Pescan: A feel good cookbook by Abbie Cornish & Jacqueline King Schiller {cookbook review}

When the publishers wrote to me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing a copy of Pescan, I responded right away with a a yes of course! Having experienced a vegan lifestyle, but not being able to maintain it after the month, I have been looking for alternative ways to try and get back to a plant based diet.

The authors best friends and they share a love of food and wellness and from that came what they call "pescan." Which is essentially dairy-free, plant-based, and gluten free but with options of high-protein seafood and eggs incorporated.

The book gives us each of the author's story anyhow they got to this book. They also give us a guide on how to feel good in the kitchen, the pescan lifestyle, and stocking your kitchen with all the good things.

Then the rest of the chapters get into the recipes. The first chapter covers the basics and batch cooking then it continues with breakfast, eggs, soups and salads, beans and grains, pizza and pasta, seafood, party food, and last but never least dessert. The book ends with a section called gatherings which includes menu plans for different events and gatherings.

Recipes I have already tagged to try out: 

Everyday Magic Beans
Blended Vanilla Iced Mocha
PB&J Overnight Oats
Curried Tofu Scramble
Banana Pancakes with Cardamom Spiced Berries
Quinn's Breakfast Cookies
Lobster, Corn, and Caramelized Leek Frittata
Creamy Truffle Mushroom Soup
The Happy Hippy Quinoa Salad
California Dream Burgers
Lemon-Pea Risotto with Mint
Fiesta Veggie Rice
Pesto Zucchini (courgette) Noodles with Cannellini Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Creamy Mushroom Lasagna with Pesto
Italian-style Grilled Halibut
Spicy Buffalo Tofu Fingers with Avocado Ranch Dressing
High-Protein Black Bean Brownies

There are so many more recipes to choose from and not only that it has a wealth of information on how to cook basic things so you can play and make your meal time your own. And in my opinion that is the sign of a great cookbook.

This book offers something for everyone. It's great for people who want to avoid dairy or gluten, but it's not just for them. There are some fantastic ideas and flavor combinations and I really can't wait to try the recipes out!

*I was provided a copy of Pescan: A feel good cookbook by Abbie Cornish & Jacqueline King Schiller to review by the publisher, abrams&chronicle books, retails at £21.99 and available now on Amazon! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page for more information.

Have Your Cake and Eat It by Mich Turner {book review}

It's an interesting phrase "have your cake and eat it" - generally one hears the phrase being said as "You can't have your cake and eat it too." Meaning that life isn't perfect; that sometimes you get one thing, but that means you miss out on something else. You can't have both!

Why can't we have both, why can't we have our cake and to eat it too? Mich Turner probably asked the same question and she is telling us that we can have our cake and to eat it! 

Mich is not only a baker, cake decorator, and author she has a degree in food science and a founder of a company! She's done it all and she's done it again with her latest title Have Your Cake and Eat It! A book full of nutritious, delicious recipes for healthier, everyday baking. 

When we bake at home we can control what is put in it and Mich shows us how best to do that! I will get to all the delicious cakes and bakes recipes, but for just a moment I want to point out that the introduction, ingredients, and dos and don'ts chapters are great because Mich not only tells what we are going to need, but educates us on the why and how of baking! It's what turns it from a good baking book to an amazing one! 

Now to all the glorious recipes Mich gives us. First chapter Muffins, Cupcakes, & Buns - The easiest of all bakes. The next chapter Biscuits and Cookies - my favorite type of bake because they are easy to make and they come in all sort of varieties: crispy, crunchy, soft, gooey .... Bars & Flapjacks come next my second favorite type of bake! Finally we get to the Cake chapter the longest and most extensive chapter followed by the last chapter on Meringues! 

