For Children - Sensationally Sugar Free - Susanna Booth

Sensationally Sugar Free: Delicious sugar-free recipes for healthier eating every day - Susanna Booth (2016)

For Children

Cheesy Breadsticks

Tomato & Herb Spirals

Chocolate Brownies

Magic Pancakes

Apple Freezer Flapjacks

Chocolate Refrigerator Cake

Sticky Doughnut Buns

Ginger Stars

Crispy Cakes

Apple & Blackberry Parcels

Pineapple Fritters

Stripy Snow Cones

Cheesy Breadsticks

These cheese-flavoured, milk-enriched breadsticks taste great by themselves or dipped into a little hummus. The kids love making the supple dough, providing a fun activity for an afternoon as well as a snack.

MAKES 16

150g (5oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 150g (5oz) wholemeal plain flour

2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus extra for oiling

1 teaspoon mustard

250ml (8fl oz) warm milk, plus extra for brushing 100g (3½oz) Cheddar cheese or other hard cheese, grated 40g (1½oz) brown linseeds

Lightly oil a couple of baking sheets with a little olive oil.

Place both flours, the yeast, oil and mustard in a bowl. Pour in the warm milk and knead the mixture until it comes together as a soft dough.

Knead in the cheese, then continue kneading on a worktop well dusted with flour for a minute, adding a little extra flour if it feels too sticky - the dough should be very soft, but shouldn’t stick to your fingers.

Cut the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces, then roll and stretch each one to form a breadstick about 25cm (10 inches) long. Brush the tops of the breadsticks with some warm milk. Pour the linseeds on to a large plate and roll each breadstick in the seeds before placing them on the baking sheets.

Leave the breadsticks to rise for an hour in a warm place until roughly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Bake the breadsticks for 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

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Tomato & Herb Spirals

My children are always complaining that they are hungry, but it’s hard to keep their hands out of the biscuit tin. If that sounds familiar, then try offering these tomato and herb spirals warm from the oven as a tempting alternative to sugary snacks.

MAKES 8

For the dough

sunflower oil, for oiling

2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast

250ml (8fl oz) hand-hot water

1 tablespoon tomato purée

300g (10oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 75g (3oz) wholemeal plain flour

pinch of salt

For the filling

75g (3oz) cooked carrot

3 tablespoons tomato purée

3 tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon dried oregano

50g (2oz) Cheddar cheese or other hard cheese, grated Lightly oil a 25 x 16cm (10 x 6¼-inch) baking dish with a little sunflower oil.

To make the dough, stir the yeast, measurement hand-hot water and tomato purée together in a jug. Place both flours in a bowl with the salt. Stir in the liquid, then knead the mixture to bring it together into a dough.

Knead by hand on a worktop lightly dusted with flour for a further couple of minutes or using a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Roll out the dough on the floured worktop into a 26cm (10¼-inch) square, about 5mm (¼ inch) thick.

Now make the filling. Place the cooked carrot, tomato purée, milk and oregano in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Spread the mixture across the top of the dough.

Roll the dough into a cylinder and cut into 8 equal-sized slices. Place each slice facing upwards in the baking dish. Leave somewhere warm for 1-2 hours until the dough has more than doubled in size and the spirals have completely filled the dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Bake the spirals for 12-

15 minutes until they are golden and all the dough is cooked. Serve warm or cold.

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Chocolate Brownies

Dates and roasted butternut squash help to provide the all-important

‘squidge’ factor in these brownies and also offer a great way to give kids extra nutrients.

MAKES 16

sunflower oil, for oiling

200g (7oz) butternut squash

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, chopped

2 teaspoons stevia powder

75g (3oz) no-added-sugar plain dark chocolate, broken into pieces 3 eggs

100g (3½oz) pitted dried dates

50g (2oz) wholemeal plain flour

50g (2oz) white plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

50g (2oz) walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly oil a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin with sunflower oil, or line the tin with baking parchment.

Deseed the butternut squash and chop into pieces about 2.5cm (1 inch) square.

You can keep the skin on - it provides extra nutrients and you’ll never notice it in the finished brownies. Spread the chopped squash out in the baking tin and roast for 20 minutes until soft. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter, stevia powder and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as most of it has melted, remove the pan from the heat. Leave to stand until everything has melted.

