Sensationally Sugar Free: Delicious sugar-free recipes for healthier eating every day - Susanna Booth (2016)
Everyday Snacks
Cream Cheese & Apple Twists
Peanut Snack Bars
Chocolate & Rye Energy Bars
Raw Gingerbread
Banana Bread
Cardamom Waffles with Berries
Swedish Cherry Buns
Fruit Plait
Apple Porridge
Mango & Cranberry Muesli
Poppy Seed Grissini
Smoked Cheese & Apple Scones
Spiced Trail Mix
Pumpkin Pops
Cream Cheese & Apple Twists
I love the windmill shape of these pretty Danish pastries. Keeping the skin on the apples not only makes them healthier but also gives the twists a more colourful look.
MAKES 8
plain flour, for dusting
250g (8oz) ready-made puff pastry
2 dessert apples, cored and chopped into small pieces, skin left on 3 teaspoons water
50g (2oz) cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Sprinkle a little flour across a baking sheet.
Place the chopped apple in a small saucepan with the measurement water and heat gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
Roll out the pastry on a worktop well dusted with flour to a rectangle about 35 x 18cm (14 x 7 inches), and about 3mm (⅛ inch) thick. Cut into 8 pastry squares.
On each square, make a cut from each corner towards the centre using a sharp knife, stopping about halfway in.
Spread the cream cheese across the centre of each square and then distribute the apple on top of each portion of cream cheese.
To make the twist shape, bring the left-hand side of each corner into the centre.
Secure the tips in place by brushing with the beaten egg, pressing together and sticking a cocktail stick through the middle. Repeat for the other pastries. Brush a little beaten egg across all visible pastry surfaces.
Transfer to the floured baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until golden.
Remove the cocktail sticks. These pastries are best served warm.
Peanut Snack Bars
These snack bars are ready in minutes and make a filling mid-morning pick-me-up that should prevent you diving into the biscuit tin. Figs, nuts and seeds give texture and taste - simple but totally moreish.
MAKES 12
200g (7oz) soft dried figs
100g (3½oz) unsweetened crunchy peanut butter
40g (1½oz) sunflower seeds
40g (1½oz) pumpkin seeds
40g (1½oz) wholemeal plain flour
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons water
Remove the tough stalky part at the top of each fig. Place the figs in a food processor, add all the other ingredients and pulse until you have a mixture with the texture of fine crumbs. Press the crumbs firmly together to form a dough.
Roll out the dough on a worktop to a thickness of about 1cm (½ inch) - a rectangle about 18 x 15cm (7 x 6 inches) is perfect. If there are cracks, press the dough more firmly. Cut into 12 slices. Store in the refrigerator and eat within 7
days.
Chocolate & Rye Energy Bars
These bars are made from dense German-style rye bread - the kind that usually comes in a square block, pre-sliced. Rye bread is already packed full of nutrients and here I’ve added prunes, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate to create a pleasingly portable snack for people on the go.
MAKES 8
sunflower oil, for oiling
4 tablespoons milk
1 egg
250g (8oz) German-style rye bread
100g (3½oz) pitted prunes
100g (3½oz) no-added-sugar plain dark chocolate
40g (1½oz) pumpkin seeds
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly oil a 22 x 11 x 7cm (8¾ x 4½ x 3-inch)/1kg (2lb) loaf tin with a little sunflower oil.
Whisk the milk and egg together in a large bowl. Crumble in the rye bread in smallish pieces. Give the mixture a stir, then leave to sit for about 10 minutes.
Finely chop the prunes and half the chocolate, then stir both into the rye mixture along with the pumpkin seeds.
Break the remaining chocolate into small pieces. Place in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water), or in the microwave on a medium setting for about 45
seconds (my preferred method), until nearly all the chocolate has melted. Give it a stir and leave to rest for a couple of minutes until it has all melted. Stir the melted chocolate into the rye mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20
minutes.
Leave to cool, then cut into slices. The bars will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Raw Gingerbread
This is a fabulous, fudgy gingerbread made only with raw ingredients, so as well as being rammed full of goodness it takes just moments to make. It’ll keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
MAKES 12 PIECES
185g (6½oz) pitted dried dates
75g (3oz) raw cashew nuts
100g (3½oz) carrot, peeled and finely grated
75g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour
grated rind of 1 unwaxed orange
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons flaked almonds
Place all the ingredients except the flaked almonds in a food processor and process for a minute or so until everything comes together in a doughy lump. Stir in the flaked almonds.