My list of recipes to try: 

Date, Banana, & Peanut Butter Muffins 

Raspberry, Rose, & Pistachio Cupcakes

Pumpkin Scones

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Party Rings

Almond & Cranberry Biscotti 

Almond Toscaner

Date & Apple Squares

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Brownies

Strawberry & Walnut Flapjacks

Pumpkin & Carrot Bars

Queen Elizabeth Date Cake

Citrus Coconut Layered Cake 

Soured Cream Vanilla & Blueberry Cake

Layered Chocolate Orange Cake

Lemon Meringue Chiffon

Lemon, Pistachio, & Honey Loaf Cake

Banana, Coconut, & Caramel Pavlova

Raspberry & Rose Meringues

*I was given a copy of Have Your Cake and Eat It by Mich Turner  to review by the publisher, jacqui small. Retails at £22 and available now from your local book retailers or online! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page for more information.

Aduki Bean Brownie Bites from Superfoods 24/7 by Jessica Nadel {book review}

When I was offered to review Superfoods 24/7: Delicious Recipes for Superfoods at Every Meal I said "No thank you." Mainly because I was judging it by it's cover and didn't think it would be a good fit for my blog.

The lovely publisher's PR lady suggested I take a look anyway because she really felt it would be a good fit, especially if I liked Whole Food Energy. So, I agreed and I'm glad I did.

Starting with all the facts on the superfoods as well as giving some basic skill information, the author Jessica Nadel, gives us suggested meal plans consisting of breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert.

We are then given mouth watering recipes for Smoothies and Breakfasts, Salads and Soups, Sides and Small Bites, Main Meals, followed by Cakes and Desserts which I have to say has many tempting recipes! I'm not going to lie I went straight to that last chapter before reading the others. I knew pretty much right away I wanted to try the Adzuki Bean Brownies. 

There was a little research involved because I couldn't find adzuki beans and realised they are the same as aduki beans which I could find. The brownies turned out really fudgey and as it uses coconut oil and cinnamon taste of coconut and a hint of cinnamon. In my opinion that's a good thing. I was a little dubious using flaxseed "eggs," but I didn't need to worry. 

The only thing I had to adjust was the cooking time. It says to bake for 10-12 minutes, but after 12 minutes they were still very much a liquid. The edges had barely started to bake. So, I left them in for another 12 minutes before taking them out and leaving to cool. They were still so gooey they couldn't be put on a cooling rack, so I placed them on a plate and put it in the fridge to cool. Also you might want to make the Flax Egg before starting with everything else. 

Aduki Bean Brownie Bites

1x400g or 410g can of aduki beans, drained and rinsed

40g cocoa powder

25g ground walnuts

60ml coconut oil, melted

100g coconut sugar

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 flax eggs (see below)

Heat the oven to 180C - very lightly grease a 24-hole mini cupcake pan. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse for about 2 minutes until everything is combined and smooth. Scrape down the bowl when necessary. Each 'hole' will take a heaped tablespoon of batter. Bake for 12-24 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a plate and putting them in the fridge to cool. 

Flax Egg: for 2 eggs as there recipe calls for

2 tablespoons of ground or milled flaxseed

6 tablespoons of water

Mix together and leave to stand for a minimum of 10 minutes. The mixture should go gloopy like an egg. Give it a stir before adding to the food processor.  

Before I go here are 4 recipes I can't wait to try out:

Udon Soup with Broccoli, Kale, and Sweet Potato

Quinoa Sushi Hand Rolls

Sundried Tomato and Coconut Quinoa Burgers

Minty Matcha Nanaimo Bars

notes: Superfoods 24/7: Delicious Recipes for Superfoods at Every Meal by Jessica Nadel was sent to me to review by the UK publishers; Apple Press - Available online, from the publishers, and from all good booksellers now! No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information. 

PB & J Power Bars from Whole Food Energy by Elise Museles {book review}

January has come and gone along with most people’s New Year’s resolutions. Making better choices when it comes to food is not something that should only be thought of in January, but all year long. I am a baking blog and I think sugar has it’s place in our lives. However, I also agree that with sugar and/or added sugar in a lot of processed foods is a bit excessive and it’s wise to start paying attention to what is in our food.

