Sally Bee - Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

Dedication

This book is dedicated, as ever to my wonderful little family: Dogan, Tarik, Kazim, Lela and Dad!

It is also dedicated to all my heart patients around the country. I know how tough it is to face the day sometimes when you have a worry about your health. We all know that life is too short and healthy eating is crucial to our wellbeing and survival. We also all appreciate how important a special treat and a celebration is. So, this book, filled with goodies, is for you when you need a little pick-me-up to pick you up! Enjoy, my friends, and stay well xx

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Introduction

Large Cakes

Pistachio & Yogurt Cake

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Icing

Low-fat Ginger Cake

Fruity Fruit Cake

Mint, Caraway & Lemon Roulade

Courgette Loaf

Butter-free Fudge Cake

Almond & Hazelnut Gateau

Chocolate Cake with Spicy Pears

Beetroot & Chocolate Cake

Fat-free Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Nutty Banana Cake

Low-fat Frosted Carrot Cake

German Honey Cake

Low-fat Date & Walnut Block

Tuscan Grape Cake

Fat-free Strawberry Victoria Sponge

Small Cakes

White Angel Wing Cupcakes

Prune & Oat Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Almond Macaroons

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

Spicy Apple Muffins

Breakfast in a Bun

Chocolate Fruity Wraps

Healthy Scones

High Fibre Muffins

Honey & Parsnip Scones

Raspberry Muffins

Gluten-free Chocolate Whoopies

Breads

Courgette & Cranberry Loaf

Oatmeal Fruit Bread

Olive Bread

Soda Bread

Onion Focaccia Bread

Rustic Nutty Spring Onion Loaf

Rye Bread

Sun-dried Tomato Bread

Three-Seed Rolls

Wholemeal Herby Onion Bread

Wholemeal Pitta Bread

Cookies

Ginger Biscuits

Gooey Chocolate Orange Cookies

Chocolate Pistachio Biscuits

Crunchy Nut Fingers

Chocolate-dipped Meringue Fingers

Energy Bites

Gluten-free Cookies

Italian Diamonds

Squishy Flapjacks

Wholemeal Bran Cookies

Cool Puds

Tropical Fruit Pavlova

Banana & Coconut Cream Tart

Caramelised Apples

Breakfast in a Glass

Balsamic Strawberries

Blackcurrant Mousse

Brandy Snap & Berry Tower

Lemon Cream Pudding with Blackberries

Low-fat Baked Lemon Cheesecake

Mint Tea & Raspberry Jellies

Watermelon & Honeydew Jelly

Pineapple, Raspberry & Amaretti Parfaits

Pomegranate & Rhubarb Jelly

Simnel Tart

Strawberry Palmiers

Chocolate Vanilla Mousse

Honey-walnut Turnovers

Hot Desserts

Guilt-free Sticky Toffee Puddings

Tunisian Filo Pastries Stuffed with Dates

Cherry Clafoutis

Apple & Prune Filo Pasty

Caribbean Bananas

Apple Strudel with ‘Cider’ Sauce

Chargrilled Fruit

Peach Upside-down Pudding

Low-fat Hot Bitter Sweet Pudding

Gingerbread Plum Pudding

Glazed Apricot Sponge Pudding

Grilled Peaches with Gingernut Topping

Juicy Berry Cobbler

Healthy Bread & Butter Pudding

Sticky Figs with Pistachios

Light Banana Rice Pudding

Hot Choccy Soufflé

Fruit & Nut Roast

Plum Tarte Tatin

Nearly Summer Pudding

Passionate Pear Crumble

Red Berry Superfood Crumble

Redcurrant & Peach Sponge Delight

Apples in Red Wine

Ices and sorbets

Blackcurrant Bombes

Guava & Agave Lovelies

Classic Lemon Sorbet

Frozen Melon Granita

Ginger, Mango & Orange ‘Zorbit’

Peach & Cardamom Frozen Yogurt

Lemon & Lavender Frozen Yogurt

Peach & Strawberry Sorbet

Raspberry & Coconut Ice Pops

Rocket Lollies

Extras

Frostings

Pomegranate Molasses

Raspberry Coulis

Quick & Easy Low-fat Creamy Custard

Apple Sauce (Butter Replacement)

Acknowledgments

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Life is too short and time is too precious not to make the most of a heavenly pud! When I thought about writing Have Your Cake And Eat It Too it was a very easy decision to make. You see, although healthy eating for me is a more than a lifestyle choice – it’s actually a life or death choice – I also appreciate how important treats are. Food has to do many jobs for us. It has to satisfy our hunger and it has to give us essential nutrition to help us stay fit, well and strong. But food also needs, sometimes, to support us emotionally. When we are a little low and down in the dumps, a bit of sugar can boost the endorphins and give us a lift. A great meal with friends and family is a treat and shows a kinship; and as food is the glue that holds us all together, finishing a delicious meal off with a heavenly dessert makes us all feel satisfied and worthy of the treat before us.

Having said all that, and keeping in mind our need to stay fit and well, I am always mindful that to enjoy our greatest pleasures guilt-free, sometimes a little tweaking of old favourite recipes is necessary!

In this book I hope I have offered you some perfect, healthier alternatives to some old-fashioned classics and some new ideas to try too. In some of my recipes you will notice that I’ve managed to lose the fat all together; in others I have cut the fat content in half by lessening the quantity or using a low-fat ingredient. In all the recipes, I have followed my general rule of adding as much benefit, nutrition and flavour to my dish as possible. So even though a particular dish may have some fat content, it will be balanced by added nutrition to boost your health. Remember, these aren’t dishes to serve up everyday but they will help you balance your healthy lifestyle and diet with your cravings, desires and that impossible need for a bit of chocolate!

My 10 principles for having your cake and eating it

* I love sweet desserts. You love sweet desserts. Let’s just accept that and enjoy them, but let’s also try to make them as good for us as we can.

* Having established our desire for puddings, let’s still try to stay true to giving our bodies the best nutrition possible. Food is the one thing that gives us health. There are many things that take our health away, like drinking, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. But food is one of the things which we can control and which can actually make us stay healthy. Although desserts are usually classed as ‘naughty’, we all enjoy a treat once in a while, so we could say that they are good for our soul. Also, many ingredients used in my desserts still offer a good balance of nutritional benefits.

* Sugar is not always the enemy! Although we need to watch the amount of sugar we eat, it is not considered as bad for us as, say, saturated fat. Obviously sugar is high in calories, so we need to watch the quantities we eat, but a little sugar can give us a lift with immediate energy levels. There’s no pretending; it’s a fact that too much sugar is bad for us, but as it’s also something that we crave, I believe that it is better to regulate how we use sugar and in what amounts to ensure healthy sugar levels, healthy weight and a healthy brain function. All my children are lucky to be very active and they all struggle to maintain a healthy weight, therefore, as long as they have had a good-sized nutritional meal with plenty of fresh vegetables, I am very happy for them to enjoy a homemade dessert that will satisfy their cravings and give them the extra vitamins they need from any added fruit.