Use a spatula to scrape everything out and then pat the mixture into a square about 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Cut into 12 pieces and transfer to a plastic tub with a lid. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or overnight, until the gingerbread has firmed to the texture of fudge.
Variation
You can make a gluten-free version of the gingerbread by replacing the wholemeal flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
Banana Bread
This banana bread makes a nutritious snack: it’s packed with bananas, which are rich in manganese and potassium, and the wholemeal flour and sunflower seeds contribute extra goodness in the form of fibre and Vitamins B and E. It’s great just as it is, or with butter or even a slice of cheese.
MAKES ABOUT 12 SLICES
4 ripe bananas, about 700g (1lb 7oz)
75g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 1 egg, beaten
150g (5oz) white plain flour
50g (2oz) wholemeal plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
75g (3oz) sunflower seeds
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a 22 x 11
x 7cm (8¾ x 4½ x 3-inch)/1kg (2lb) loaf tin with a little butter.
Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl (a few lumps are OK). Add the melted butter, followed by the egg, and stir well.
Add both flours, the baking powder and salt to the bowl. Gently fold everything together until well mixed. Set aside about 1 tablespoon of the sunflower seeds, then fold the rest into the mixture.
Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to the loaf tin. Shake gently to distribute it evenly in the tin and then smooth the top with the spatula. Sprinkle the reserved sunflower seeds on top.
Bake for 55-65 minutes until well browned and risen. Leave to cool in the tin.
Variation
You can make the banana bread dairy free by using dairy-free margarine in place of the butter. Make it vegan as well by omitting the egg and adding 4
tablespoons soya milk instead.
Cardamom Waffles with Berries
These waffles make a great choice to start your day - eaten with berries, they are a source of all the major food groups. I love them like this, with their hint of fragrant cardamom and a little sweetness from the rice milk.
SERVES 4
50g (2oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 150g (5oz) wholemeal plain flour
150g (5oz) white plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
400ml (14fl oz) rice milk
1 green cardamom pod
150g (5oz) fresh blueberries
150g (5oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
140g (4½oz) fresh raspberries
Pour the melted butter into a bowl and stir in both flours, the baking powder, eggs and half the rice milk to form a smooth paste. Gradually beat in the remaining rice milk.
Break open the cardamom pod and remove the seeds. Crush them with the back of a teaspoon, then sprinkle them into the batter by rubbing them between your fingers and thumb so that they crumble to dust. Stir in.
Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high and lightly grease with a little butter. Pour in the first portion of batter and cook for 4-5 minutes until the waffle is browned and crispy. Repeat the process until the batter is used up. If necessary, the cooked waffles can be kept warm in a low oven while the others are cooking.
Serve the waffles warm, scattered with the fresh berries.
Swedish Cherry Buns
These buns make the perfect project for a happy afternoon in the kitchen, mooching about and not doing anything too strenuous. The cinnamon-laced scent as the buns cook is totally uplifting too.
MAKES 12
For the dough
1 dessert apple, about 150g (5oz)
1 green cardamom pod
300g (10oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 75g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour
7g (¼oz) sachet fast-action dried yeast
200ml (7fl oz) milk, plus a little extra if needed 1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
For the filling
25g (1oz) unsalted butter, very soft
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) soft dried apricots
50g (2oz) dried cherries
For the topping
2 tablespoons milk
20g (¾oz) shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, finely chopped To make the dough, cut the apple in half and set one half aside, cut side down, for the filling. Core and roughly grate the other half (leave the skin on), then place in a large bowl. Break open the cardamom pod and remove the seeds. Crush them to a powder using the back of a teaspoon and add to the bowl with all the remaining dough ingredients. Stir well, then knead the mixture to bring it together into a dough - add a little more milk or flour, if necessary.
Knead the dough by hand on a worktop lightly dusted with flour for a further 5
minutes or using a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Roll out the dough on the floured worktop to a 26cm (10¼-inch) square, about 5mm (¼ inch) thick.
Now make the filling. Beat the butter and cinnamon together and spread across the dough, taking care to make an even layer that reaches every edge. Core and roughly grate the reserved apple half (again, leave the skin on), and chop the apricots very finely, then stir them both together with the cherries. Distribute the mixture on top of the butter.
