Sensationally Sugar Free: Delicious sugar-free recipes for healthier eating every day - Susanna Booth (2016)
Ice Creams
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream
Banana & Salted Peanut Ice Cream
Papaya & Lime Ice Cream
Strawberry Parfait
Pistachio Kulfi
Lychee Frozen Yogurt
Ginger Granita
Piña Colada Ice
Orange & Star Anise Sorbet
Campari & Watermelon Lollies
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Making a successful ice cream is more science than art, but these recipes give wonderfully soft and oh-so-smooth results that will leave everyone begging for more.
MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS)
For the basic custard base
1 tablespoon agar powder
375ml (13fl oz) rice milk
2 egg yolks
375ml (13fl oz) double cream
15g (½oz) raw lucuma powder
4 teaspoons raw organic local honey
For the chocolate flavouring
25g (1oz) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened vanilla extract
2 teaspoons stevia powder
50g (2oz) no-added-sugar milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces To make the basic custard base, stir the agar powder into the rice milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook until the agar powder has dissolved - about 5 minutes.
Beat the egg yolks with the cream, lucuma powder and honey in a large bowl, then stir the hot rice milk into the mixture. Pour everything back into the pan and gently bring to the boil, stirring continuously so that the eggs don’t curdle. When you begin to see bubbles rising to the surface, remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and stevia powder. Leave the mixture to cool completely, giving it a stir from time to time. When it is cold, stir in the chocolate pieces.
Pour the cooled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in the bowl, then over the course of 2 hours, bring it out of the freezer every 30 minutes and blend it well in a food processor each time.
Transfer the ice cream to a 1-litre (1¾-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid, store in the freezer and use within a week.
Vanilla Ice Cream
MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS)
1 quantity of basic custard base, as in the recipe for Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
For the vanilla flavouring
5 teaspoons unsweetened vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Follow the first two steps as in the recipe for Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Leave the mixture to cool completely. It will set as it cools, but don’t worry - just give it a stir from time to time.
Follow the last two steps as in the recipe for Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Banana & Salted Peanut Ice Cream
Roasted bananas are the basis of this easy ice cream, giving a delicious sweetness that is offset perfectly by the salty chunks of peanut. For best results, leave the ice cream to defrost for 15 minutes before serving.
MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS)
6 bananas, about 800g (1lb 9oz) total weight
75g (3oz) unsweetened crunchy peanut butter
125ml (4fl oz) double cream
75g (3oz) salted peanuts, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the bananas in their skins in a roasting dish and bake for 20 minutes until blackened and soft.
Scrape out the banana flesh and juice into a bowl. Add the peanut butter and cream, and blend with a stick blender for a few seconds until smooth. Leave to cool.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in the bowl, then over the course of 2 hours, bring it out of the freezer every 30 minutes and blend it well in a food processor each time.
Stir in the peanuts, then transfer the ice cream to a 1-litre (1¾-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid, store in the freezer and use within a week.
Papaya & Lime Ice Cream
This ice cream gives a triple whammy of sensual delight: first you’re seduced by the gorgeous pinky orange colour, then just as you’re tasting the creamy subtlety of the sweet papaya, you get the acid hit from the lime - terrific.
MAKES ABOUT 750ML (1¼ PINTS)
grated rind of 2 unwaxed limes
125ml (4fl oz) fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons stevia powder
2 tablespoons agar powder
310ml (10½fl oz) double cream
2 ripe papayas, about 700g (1lb 7oz) total weight Place the grated lime rind and juice, stevia powder and agar powder in a saucepan and heat gently until the stevia and agar have almost dissolved. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Cut the papayas in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Place the flesh in a blender and blend until smooth.
Stir the papaya purée into the hot cream. Leave the mixture to cool completely.
Pour the cooled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in the bowl, then over the course of 2 hours, bring it out of the freezer every 30 minutes and blend it well in a food processor each time.
