Whether for medical, dietary or cleansing reasons, it is occasionally nice to steer away from sugar. I have always been lucky in the dessert world in which I live, yet I have always lived with the notion that everything in moderation will be fine. The following desserts are welcome additions to your recipe files, which allow you to cater for those who seek the solace of a sugar-free treat.
CARROT CAKE
250g plain (all-purpose) flour
5g baking powder
2g baking soda
2g salt
7g ground cinnamon
4 eggs, large
250ml vegetable oil
100g powdered sugar (sugar-free substitute)
250g carrots, grated
240g pineapple, crushed and well drained
80g coconut, shredded
40g walnuts, chopped
• Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius. Spray two round cake pans and line them with baking parchment.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. Beat eggs, vegetable oil and sugar substitute.
• Blend at medium speed with an electric mixer until batter is smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, pineapple, walnuts and coconut. Pour batter between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let them cool completely.
• Join the cakes together with fresh cream and some berries to make a wonderful carrot cake even sugar lovers will envy.
CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
65g whole-wheat flour
75g plain (all-purpose) flour
30g cocoa powder
4g baking powder
2g bicarbonate (baking) soda
2g salt
2g cinnamon powder
60ml applesauce, unsweetened
60ml vegetable oil
110g brown sugar (sugar-free substitute)
120g icing sugar (sugar-free substitute)
1 egg, large
4g vanilla essence
120g white oats
75g raisins
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• In a mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients combining the whole-wheat flour, plain flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
• In a separate larger bowl, combine the apple sauce, oil, brown sugar, icing sugar substitute, egg and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add the dry mixture and mix well. Stir in the oats and raisins after.
• When mixed together, place small ice cream scoops of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between cookies. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Allow to cool on the tray before serving fresh.
RASPBERRY AND THYME SORBET
250ml Agave nectar (available in health food stores)
8g powder sugar (sugar-free substitute)
60ml lemon juice
1 egg white
10g fresh thyme, stripped and chopped
800g raspberries, frozen or fresh
• In a blender, combine all the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a large metal bowl (it will help chill faster) and place the bowl into the freezer compartment. Allow to freeze initially for one hour. Then take a whisk and break up the icy mix and whisk hard for two to three minutes.
• Freeze again for 45 minutes and then once again whisk quickly and firmly. Finally allow the mixture to freeze for 45 minutes, whisk briefly before scooping. Serve the sorbet topped with a fresh twig of thyme and a
fresh raspberry.