I was sent Whole Food Energy to read and review and to be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into! It was a pleasant surprise just looking at the content page. Divided into 3 parts the book covers everything from what supplies you should keep on hand to drinks, breakfast, snacks, and energy packed treats like these PB & J Power Bars.

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I was curious to how these power bars would turn out. The author states that her son has asked for these over and over again and I have to say they have been a hit with my daughters as well!

Full of oats, dates, peanut butter, dried cherries, and almonds it really does taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No lie! The best part is knowing they are full of whole natural food that’s great for everyone! I like that they are chewy too, but the almonds give it a bit of crunch!

PB & J Chewy Power Bars

50g rolled oats
200g Medjool dates, pitted
60g unsweetened peanut butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt
100g dried cherries
75g almonds, roughly chopped

Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper with the sides hanging out. In a food processor pulse the rolled oats until still a bit chunky, but chopped up. It shouldn't be a powder. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt and pulse/process until it starts to come together and clump up. Add the cherries and pulse several times to incorporate them into the mixture. Take out the blade and add the chopped almonds and use your hands, clean please, to mix everything together. 
Place in the prepared loaf tin and using the hang over paper, fold it on and top and press the mixture down to flatten, try to make it as even as possible. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before cutting into bars. Easy peasy.

Elise Museles is the author of the popular blog Kale & Chocolate has given us a book packed full of recipes that will keep you energised through out the day! If you haven’t heard of her check out her website/blog and this book! I have learned a lot just from reading through it and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes, especially the smoothie ones!

note: Whole Food Energy: 200 all-natural recipes to prepare, refuel, and recover by Elise Museles (from Kale & Chocolate) was sent to me to review by the UK publishers; Apple Press - Available online, from the publishers, and from all good booksellers now! No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own and it was known that I sometimes adapt recipes to share with my readers to give them a feel for the book.

Energy Bites {Jamie Oliver}

It’s that lovely time of year when the leaves start to change color and the skies are clear but you can’t leave home without a coat and everyone is cuddled up with blankets and a hot cuppa (a word I only started using recently). All this loveliness comes at a cost, because with the changing weather we get the dreaded, the most avoided and annoying thing ever!

The common cold.

Last Monday I went to work and it seemed like everyone had one. Tuesday my day off, I felt my throat start to tingle and itch and by Wednesday I knew I was starting to get a cold. So, I sent the hubby to the store for pineapple, oranges, and lemon so I could make the ultimate cold buster juice. Curtesy of The Juice Master himself Jason Vale. The other ingredient for this Buster Juice, as I call it, is Manuka honey.

I already had Manuka honey in my cupboard patiently waiting for me to make these Energy Bites originally called “My Tasty Energy Balls: Apricot, Ginger, & Cashew.” That title and this recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s latest book Everyday Super Food. Having watched (most) of his shows and following his popular Food Tube YouTube channel I think he probably got a laugh out of calling them “My Tasty Energy Balls.” The 8 year-old in me laughed.

There isn’t a better time then when you have a cold to give yourself as much energy as possible. With the juice and these bites I think I’ve escaped the worst of the cold. I was still sneezy, had itchy ears, and sounded a bit rough, but I could still breath and didn’t have the pressure headaches. So, I would never say that these things cure the common cold, but they have helped me endure it a bit better!

Energy Bites

100g unsalted cashew nuts
20g sesame seeds
80g dried apricots
20g puffed brown rice
thumb size piece of ginger, about 4cm
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons manuka honey

Blitz 40g of the cashews into a powder - set aside to cover the bites later. Place 60g of the cashew nuts along with the sesame seeds, apricots, and puffed rice into a food processor and blitz until it’s all chopped up. Then finely grate the ginger into the food processor bowl and add the mixed spice, give it a pulse or three before adding the honey. Mix it for a couple of minutes, scraping down the sides if and when needed. Once it’s ready roll into about 24 bites and coat in the cashew powder and store in an airtight container.

tip: You can toast the cashews and sesame seeds in a dry pan on a medium heat for added flavor as suggested by Jamie, but I didn’t. Also wet your hands before rolling the mixture into balls to avoid it being too sticky.

notes: Recipe adapted from Everyday Super Food Jamie Oliver. My husband bought me a copy because he knows I like Jamie Oliver and thought I’d enjoy this book as well. We are terrible gift givers on special occasion’s, but it’s because we do things like buy each other stuff when we see it and just give it to each other instead of saving it.

