Italian Castagnaccio Chestnut cup cakes

Italian Castagnaccio Chestnut cup cakes

by Marie MannNo Comments
  A gluten free birthday treat for fit and health conscious individuals, sweetened with natural zero calorie stevia sweetener. I came across the Castagnaccio – a traditional Italian dessert cake based on chestnut flour - when looking for a baked birthday gift for my super fit Italian friend Martina; she is from Tuscany, so I thought I'd make her a birthday treat that is from her region since she had to celebrate her birthday in England away from family and friends. The recipe was perfectly suited for what I wanted, it is traditional to Tuscany, has healthy ingredients that are great for any health conscious eater and it's suitable to make in small portions and keeps for a few days as we were going out for food she would have to keep it for later. The chestnut flour cake originating from the Tuscan region uses mainly chestnuts, which represented an important widely available food source for the poor peasants and farmers. Even the other ingredients are all locally...
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Silky Chocolate Orange Tofu Dessert

Silky Chocolate Orange Tofu Dessert

by Marie MannNo Comments
  5 minute Silky Vegan Chocolaty dessert sweetened with natural zero calorie stevia sweetener. I recently started to experiment with Tofu, and because I have a preference for sweet dishes I whipped up this luxurious cocoa orange cream. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive how tofu would work in a sweet dish, until now I have only had TVP cubes and marinated & plain Tofu for savoury dishes. It did work a treat, the Tofu has not really got a taste of its own so it's the perfect base for any dessert - watch this space, I am sure I'll discover more way of using the Silken Tofu for healthy sweet treats. The texture was thick and creamy which resembled my favourite childhood dessert: Chocolate Pudding cream.   I am not a strict Vegetarian but I do like to keep meat to a minimum and enjoy having options and alternatives. Last week I visited a friend that turned out to be Vegan, I thought that must be a little restrictive...
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Lemon Lavender dessert- sugar free

Lemon Lavender dessert- sugar free

by Marie MannNo Comments
Smooth refreshing lavender quark dessert sweetened with natural zero calorie stevia sweetener. Here is another luxurious recipe to celebrate lavender season and enjoy the calming fragrance of our lavender plants. It’s a super easy dessert that can be whipped up in minutes, has no added sugar and get it's sweetness from the natural Stevia-sweet sweetener. It can make a great finish to a summer dinner garden party, with it’s unique, unusual flavour it will definitely leave your guests with a taste to remember.   Makes approx. 4 portions Prep time: 5min Refrigerate: not necessary, but can be prepared in advance and cooled until serving time. You need: 500g – Quark or Natural fromage frais 1/2 teesp. Dried lavender petals 1x juice of whole lemon 100ml – skimmed Milk – I used skimmed 0.3% fat. 2-3 knife-tips Stevia-sweet 90% powder dissolved in 1 table spoons hot water Note: getting the sweetness to the desired level is a matter of trial and error, the best thing is to start with a smaller amount of...
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Mrs Meiers oat bites 2 – soft Lavender

Mrs Meiers oat bites 2 – soft Lavender

by Marie Mann1 Comment
Light lavender fragrant healthy oat biscuits based on Mrs Meiers oat bites sweetened with natural zero calorie stevia sweetener. July is lavender harvest season, most us enjoy the fragrant calming lavender plants in our gardens. I got mine from a Lavender farm on the isle of Jersey, after having taken a tour and tasting the large variety of treats at the farms tea room, I couldn’t go home without taking a couple of small plants for my front garden. The plants have established very well and have grown larger each year. Every year when the flowers are just about to wilt I cut them down, tie them into a bunch and hang them up to dry. Later, I rub the petal buds off the stalk and keep them in an airtight glass for cooking throughout the year. If you are not sure when the best time is to harvest your lavender check this nice guide by notmartha, she explains it very well...
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Refreshing peppermint tea jelly – with delightful health benefits for digestion.

Refreshing peppermint tea jelly – with delightful health benefits for digestion.

by Marie MannNo Comments
  Jelly in my belly; why not create a spoon-able jelly desert with your favourite teas? A cooled peppermint tea jelly makes a tasty refreshing alternative to the heavy cream laden summer dessert – not quite the same as ice cream (my personal obsession) but definitely a light, refreshing not guilt involved treat option thanks to no added sugar version sweetened with natural sweetener stevia-sweet. Did you know that Peppermint tea has a large range of health benefiting properties? Since I drink quite a bit of peppermint tea hot or cold sweetened with stevia-sweet tabs, I though I should find out a bit more about this popular flavour used in so many products from chewing gum to toothpaste. It is interesting that number of studies support the use of peppermint for indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome – is that why I feel relaxed and calm when drinking this tea? Peppermint is said to have a calming effect on the muscles of the stomach and...
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