Roll the dough into a cylinder shape and cut into 12 slices. Place each slice facing upwards in a paper muffin case. Leave the muffin tin somewhere warm for 1-2
hours until the dough has at least doubled in size and filled the paper cases.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Brush each bun with a little of the milk and sprinkle with the pistachios. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the buns are golden. Serve warm or cold; they will keep surprisingly well for a couple of days (warm them before serving).
Fruit Plait
This is a seriously versatile loaf - serve it warm from the oven as a fragrant and welcoming treat when friends come round, eat it toasted and buttered for breakfast or just enjoy it with a slice of cheese as a nutritious snack.
MAKES ABOUT 15 SLICES
275g (9oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 75g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour
2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast
1½ teaspoons ground mixed spice
pinch of salt
1 large unwaxed orange, about 250g (8oz)
1 teaspoon sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling
40g (1½oz) sultanas
20g (¾oz) sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon milk
Lightly oil a baking sheet with a little sunflower oil.
Place the both flours in a bowl with the yeast, mixed spice and salt. Grate in the rind of the orange and then give everything a stir.
Juice the orange and scrape out all the nice juicy bits (avoiding the bitter white pith) into a measuring jug and make up to 250ml (8fl oz) with warm water.
Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and add the oil. Stir together as far as possible, then get your hands in and knead the mixture to a lovely soft and aromatic dough.
Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes on a worktop well dusted with flour. It should be really soft but not sticky - add a little extra flour if necessary. Knead in the sultanas and sunflower seeds.
Cut the dough into 3 equal-sized pieces. Roll each one into a sausage shape about 36cm (14 inches) long, tapered at both ends.
Plait the 3 sausage shapes together and pinch the ends to a point. Place the loaf on the baking sheet, then brush the milk across the top of the plait. Leave for 1-2
hours in a warm place until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Bake the loaf for 20
minutes until golden brown. Enjoy hot or cold.
Variation
For a vegan/dairy-free version of this recipe, use soya milk in place of the cows’ milk.
Apple Porridge
In this porridge, the oats are left to soak in order for them to soften and for the flavours to mingle. Don’t be put off by the extra time involved because making it is easily slotted into a morning routine - I like to do the preparation, go off and have a shower and then heat it and eat it.
So simple!
SERVES 2
50g (2oz) rolled oats
310ml (10½fl oz) water
1 large dessert apple, about 200g (7oz), cored and roughly grated (leave the skin on)
2 tablespoons natural yogurt
1 tablespoon flaked Brazil nuts
Mix the oats, measurement water and grated apple together in a saucepan. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes, then simmer the mixture for 4-5 minutes until thickened and slightly translucent.
Spoon out the porridge into 2 bowls. Add a tablespoonful of yogurt to the top of each, then sprinkle the flaked Brazil nuts over the top and serve.
Variations
For a dairy-free breakfast, use soya yogurt. Use gluten-free oats for a gluten free version of this recipe.
Mango & Cranberry Muesli
This is my perfect muesli - not too sweet, by turns crunchy and chewy, and with a great selection of nuts, seeds and fruit that means I can bask in the glow of racking up several of my 5-a-day by 8am. Try it with natural Greek yogurt or with fresh milk.
MAKES ABOUT 15 SERVINGS
125g (4oz) rye or wholewheat flakes
1 teaspoon sunflower oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
40g (1½oz) pumpkin seeds
25g (1oz) flaked coconut
25g (1oz) flaked almonds
200g (7oz) rolled oats
50g (2oz) dried unsweetened mango, finely chopped 40g (1½oz) dried unsweetened cranberries
25g (1oz) shelled raw pistachio nuts
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Get out 2 baking sheets.
Spread your rye or wheat flakes out on 1 baking sheet.
Stir the oil and cinnamon together in a bowl. Tip in the pumpkin seeds, coconut and almonds and stir until evenly coated in the oil and cinnamon mixture. Spread the mixture on to the second baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven.
After 10 minutes, remove the nut mixture but leave the rye/wheat flakes for a further 5 minutes to get nicely crisp. Leave everything to cool completely.
Place the oats in a 1-litre (2-pint) clip-top jar. Add the mango, cranberries and pistachios. Finally, pour in the rye/wheat flakes and the toasted nut mixture. Give everything a stir and a shake and clip the lid shut. The muesli should keep well for a couple of weeks.