Most Expensive Brownies Ever {aka Amazing Brownies}

With a title like that you may be thinking that these brownies are made with gold or silver. Close, but no they are made with raw coconut oil, coconut sugar, ground almonds, and avocado.

All those ingredients are a little on the pricey side. Now before I made these I had a few questions.

First, do I spend the extra money on trying them out? Second, will they be as good as promised therefore making them worth the effort and the money? And third, what the heck is coconut oil?

The answers? Clearly I decided that I would dish out the cash to try them out and yes they are as good as promised and worth the effort and money. And coconut oil is a substance that has many uses. You can eat it, but it’s also a great way to keep your hair and skin healthy. Apparently. Who knew, right?

The brownies are expensive to make therefore I wouldn't be making these everyday however for a special almost healthy treat I would totally make these again. They are also a great way for those who gluten intolerant. To make it dairy free use dairy free dark chocolate!

Expensive Brownies:

100g coconut oil

300g dark chocolate

290g coconut sugar/nectar

100g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1 avocado, smooshed

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

Heat the oven to 180C and line an 8 in/20 cm square pan with greaseproof paper. Melt the coconut oil and chocolate together in a large saucepan. Take it off the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding in the rest of the ingredients. It does make it easier if you gently beat the eggs and vanilla together before adding in. Fold it all together until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 26-30 minutes. The less you cook them the gooeier they are and the more you cook them the more cake like they are. These need to be cooked for a minimum of 26 minutes. The top should have a nice shine, but it will be a bit wobbly if shook. If you cook it for a little longer then it won’t be noticeably wobbly. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving up! You could top with yogurt, fruit, ice cream, crème fraiche, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce?

notes: recipe adapted from Love, Tanya by Tanya Burr. Please see previous post for the book review! I am complaining about the cost, it's just not every day I fork out 6 GBP for 1 ingredient (coconut oil) and the other ingredients aren't necessarily cheap either. Therefore these are the most expensive brownies I have every made! 

Chocolate Covered Cranberry Flapjacks {not pancakes, but chewy granola bars}

If I were asked how to describe a flapjack I would say it was a chewy granola bar. However if a flapjack is baked for a bit longer it ceases to be flapjack any more it becomes a granola bar.

Granola Bars are usually baked longer and are crunchy, but where I come from we have chewy granola bars. Which are flapjacks.

When I was a young girl in America I loved a chewy chocolate chip granola bar. It was probably more like a chocolate candy bar, but you know. We didn't call them flapjacks because in America “flapjacks” are a slang term or sort of nickname for pancakes.

However I no longer think of flapjacks as pancakes. It’s one of the few words that I have adopted since living in the UK.

There are very few words I have adopted; I still say sidewalk, garbage, zucchini and pants. That last one does get me in trouble occasionally. My girls are at the age where things like “pants” or “knickers” are funny. So, I have started to get giggles when I tell them to get dressed and pick out a pair of pants.

No idea why some words have changed and some haven’t I say “chips” for both crisps and French fries to which my husband understands in context. If I say “We’re having fish and chips for dinner” he knows I mean French fries and if I say I want chips and dip he knows I mean crisps. Sometimes he does clarify just to be sure.

No matter if these are called flapjacks or chewy granola bars they are still chewy and they are still good. So, you should make them and eat them.

Chocolate Covered Cranberry Flapjacks

250g butter

200g golden caster sugar

50g demerara sugar
175g golden syrup

500g jumbo oats

200g of chocolate covered dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 180C/350F and line and grease a 20 or 23 cm (8 or 9 inch) square pan or whatever size you have.