Transfer the ice cream to a 750ml (1¼-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid and store in the freezer. Try to eat the ice cream as soon as possible, as it will gradually become more and more icy. For best results, leave the ice cream to defrost for about 15 minutes before serving.
Strawberry Parfait
For a change from ice cream, this is a totally refreshing and summery frozen dessert, which is prepared as a solid block and then cut into slices to serve. For best results, use gorgeously ripe, juicy strawberries and eat within a couple of days of making it.
SERVES 8
sunflower oil, for oiling
700g (1lb 7oz) fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons agar powder
500ml (17fl oz) double cream
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons stevia powder or raw organic local honey (optional) Line a 22 x 11 x 7cm (8¾ x 4½ x 3-inch)/1kg (2lb) loaf tin with clingfilm and then smear the clingfilm with a thin layer of sunflower oil.
Hull the strawberries, then cut 100g (3½oz) of them into thin slices about 3mm (⅛inch) thick. Line the tin with the strawberries slices - they should stick to the clingfilm on the base and sides by themselves.
Stir the agar powder into the cream in a bowl until you can’t see any powder left.
Place the cream mixture with the remaining strawberries and the pepper in a blender or food processor and blend together. If your strawberries weren’t very sweet, you could add the stevia powder or raw honey at this point to boost the flavour.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and freeze it for at least 4 hours. To serve, leave to defrost for 30 minutes. Turn the loaf tin upside down on to a serving plate and remove the tin to reveal your parfait, then peel off the clingfilm. Cut into slices with a large sharp knife.
Pistachio Kulfi
Kulfi is an Indian ice cream commonly made with condensed milk, almonds and cardamom. I’ve used naturally sweet evaporated milk and pistachios instead. The nuttiness lends an irresistible texture. Though I’ve specified dariole moulds, small plastic drinking glasses are a good alternative.
SERVES 6
75g (3oz) shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
4 tablespoons water
375ml (13fl oz) evaporated milk
125ml (4fl oz) whipping cream
1½ tablespoons stevia powder
Soak the pistachios in the measurement water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Place the soaked nuts and any remaining water in a blender or food processor and add all the other ingredients. Blend for about 1 minute until the mixture has become a bit frothy and the texture is nearly smooth.
Line up 6 dariole moulds and half-fill each one. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the rubbly nut mixture that will have collected at the bottom of the blender and distribute it evenly between the moulds. Freeze for at least 4 hours until hardened.
To serve, sit the dariole moulds in a flat-based bowl. Pour warm water into the bowl until it reaches just below the rim. After about 5 seconds, remove the moulds and run a butter knife around the inside of each one. Turn the kulfi out on to serving plates. The chopped nut mixture will have coloured the outside of the kulfi, giving an attractive, green and purple-speckled effect. Leave to soften for 5-10
minutes before serving.
Lychee Frozen Yogurt
At one point in my life I lived in Paris and fell in love with a lychee yogurt from my local store to the point of obsession. I have done my best to reincarnate it here, minus any added sugar, which thanks to the inherent sweetness of lychees isn’t necessary anyway. This frozen yogurt is quick to make and best enjoyed semifreddo, as a dreamy mouthful of cool perfection.
MAKES ABOUT 750ML (1¼ PINTS)
400g (13oz) pitted fresh or drained canned lychees 250ml (8fl oz) full-fat Greek yogurt
pinch of salt
Place half the lychees in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yogurt and salt.
Finely dice the remaining lychees, add to the bowl and stir together.
Ideally, you should now cover and leave the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour to allow the sweetness and flavours to develop, but if you’re short of time, just skip this step.
Pour the mixture into a 750ml (1¼-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid and freeze for 45 minutes. Use an electric whisk to blend everything thoroughly, then freeze for a further 30 minutes. Whisk again. The frozen yogurt should now have the consistency of whipped cream and is ready to serve. Alternatively, keep it in the freezer until needed and leave it to defrost for 20 minutes, then whisk it with an electric whisk just before serving. The frozen yogurt will keep for up to a week.