Variation
I’ve used unsweetened cranberries here, but they are a little tart. You can substitute them with raisins if you prefer a sweeter muesli.
Poppy Seed Grissini
These grissini cost a fraction of the artisanal ones from your local deli, but their delicate forms and sprinkling of poppy seeds mean they look and taste just as good. Try them dipped into hummus or a spicy salsa.
MAKES ABOUT 50
125ml (4fl oz) warm water
1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast
1 teaspoon good-quality fresh apple juice
150g (5oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Lightly oil a couple of baking sheets.
Stir together the measurement warm water, yeast and apple juice in a bowl.
Place both flours and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast liquid and the oil, mix it in and bring together into a dough.
Knead for a good couple of minutes on a worktop well dusted with flour until you have a soft and supple dough - add a little extra flour if it seems too sticky.
Roll out the dough on the floured worktop to a rectangle about 20 x 25cm (8 x 10
inches), and about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Brush the top with the milk and then scatter over the poppy seeds.
Using a ruler and a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle along the long sides into 25
strips about 1cm (½ inch) wide.
Pick up a strip and gently stretch it so that it is roughly double its length (though don’t let the strip get too thin in any one spot or it will overcook later on). Break it in half and twist each half 2 or 3 times before placing it on the baking sheet.
Repeat for the remaining strips.
Leave the strips to rise for about an hour in a warm place until they have roughly doubled in thickness.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Bake the grissini for 15
minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 140°C/120°C fan/275°F/Gas Mark 1 for a further 5-10 minutes until they are golden brown and hard all the way through. Leave them to cool on a wire rack, then store them in a tall airtight jar.
Variation
Use soya milk in place of the milk if you want a dairy-free recipe.
Smoked Cheese & Apple Scones
These scones are a favourite snack of my niece Cecily - she loves the crunchy, cheesy crust and fluffy centre. They are lovely cold, but even better slightly warm from the oven and spread with butter or eaten just as they are.
MAKES 6
1 dessert apple, about 150g (5oz)
100g (3½oz) Bavarian smoked cheese
75g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour
75g (3oz) white plain flour, plus extra for dusting 2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling 1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Lightly oil a baking sheet with sunflower oil.
Grate each side of the apple in turn against a box grater until you reach the core, working round the apple until all the flesh has been grated, then discard the core.
Place the grated apple in a bowl. Next, grate the cheese and add to the bowl, then add both flours, the baking powder and oil.
Add the egg and stir everything together to create a soft and somewhat sticky dough.
Dust a worktop lightly with flour and flatten the dough to a thickness of about 3cm (1¼ inches). Use a 6cm (2½-inch) round cookie cutter to cut out your scones, gathering together the trimmings as necessary, until you have used up all the dough - you should get 6, but it does depend on the exact thickness of the dough.
Place them on the baking sheet and then brush them with the milk and scatter the sunflower seeds on top.
Bake the scones for 15 minutes until risen and browned. They will spread a little as they cook. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Spiced Trail Mix
Inspired by the good old chicken korma, this tasty blend of spicy cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds mixed with flaked coconut and pieces of dried mango will liven up any hike.
MAKES 425G (14OZ)
150g (5oz) raw cashew nuts
140g (4½oz) whole almonds
75g (3oz) pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon garam masala
50g (2oz) dried unsweetened mango, finely chopped 25g (1oz) flaked coconut salt
Place the cashews, almonds and seeds in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Dry-fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts have started to brown and the pumpkin seeds start to pop.
Remove the pan from the heat. Mix the oil and garam masala together, then add to the pan and quickly give everything a good stir. Add salt to taste and then leave everything to cool completely.
Place the mango in an airtight jar, add the coconut and cooled nut mixture and give the jar a shake - your spicy snack is ready to go.
Pumpkin Pops
Pumpkin seeds are fantastically nutritious, but can be uninspiring eaten raw. After a rapid roasting and a super-tasty umami coating, they turn into the queen of snacks.
MAKES 300G (10OZ)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons water
300g (10oz) pumpkin seeds
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Mix the soy sauce and measurement water together in a large bowl. Pour in the pumpkin seeds and stir until they are lightly coated in the soy mixture.
Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. After about 8
minutes you’ll hear slight popping noises coming from the oven as the seeds expand. Remove them from the oven after 10-12 minutes, when the majority of the seeds will have swelled and the coating has dried.
Leave to cool completely, then store in an airtight jar and eat within a week.