Heat the butter, both sugars, and golden syrup in a medium saucepan until the butter is melted don’t let it boil too much if the butter is almost melted take off the heat and stir it until the butter is completely melted.

Add the jumbo oats and stir to coat.

Fold in the chocolate covered cranberries.
Pour into the prepared pan and press down. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes remember if you bake them too long they are granola bars, not flapjacks.

Remember they set as they cool so even if they are looking a bit soft it’s okay. Score before they cool completely.

If you like this post you may like these:

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Snack Squares

Salted Caramel Flapjacks

Cherry Oatmeal Bars 

notes: I made these with dark, milk, and white chocolate covered dried cranberries I found at a TK Max if you don’t have chocolate covered cranberries substitute with chocolate chips and dried cranberries in any combination of weight you want to add up to about 200g combined. I looked for a flapjack recipe online and in my library of cookbooks this recipe is a mix of what I found. I didn't use just one recipe. 

Hummus & Carrot Sticks

My blog is for the most part about the sweeter side of food. That is because I genuinely enjoy sweet foods.

However my blog probably gives a false impression on my eating habits. I have had more then one of my friends comment on how much cake I must eat.

To be honest I don’t, I eat one or two slices/pieces/squares/cookies etc… then the rest is shared among my friends and family.

“Everything in moderation,” is something that I try to live by for everything I do in my life.

Including my cake eating habits.

If I really ate sweet stuff 24/7 I would be way unhealthy and my teeth would have probably fallen out of my face by now.

When I saw a competition on the Simplyhealth website asking bloggers to share a recipe that used one of the ingredients listed here (page removed). I thought it would be a great opportunity to share something that I enjoy eating that isn't cake or cookies and that is good for you! 

My favorite lunch is hummus and carrot sticks. It is also my girls’ favorite lunch, I have taught them well.

Hummus is so easy to make at home, you throw everything into a food processor and lunch is made. It’s also a great base to add different flavors. This one just has some hot sauce drizzled on top to give it a bit of a kick. 

Hummus served with Carrot Sticks:

1 can of chickpeas

3 ½ tbsp of chickpea liquid

2 tsp tahini

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp sea salt    

1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of Paprika

Hot sauce (optional)

Carrot Sticks

Drain the chickpeas, but reserve the liquid. Place the chickpeas, tahini, garlic clove, salt, chickpea liquid, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse a couple of times before adding the olive oil. Blend until completely smooth.

Place in a dish and drizzle with hot sauce and scoop up with carrots!

Carrots are good for you because they have a lot of Vitamin A, which is a great way to keep your teeth happy and healthy. Also carrot sticks can act as a natural toothbrush! Bonus!

notes: I have entered this competition, hosted by Simplyhealth, on my own accord. For more information please see my contact/policy page above. There is still time to enter if you are interested! 

Super Detox Smoothie

It seemed like every time I turned around someone else I knew was talking about juicing.

I received a juicer for my birthday back before I had kids so like 7 years ago. I juiced a few things and then it was shelved.

The juicer came with a book by Jason Vale, telling his story on how juicing saved his life. Then my friends bought me The Juice Master’s Keeping it Simple! - over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies by Jason Vale.

The first book was donated, but the second I had held on too. So, when I felt like I was hearing the word ‘juicing’ I brought it out and decided to do the 3-day detox.

Instead of over thinking it I just did it. It was actually quite refreshing. I did struggle a bit the last day. I was very tired. So, if you ever think of doing a juice detox make sure you aren’t too busy, because you will be tired.

For the whole program and recipes check out the book! He also explains how the juice are beneficial and how they help to detox.

I’m not really sure what to write about, as I’m not sure what people want to know about juicing? So, please if you have any questions or anything you want to know leave a comment!!

My favorite juice of the 3 days was breakfast on day 2 and here is the recipe.

