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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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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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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NOW open – brand new UK stevia product shop

NOW open – brand new UK stevia product shop

by Marie Mann2 Comments
Now you can get Stevia products in the UK. I am so excited to be able to tell you that you are now able to buy the great Stevia-sweet products I use in my recipes in my brand new UK online store. You can now enjoy the pure, natural sweetness of zero calorie Stevia with no additives in all your cooking and baking, saving calories every time you treat yourself. COME VISIT US Stevia and diet If you watch your diet, the natural calorie free Stevia-sweet sweetener will aid weight management by helping you to consume fewer calories.   Stevia and GI Feel the benefits of the no GI properties and never upset your blood sugar levels again – sweet treats sweetened with Stevia-sweet products like stevioside powder extract won’t leave you craving for more, they just satisfy your sweet tooth without the nasty side effects that sugar and other artificial sweeteners have. Stevia and blood sugar Sweetening your coffee or tea Stevia-sweet tabs instead of refined sugar will save...
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Some basic rules of thumb…

Some basic rules of thumb…

by Marie Mann1 Comment
...when using Stevia.   Strength and sweetness? One of the main attributes of Stevia is that it is very efficient – it is 200-400 times sweeter than sugar, very little is needed to sweeten a whole batch of cake batter. The measurements in my posted recipes should be used as a guide only - Your personal sweetness preference determines how much you will add of the Stevia product you have chosen to use. Moreover, take into account that sweetness potency varies greatly between different Stevia brands. One of the most common mistakes made by people new to Stevia is using too much product and by that over sweetening the food to the point that it has such a strong Stevia after taste that a love is lost, usually one teaspoon of stevia would be equivalent to one cup of sugar. When introducing family and friends, it pays to start with a well-tested recipe you know they won’t be able to resist. Do try and let them...
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