 1–2 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder 250 g | 9 oz | 1 cups butter For the syrup: 175 ml | 6 fl oz | ¾ cup honey 110 ml | 4 fl oz | 7 tbsp water 55 ml | 2 fl oz | 11 tsp orange juice
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Simmer the whole oranges in a pan with a little water for 1 hour, until softened and cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.
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Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin. Remove the pips from the oranges (leave the peel on) and blend to a purée in a food processor. Heat together the butter, honey and vanilla in a small pan until melted. Put into the food processor with the eggs and blend until well combined. Combine the ground almonds and baking powder in a mixing bowl, then add the orange mixture. Put into the tin and bake for about 2 hours until the cake is firm to the touch.
For the syrup: put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently until the honey has dissolved completely. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Make holes in the cake with a skewer. Pour over the hot syrup and leave to cool completely until the syrup is absorbed, before removing from the tin.
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Sharpen up this classic dessert with fresh pomegranate and pistachios – add a dash of maple syrup, if needed, to the final bowl before serving
4 servings Prep and cook time: 40 min Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 75 g | 2 ½ oz | cup round grain pudding rice 900 ml | 32 fl oz | 4 cups milk 55 ml | 2 fl oz | 11 tsp brown rice syrup 2 tbsp maple syrup To decorate: chopped pistachio nuts pomegranate seeds
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Put the rice and milk in a pan and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring occasionally for 20–30 minutes, until the rice is cooked and creamy.
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Remove from the heat and add the rice and maple syrups, stirring well to incorporate. Spoon into serving glasses and sprinkle with pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
A light dessert for all occasions – if you want to cut the calories further, take out the Marsala and use a dash more coffee instead
Prep and cook time: 55 min Chilling: 1 h Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 180 g | 6 oz | ¾ cup butter 4 tbsp honey, plus extra to taste 180 g | 6 oz | 1 ½ cups self raising flour 4 eggs, beaten 200 ml | 7 fl oz | cup cold strong black coffee 1 tbsp Marsala 500 g | 18 oz | 2 cups mascarpone few drops vanilla extract 200 ml | 7 fl oz | cup double cream 300 g | 11 oz strawberries, sliced 200 g | 7 oz | 2 cups blueberries
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For the base: heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Grease a baking dish 1cm/½in deep.
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Melt the butter and honey in a pan over a low heat.
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Beat in the eggs until the mixture is well mixed.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and pour on the hot liquid. Mix well until blended.
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Mix the coffee and marsala and spoon over the cake. Cool, then cover with cling film and chill for 1 hour.
For the filling: Beat together the mascarpone and vanilla with honey to taste.
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Whisk the cream until thick, then fold into the mascarpone mixture. Spread on top of the cake and arrange the berries on top.
Spoon into the dish and bake for about 20 minutes until the cake is risen and golden.
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This recipe proves that you don’t have to give up chocolate – you just need to get creative in the kitchen Prep and cook time: 1 h Chilling: 4 h Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 425 ml | 15 fl oz | 1 ¾ cups whipping cream 55 g | 2 oz sugar-free plain (dark) chocolate, chopped 3 egg yolks 50 g | 1 ¾ oz | ¼ cup xylitol 100 g | 3 ½ oz sugar-free white chocolate
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Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/300°F/gas 2. Butter four ovenproof ramekins
Heat the cream in a pan to a boil. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, then whisk in the plain chocolate until melted.
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Whisk the egg yolks and xylitol until well blended. Stir in the chocolate cream mixture then pour into the ramekins.
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Put the ramekins in a roasting tin. Pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides and loosely cover with foil.
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Cook for 25–30 minutes until firm around the edges, but still slightly wobbly in the centre. Allow to cool, then chill for at least 4 hours.
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Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle over the desserts in a lattice pattern and leave to set.
4 servings
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Taking time for afternoon tea once in a while is one of life’s simple pleasures – made all the more enjoyable when the sweet treats are homemade. We’ve some irresistible recipes guaranteed to make you feel good inside… Bakewell tart with cherries and almonds Page 92
Mini cheesecake with raspberries and blueberries Page 103
Lime and apple turnovers Page 94
Carrot tart with cream and agave syrup Page 104
Fig bars Page 95 Pistachio baklava Page 96 Raspberry coconut slice Page 97
Lemon tart Page 106 Banana and walnut loaf Page 107
Chocolate nuts Page 98
Linzer torte with cranberries Page 108
Hot chocolate Page 99
Napoleon slice Page 109
Cinnamon Danish Page 100
Sparkling apple jelly Page 110
Apricot balls Page 102
Apple pancakes Page 111
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These tempting sweets are made with coconut and dried apricots, and therefore don’t need any artificial sweeteners at all
20 balls (approx)
Prep and cook time: 20 min Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 220 g | 8 oz | 2 cups sugar-free muesli 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup dried ready-toeat apricots, plus extra to decorate 55 ml | 2 fl oz | 11 tsp honey 60 g | 2 oz | ¼ cup butter, melted 75 g | 2 ½ oz | 1 cup jumbo oats, toasted
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Put the muesli, apricots, honey and warm, melted butter in a food processor. Blend for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is well combined.
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Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, then roll each ball in the jumbo oats. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes before serving with dried apricot slices.
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Cheesecake can easily be made into a low-carb version – just check the label on your biscuits and make sure the cream cheese is low-fat too
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cheesecakes Prep and cook time: 35 min Chilling: 4 h Difficulty: easy Cannot be frozen Ingredients: 150 g | 5 oz sugar-free digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs 75 g | 2 ½ oz | cup butter, melted 225 g | 8 oz | 1 cup cream cheese 55 ml | 2 fl oz | 11 tsp soured cream 1 egg ½ tsp vanilla extract xylitol, to taste To decorate: raspberries blueberries
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Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas 4. Grease 6 muffin or bun tins.
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Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter and press into the base of the tins.
Pour onto the cooled bases and bake for 18–20 minutes. Cool, then chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Decorate with raspberries and blueberries.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Beat the cream cheese until soft, then beat in the soured cream, egg, vanilla and xylitol to taste.
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