Super detox smoothie

½ small pineapple

1 handful fresh blueberries

1 handful fresh black berries

200g low-fat live yogurt

4 ice cubes

Juice the pineapple before blending with the rest of the ingredients until smooth.

notes: This post is not being compensated or endorsed by Jason Vale or his affiliates in anyway; all opinions are my own. Please see my contact/policy page for further information. This post was written for day 24 of Blog Every Day in May. #BEDM

Chocolate Beetroot Cake for Clandestine Cake Club!

This is the first cake I have made in over a month! For real.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me? I still have lists of things I’d like to try to make and bake. I just don’t know where I used to find the time!

I have wanted to try a chocolate and beetroot cake or brownies for a long while now. 

Then the theme for this month’s Clandestine Cake Club was “Healthy Start” I thought why not give it a go.

I had several recipes to choose from in various books, but I thought I would try Marian Keyes version in Saved by Cakes as it used already cooked beetroot. 

Which I have no idea what the difference is, I have never tried either raw or cooked beetroot cake before.

Just because a cake has vegetables in it doesn't make it healthy so I lowered the amount of sugar as well.

The cake was very chocolatey and I didn't notice any strong beetroot flavor. It was crumby, but not dry. Again I don’t know if that is normal?

Chocolate Beetroot Cake:

250g cooked beetroot

100g dark chocolate

125g unsalted butter

125g dark muscovado sugar

100g light muscovado sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

225g self-rising flour

30g cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas4 prepare a 23cm circle or square cake tin.

Grate the beetroot and leave to the side. Melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave in 10sec bursts, stirring until completely melted. Leave to the side and beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, until completely incorporated. Sift in the flour and cocoa together and add to the butter mixture. Fold in the grated beetroot and melted chocolate.

Pour into the prepared tin, it is thick so get a spatula and scrape the sides. Spread the batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool in the tin until you can touch it, remove the cake and cool completely.

to finish:

100g golden icing sugar

2-3 tbsp milk

Red food coloring paste

Sprinkles

Gently whisk the icing sugar and milk together. Add 2 tbsp and if it’s too thick add the third, but be wary you don’t want it too runny. Add a toothpick point of red food coloring paste and mix well. If you want it darker add a little bit more. Then pour over the cooled cake and sprinkle with whatever sprinkles you want!

Enjoy! Here are the rest of the cakes: 

Louise our group organizer made an Apple Spice Cake that was full of apples and reminded me of an apple pie.

Clare made a Pecan and Butternut Squash Cake that had no sugar in it. It was very sweet and soft I couldn't believe it didn't have any sugar!

Joanna made a Low Sugar Carrot & Pecan Cake. I love a good carrot cake and once again the lower amount of sugar was unnoticeable.

Jen, fellow blogger at Blue Kitchen Bakes, made a delicious Courgette & Chamomile loaf cake! The tea flavor was definitely noticeable, but not overwhelming.

Charlotte made us a Banana & Strawberry Tea Loaf that was a bit different, but in a good way!

It was an unusually quiet night. It’s a limited space group so usually there are at least half of us “regulars” and always a few new people. I always have a good night when I go and I always look forward to the next meet up! Especially this month as it has gotten me back into baking again. Something I desperately needed after the last month I had!

notes: Clandestine Cake Club; recipe adapted from Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes; make sure your cooked beetroot is in natural juices; melting chocolate in a microwave can be the tricky as it will easily seize up if over heated so stick to 10 sec bursts or use your preferred method; have a read of Jen’s blog here! 

Mango & Passion fruit Panna Cotta!! (Slimming World)

Earlier in January I said how I was starting to watch what I ate and so far it’s going okay. Slowly, but then isn't that the trick to keeping it off for good?? I have been following Slimming World off and on for a couple years and have a stack of dessert recipes that I have been humming and hawing over. This Mango and Passion fruit Panna Cotta was one that I couldn't get out of my head. It was very yummy. Sauce was a bit tart, so when I make it again I think I would add a syn or too to make it a bit sweeter. Everyone has his or her own tastes so it might be perfect just the way it is!

