Back with baking

So I’m sorry… AGAIN! Things have been crazy and I did that disappearing thing again. BUT I did move house, finish my job (including handover), organise and have family to stay for Christmas, and deal with family health issues all within a couple of months, while being pregnant AND planning for baby’s arrival AND including three weeks without internet access, so… ya know!!

Anyway, I’m back! Again… And since I’ve gotten so rubbish at posting lately I decided you all need some yummy treats, so I’m back with baking recipes 😀

Pre-Slimming World I used to bake a lot, but must admit I have fallen out of the habit of late. However, I promised my church cell group from STC that I would make cake for this evening, so here we are!

So I want to share with you not one, but TWO yummy cakey treats that can be enjoyed entirely ‘on plan’ with Slimming World. One of them even includes speed food! Oh yes.

So, without further ado, I present to you baking treat no. 1:

Orange Squash Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from the ‘Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache‘ cookbook

Makes 13 (Baker’s dozen i.e. one for you to scoff and 12 to share with friends 😉 )

3.5 Syns each

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 130g granulated sweetener (I use natural Stevia-based ones such as Truvia or Natvia)
• 200g butternut squash, peeled and finely grated
• Zest and juice of one large orange
• 200g gluten free self-raising flour
• Frylight (I used the butter one)
• 1/2 tub Quark
• 2 tbsp thick cut orange marmalade
• 2 tsp sugar-free caramel coffee syrup (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases and then (if you have one) spray one hole of a silicone muffin pan with Frylight, resting it on a baking tray (if you don’t have a silicone muffin tray you can use an oven-proof ramekin or similar)
3. Whisk the eggs and sweetener for approx 3 minutes until light and fluffy and more than doubled in volume
4. Add the grated butternut squash, orange juice and zest and mix thoroughly
5. Finally whisk in the flour until it is fully incorporated and there are no lumps
6. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases until they are almost full and then spoon any remaining mixture into the sprayed muffin tray or ramekin
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until a golden brown on top and a skewer comes out clean
8. Meanwhile, combine the quark, marmalade and caramel syrup (if using) in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour
9. Once the cakes come out of the oven, leave them to cool in the tray for 30 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (warning – do not top with the frosting until completely cool unless you want lots of mess!)
10. Take the ‘spare’ cake out of the muffin tray or ramekin and slice it in two. Eat one half whilst you smother the other half with the quark frosting. EAT. (Don’t worry this is crucial quality control 😉 )
11. Top the remaining 12 with the quark frosting once they are completely cool and serve to guests, friends or colleagues with a smile 🙂

These zesty little low-Syn cupcakes are a great little pick-me-up. However, there are some days where you need to break out the big guns and only chocolate will do… So, I bring you recipe no. 2:

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownies

Serves 16

6 Syns each

Ingredients

• Frylight (I used the butter one)
• 175g wholemeal self-raising flour
• 30g Peanut Hottie peanut butter and chocolate flavour powder
• 25g granulated sweetener (I use natural Stevia-based ones such as Truvia or Natvia)
• 75g soft brown sugar
• 100g Lurpak Lighter, melted
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200ml water
• 2 x Cadbury treat size (14g) Twirls, crushed
• 25g candied peanuts (optional), finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Spray a square brownie pan with Frylight
3. Sieve together the flour, sugar, sweetener and Peanut Hottie and pour into the brownie pan
4. Make three ‘troughs’ in the flour mixture
5. Into the first pour the vanilla essence, then the melted Lurpak Lighter into the next and finally the vinegar into the other
6. Then pour the water over the top of the mixture
7. Mix well with a fork until thoroughly combined so no lumps remain
8. Bake for 20-15 minutes or until springy on top and a skewer comes out clean
9. Whilst the brownie is cooling in the pan, sprinkle the crushed Cadbury Twirls and candied peanuts evenly over the top so that the chocolate semi-melts over the surface
10. Finally, cut into 16 squares and serve

N.B. Candied peanuts tend to be seasonal and we happened to have some leftover from Christmas. You can replace with unsalted peanuts or chocolate covered peanuts for the same Syn value per brownie.

So there you have it. Yummy cakey things. I hope my lovely cell group like them! 🙂