Ginger Granita
Ginger is combined with the delicate flavour of melon in this refreshing, snowy-textured granita. Try it as a dessert in a decorative glass, topped with raspberries and balls of fresh melon.
MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS)
2 Galia melons, about 2kg (4lb) in total
6 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Quarter the melons and scrape out all the seeds. Use a tablespoon to scrape all the flesh out and place it in a blender with the lemon juice and ginger. Blend until just smooth.
Pour the mixture into a 1-litre (1¾-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid. Freeze for 2
hours, giving a quick stir every 30 minutes or so. After this time, blend everything again in the blender. You’ll now have a much paler mixture with an even consistency.
Return to the tub and freeze for a further 2 hours before serving. The granita needs to be consumed a couple of days after it is made or the texture will become too icy and hard.
Piña Colada Ice
The rum in this simple, dairy-free frozen dessert adds a bit of a kick and also helps keep the texture smooth. It’s a great way to end a meal on a relaxed summer’s day and I love its retro-kitsch vibe, especially when it’s served with a cocktail umbrella and a slice of pineapple!
MAKES ABOUT 1.2 LITRES (2 PINTS)
2 x 425g (14oz) cans pineapple chunks in juice
310ml (10½fl oz) coconut cream (the liquid kind)
4 tablespoons white rum
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until well blended, then pour into a 1.5-litre (2½-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid.
Freeze for 3 hours, then blend in the food processor again briefly. Return to the tub and refreeze for about 30 minutes or until needed. This is best eaten within 48
hours or the texture will become too hard.
Orange & Star Anise Sorbet
The smooth, intensely cold texture of real sorbet is unbeatable on a hot day and this recipe also has a hint of pepperiness, which gives an interesting contrast. Keeping sorbets silky is especially tricky when going sugar free because the sugar plays such an important role, but after experimenting a bit, I found a winning combination.
MAKES ABOUT 500ML (17FL OZ)
500ml (17fl oz) fresh orange juice with bits
1 tablespoon agar powder
1 tablespoon stevia powder
2 star anise
large pinch of ground black pepper
2 egg whites
Pour the juice into a large saucepan. Stir in the agar powder, stevia powder, star anise and black pepper and then simmer for 5 minutes or until the agar has dissolved. Transfer the liquid to a jug and discardthe star anise.
Using an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks.
While continuing to whisk, very slowly pour in the hot juice in a thin stream, which will create a sort of cooked meringue. Don’t worry if there seems to be liquid under the meringue. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or so until completely cold.
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can then transfer the sorbet to a 750ml (1¼-pint) strong plastic tub with a lid and store in the freezer. It will become harder over time, so eat within a couple of days. Leave to soften for 5 minutes before serving.
Campari & Watermelon Lollies
Watermelon and evaporated milk is an amazingly tasty combination, while a touch of Campari adds an adults-only angle to these vibrant stripy ice lollies - they’re a firm favourite at beach or barbecue parties.
Ice lolly moulds vary quite a lot in their volume, but this should make enough for at least 6.
MAKES ABOUT 500ML (17FL OZ)
300g (10oz) peeled and deseeded watermelon
1 tablespoon Campari
185ml (6½fl oz) evaporated milk
Place the watermelon flesh in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Stir in the Campari.
To create the stripes, first pour the watermelon mixture into your ice lolly moulds to fill each by one-third. Freeze for an hour.
Now pour in evaporated milk to fill a further one-third of your moulds. Attach foil to the top of each mould with an elastic band, then insert a lolly stick through the foil into the evaporated milk layer. Freeze for a further 45 minutes-1 hour until reasonably firm.
Remove the foil and top up with watermelon mixture, leaving a space at the top of the mould to allow for the expansion of the ice. Pop the lollies back in the freezer.
They will be fully hardened after about 3 hours. The lollies are best served within a week.