Place the roasted squash, eggs and dates in a food processor and process for about 1 minute until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Now add both flours, the baking powder and salt, followed by the melted chocolate mixture. Process for about 30 seconds until everything is really well combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Spread the mixture across the baking tin and smooth it flat with a spatula. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the brownie has shrunk away from the sides of the tin but is still squidgy in the middle. Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into 16 pieces.

Variation

Use dairy-free margarine in place of butter for a dairy-free version of this recipe.

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Magic Pancakes

This recipe uses basic science to fascinating effect - colour-changing pancakes, packed with goodness, all thanks to grated beetroot and a few common ingredients. It’s the perfect treat for budding chemists everywhere. Watch how the lusciously pink batter darkens or lightens, then see more magic happen in the pan. If only all cookery was so dramatic!

SERVES 4

150g (5oz) plain flour

50g (2oz) wholemeal plain flour

1 egg

125ml (4fl oz) milk

2 tablespoons sunflower oil, plus extra for frying 75g (3oz) finely grated fresh beetroot

4 tablespoons soured cream, plus extra (optional) to serve 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

225g (7½oz) fresh blueberries

cooked bacon, to serve (optional)

Place both flours in a bowl. Stir in the egg, milk and oil until you have a smooth batter. Add the grated beetroot to create a lovely pink colour.

Now transfer half the batter to a different bowl. To the first bowl add the soured cream and baking powder. The batter will become marginally more pinky red.

To the second bowl add the bicarbonate of soda. After a few minutes, you’ll notice the colour darken to a purply pink.

Divide the blueberries evenly between the 2 batters and stir them in.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and smear with a little sunflower oil.

Use a tablespoon to add dollops of batter to the pan - depending on the size of your pan, you might fit 3 or 4 dollops on at a time. You’ll see bubbles popping on the surface. After 1-2 minutes, when the bubbles ease off and the pancakes lose their gloss, flip them over and fry for a further minute or so until browned.

The bicarbonate pancakes will change from purple to yellow, while the baking powder pancakes will still be a violent pink. Enjoy them warm, with extra soured cream and bacon if you like.

Variation

You could make this recipe dairy free by using soya milk and soya yogurt in place of the cows’ milk and soured cream.

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Apple Freezer Flapjacks

These simple raw flapjacks are made almost entirely of oats, nuts and fruit, yet they combine to create a moreish snack. The fact they are frozen makes them especially appealing to kids.

MAKES 10

sunflower oil, for oiling

150g (5oz) rolled oats

50g (2oz) unsweetened smooth cashew nut butter

40g (1½oz) seedless raisins

25g (1oz) unsalted butter

1 large dessert apple, about 200g (7oz)

Lightly oil a 22 x 11 x 7cm (8¾ x 4½ x 3-inch)/1kg (2lb) loaf tin with a little sunflower oil.

Put the oats in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times until you have a textured powder. Add the cashew nut butter, raisins and butter, then continue pulsing until the mixture is even in texture and the raisins have been thoroughly chopped up.

Remove roughly half the mixture and set aside.

Roughly 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. Add the grated apple to the food processor and blend it with the remaining oat mixture for 4-5 seconds until smooth. Stir in the reserved oat mixture.

Scoop the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth down the top with the back of a spoon. Use a sharp knife to cut the mixture into 10 pieces. Freeze for at least an hour in a strong plastic tub with a lid (they’ll keep for up to a week like this), then defrost for 10 minutes before eating.

Variation

Use gluten-free oats for a gluten free version of this recipe.

Chocolate Refrigerator Cake

This quick and easy chocolate treat requires no cooking and offers a nutritious mixture of dried fruit, nuts and seeds, all encased in a buttery chocolate mass. I’ve used wholemeal crackers to give an element of biscuity texture, but if you want something with no added salt, use sugar-free baby rusks instead.

MAKES 8 SLICES

sunflower oil, for greasing

100g (3½oz) no-added-sugar milk chocolate, broken into pieces 50g (2oz) unsalted butter, chopped

50g (2oz) dried apricots, finely chopped

50g (2oz) unsweetened wholemeal crackers, crushed 25g (1oz) desiccated coconut

25g (1oz) flaked almonds

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Lightly oil a 22 x 11 x 7cm (8¾ x 4½ x 3-inch)/1kg (2lb) loaf tin with a little sunflower oil.

Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as most of it has melted, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand until everything has melted.

Stir all the other ingredients into the melted chocolate mixture until everything is thoroughly combined.

Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and press it down firmly with the back of a metal tablespoon to compact it and flatten the surface. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Run a butter knife between the edge of the tin and the cake to extract it from the tin and then slice it into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Sticky Doughnut Buns

These sticky buns are made from the same kind of enriched dough as doughnuts but are baked rather than fried so they contain less fat - and little hands can help with the whole process. These are lovely eaten warm.

MAKES 10

1 tablespoon sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling 85ml (3¼fl oz) warm milk

1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast

1 teaspoon good-quality fresh apple juice

1 teaspoon stevia powder

225g (7½oz) strong white flour, plus extra for dusting ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

25g (1oz) unsalted butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons raw organic local honey, warmed

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lightly oil a baking sheet with a little sunflower oil.

Stir the milk and yeast together with the stevia powder and apple juice in a jug.

Mix the flour and nutmeg together in a bowl. Pour in the milk mixture, then stir in the melted butter and egg. Knead the mixture to bring it together into a dough.

Knead by hand on a worktop lightly dusted with flour for a further couple of minutes or using a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the dough hook until you have a soft and supple dough. You may need a little extra flour - the dough shouldn’t be sticky.

Divide the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces and roll each one into a ball. Space them out evenly on the baking sheet and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave somewhere warm for an hour or so until they have doubled in volume.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Brush the tops of the buns with the warmed honey and then bake for 12-15 minutes until they are a rich golden brown colour and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Sprinkle the warm buns with the cinnamon and serve.

Variation

Add 40g (1½oz) raisins to the dough if you want a fruited bun.

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Ginger Stars

These soft cookie stars make a good low-sugar finger food for toddlers

and don’t contain any added salt. A little wholemeal flour (and raw

lucuma powder if you have some) adds fibre and nutrients.

MAKES ABOUT 20

100g (3½oz) white plain flour, plus extra for dusting 50g (2oz) wholemeal flour

75g (3oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks, plus extra for greasing 1 tablespoon raw lucuma powder (optional) 1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 small ripe banana, about 110g (3¾oz), peeled and mashed 1 tablespoon milk

40g (1½oz) raisins

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets with a little butter.

Mix both flours together in a bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (you can pulse the ingredients in a food processor instead, if you prefer).

Stir in the lucuma powder, if using, ginger, baking powder and mashed banana.

Knead everything together into a soft dough. If it seems sticky, add a little more flour.

Roll out the dough on a worktop dusted with flour to a thickness of 5mm (¼ inch).

Use a 6cm (2½-inch) star cookie cutter to cut out star shapes, rerolling the trimmings as necessary, until you have used up all the dough. Place the stars on the baking sheets.

Brush the stars with the milk. Decorate with the raisins, pushing them firmly into position. Bake the stars for 10-12 minutes until they are risen, slightly browned and cooked all the way through. Leave them to cool on a wire rack.

Crispy Cakes

Crunchy cornflake cakes are a perennial favourite with children, but instead of loading these with syrup I have used peanut butter as a base. This means they are not only far lower in sugar but also higher in nutrients - peanuts are a great source of protein and vitamin E.

MAKES 12

40g (1½oz) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

125g (4oz) unsweetened crunchy peanut butter

3 tablespoons dried milk powder

1½ tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon raw organic local honey

50g (2oz) unsweetened cornflakes

50g (2oz) raisins

Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases.

Place the butter, peanut butter, milk powder, cocoa powder and honey in a saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted. Stir until everything has combined.

Stir in the cornflakes and raisins.

Divide the cornflake mixture between the paper cupcake cases. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until the crispy cakes have set. They are best eaten the same day.

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Apple & Blackberry Parcels

These little semicircular parcels are made from a yeast dough, but what makes them unusual is the fact that they are fried, not baked. This is because this recipe is based on one from the Middle Ages where oven baking was a rarity. The benefits are not only speed and a lovely buttery crust but also that they can be easily cooked over an open fire -

which made them an instant hit with my children!

MAKES 6 OR 8

For the dough

½ dessert apple, about 75g (3oz)

100g (3½oz) plain flour

100g (3½oz) wholemeal plain flour

7g (¼oz) sachet fast-action dried yeast

175ml (6fl oz) warm milk

pinch of salt

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter

For the filling

2½ dessert apples, about 375g (12oz) total weight 35g (1¼oz) whole hazelnuts, roughly chopped

70g (2½oz) fresh blackberries

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Core and roughly grate the apple half (leave the skin on), then place in a large bowl. Add both flours, the yeast, warm milk and salt and knead everything together into a soft dough (you may need to add a little extra flour if it feels sticky).