If you saw my last post, you’ll remember I said I have been a bit lazy when recording my baking adventures. So, like the last post there is only one picture! Sorry! I hope to share more “healthy” or “not-so-bad-for-you” desserts in the future! But for now…. enjoy! 

Mango & Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

4 sheets leaf gelatine

200ml skimmed milk

2 tbsp artificial sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 x 175g pots Mullerlight Mango & Passion fruit yogurt

4 passion fruits

Syns per serving: All Choices 1 

1. Put the gelatine in a bowl and just cover it with cold water. Leave for 10-12 minutes to soften. Meanwhile put the milk and 1 tbsp of the sweetener in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, remove from the heat and set aside. Squeeze the water from the gelatine, and then stir into the milk until dissolved. Add the vanilla extract and stir well. Leave to cool.
2. Put the yogurt into a large bowl and gradually whisk in the milk mixture until well combined. Pour the mixture into 4 ramekins or individual pudding basins, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours (overnight) or until set.
3. The sauce doesn't have to be made immediately – if the panna cotta is for after dinner, make the sauce before you make dinner so it’s ready, as you will need some time to cool.
4. To make the sauce, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the seeds and pulp and put in a pan. Add 100ml water and the remaining sweetener. Cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and then leave to cool.
5. When ready to serve, slide a palette knife around the edge of each ramekin or pudding basin and dip very briefly in hot water to loosen each panna cotta. I didn't have to dip mine I just slide a knife around the edges and they slide right out. Tip each on a dessert dish and spoon over the passion fruit sauce. Decorate with a few mint leaves and serve! I choose to leave the mint leaves off.

notes: Slimming World UK; Slimming Work USA; panna cotta; easy light lemon cupcakes

Flatplanet Brownies!! {book re-review}

Thanksgiving was a big hit this year because of Leon: Family & Friends (book 4) by Kay Plunkett-Hogge & John Vincent; since I already raved about it in that post I will try to keep it to a minimum here!

Leon’s fourth book is a great addition to any cookbook collection, not only does it have great savory recipes (as seen on my Thanksgiving table), but plenty for those with a sweet tooth as well!

For Instance:

• Miss Morton’s Lemon Cake
• Susanna Mattana’s Amaretti Macaroons
• Honey & Rose Baklava
• Momma’s Apple Pie
• Anna Hansen’s Pumpkin & Miso Cheesecake
• Spiced Cranberry & Apple Crumble
• Cheat’s Chocolate Trifle
• And
• Many more… including these brownies called Flatplanet Brownies.

These brownies come from John Vincent’s little café that focuses on the good stuff (food) called … wait for it … Flatplanet. At Flatplanet they make a lot of wheat and gluten free cakes and apparently these are very popular! I can see why. Super gooey and chocolaty - what more could you ask for in a brownie??

All you need is 450g butter, chopped; 450g chocolate, chopped (min 50%); 400g caster sugar; 6 eggs; 300g ground almonds.

To make pre-heat your oven to 120C/250F/gas ½ Carefully melt the butter in a large saucepan and when almost melted add the chocolate. Keep stirring until completely smooth and then take off the heat and stir in sugar. In another bowl beat the eggs lightly then beat into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground almonds and mix with the balloon whisk, until there are no large pockets of almonds left. Grease and line a brownie pan (26 x 36cm) and pour mixture into pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes (70minutes) or until starting to crack on the surface. Allow them to cool for at least an hour. Mine needed longer. Then cut and enjoy!!

If you know someone who needs to learn to cook then this book is for him or her! It’ll be a subtle hint if they find it under the tree! Or if you know someone who already loves to cook and they don’t own a single Leon cookbook what a great way to introduce them to the wonders of Leon! 

My Thanksgiving Table

Leon

I have never been to Flatplanet so can’t compare brownies.

Brownie Quest

Amazon UK or available in local stores