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere warm for an hour or so until the dough has doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, for the filling, roughly grate each side of the apples in turn against a box grater until you reach the core, working round each apple until all the flesh has been grated. Discard the core. Mix the grated apple with the hazelnuts in a bowl, then stir in the blackberries and cinnamon.

Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal-sized portions (depending on the size of your frying pan). Flatten each one into a round about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Lightly moisten the outer edges with a drop of water. Place a dollop of filling on one side of each round and then fold the round in half, sealing it closed by pressing the edges together with a fork.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a generous amount of butter. Fry the parcels for about 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown.

Variation

Omit the hazelnuts if you want a nut-free recipe. If you want a dairy-free or vegan recipe, use dairy-free margarine in place of butter and soya milk in place of cows’ milk.

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Pineapple Fritters

You can enjoy these fritters just as they are, or for a sweeter treat, drizzle a little maple syrup over the top just before serving. Although I’ve used pineapple, sliced banana works well too.

MAKES ABOUT 8

50g (2oz) white plain flour

2 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour

4 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

430g (14oz) can pineapple rings in juice, drained and juice reserved sunflower oil, for frying

Mix both flours, the milk and egg with 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice in a bowl until you have a batter with the consistency of Greek yogurt.

Pat the pineapple rings dry with kitchen paper.

Leave the batter to stand while you fill a heavy-based saucepan with sunflower oil to a depth of about 3mm (⅛ inch). Heat the oil to 160-170°C/325-340°F - if you don’t have a cooking thermometer, it’s about the right temperature when it will brown a small cube of bread in 18 seconds.

Have a plate with a few sheets of kitchen paper ready by the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can probably fry 1-2 pineapple rings at a time.

Using a fork, first dip a pineapple ring into the batter so that it is completely coated, then carefully lower it into the hot oil. After about 1 minute, the side in the oil will have become crisp and brown; use the fork to flip it over. Fry for a further 1

minute, then use the fork to lift it out and place it on the kitchen paper to drain.

Leave the fritters to cool for a few minutes before eating because they will be very hot.

Note

This recipe uses very hot oil, so don’t allow children near the saucepan and don’t leave it unattended at any time.

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Stripy Snow Cones

It’s easy to create slushy ice treats in exciting flavours and colours -

and with a proper deep freeze, you won’t have to wait too long for them either. You can use the juices and ready-made smoothie I’ve mentioned here or choose your own, just make sure they are dairy free and don’t contain added sugar.

MAKES 4

375ml (13fl oz) pineapple juice

375ml (13fl oz) black grape juice

250ml (8fl oz) strawberry-based dairy-free smoothie 125ml (4fl oz) water

You’ll need 3 x 700ml (1 pint 3fl oz) square or rectangular strong plastic tubs with lids. Pour the pineapple juice into one, the grape juice into the second and the strawberry smoothie mixed with the measurement water into the third. Place in the deep freeze for 1½ hours.

While the juice freezes, make your cones. Cut 4 circles from foil 25cm (10 inches) in diameter - draw round a dinner plate or something similar. Cut 2 circles the same size from decorative paper - I like to use wrapping paper, which can be themed if necessary. Cut the wrapping paper circles in half and set aside.

Fold each foil circle in half with the shiny side outermost. Now fold each half into thirds so that you end up with a triangular shape. If you look at the top of the triangle, you’ll see that the layers of foil have created a series of triangular pockets. Push your fingers into one pocket and open it out to form a cone. Make sure you can see the matt side of the foil as you look inside the cone - this is vital to ensure you have created a watertight container. Stick a piece of adhesive tape on the seam of the cone to hold everything in place.

Fold each decorative paper semicircle into thirds to create an outer sleeve for each foil cone. Use adhesive tape to secure.

Once your juices and smoothie have had their allotted time in the freezer, bring them out and use a fork to mash into a granular, snowy texture. Lay the cones on their sides and spoon out an even amount of the pineapple ice into each one.

Next, add a layer of grape ice. Finally, divide the strawberry smoothie ice between each cone. Serve the cones full of stripy ice immediately, with a straw and teaspoon poked into each one.

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