The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight (21 page)

SKINNY LEMON CUPCAKES WITH DRIZZLY ICING

Cupcakes are all the rage but they can make you fat. Don’t miss out on all the fun, give these low-cal versions a whirl. Just eat one mind, not the whole batch.

MAKES 12

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

75g golden caster sugar

100g blueberries

finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

2 large eggs

150ml low-fat natural yoghurt

2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

50ml sunflower oil

Lemon icing

100g icing sugar

4–4½ tsp fresh lemon juice

167 calories per cupcake

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a 12-hole deep muffin tin with some non-stick paper cases or folded squares of baking parchment.

Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and stir in the sugar, blueberries and lemon zest. Make a well in the centre.

Beat the eggs with a large whisk until smooth, then beat in the yoghurt, milk and oil until well combined. Stir into the flour mixture with a large metal spoon until very lightly mixed.

Working quickly, divide the batter between the paper cases. Bake in the centre of the oven for 16–18 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the lemon icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and runny. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the cupcakes and leave to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Top tip:

You can make these skinny cupcakes with plain dark chocolate instead of blueberries if you like. Use 100g of roughly chopped dark chocolate or drops or buttons and you will add about 43 calories to each cupcake. You can also flavour the cakes with ½ tsp of vanilla extract instead of lemon zest and use water instead of lemon juice to make the icing.

SWISS ROLL

The only fat this cake contains is in the eggs – there is no added butter or oil – so you really can have your cake and eat it. There is quite a bit of sugar though, so don’t go mad. Lovely for an occasional treat with a nice hot cup of tea.

SERVES 8

butter, for greasing

3 large eggs

100g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp

1 tsp vanilla extract

115g plain flour

150g seedless reduced-sugar raspberry jam, well stirred

159 calories per slice

Grease the base and sides of a 33 x 23cm Swiss roll tin and line it with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Put the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk with an electric whisk until the mixture is pale, creamy and thick enough to leave a trail when you lift the whisk.

Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for a further 5 minutes. Sift over half the flour and, using a large metal spoon, lightly fold the flour into the egg mixture. Sift over the remaining flour and fold it in. It’s important to use gentle movements to keep as much air as possible in the batter but watch out for pockets of flour.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently spread it with a spatula, so the base of the tin is evenly covered. Bake for 10 minutes until well risen, pale golden brown and firm to the touch. If you touch the centre of the sponge it should spring back immediately. Make sure the cake isn’t overcooked or it won’t roll.

While the sponge is cooking, place a damp tea towel on the work surface and cover with a sheet of baking parchment. Dredge with the tablespoon of sugar – this will help stop the sponge sticking. Working quickly, turn the cake out on to the sugared paper and carefully remove the baking parchment from the sponge. Make sure a long side of the cake is facing you.

Using a sharp knife, cut off thin strips of the crusty edges from the 2 long sides. Score the sponge lightly with a sharp knife from top to bottom about 2.5cm in from the left-hand side. It will look a bit like a margin on the side of a page. This will help make a nice tight turn when you start to roll the sponge but make sure you only go a little less than halfway through.

Spread the sponge all over with the jam. Roll the Swiss roll from the scored end, starting with the tight turn to make a good round shape. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack, then place it on a serving plate or board. Cut into slices to serve.

SPARKLING LEMONADE AND LIME JELLY

We all feel like something sweet from time to time and this sparkly fruity jelly is as low in calories as it gets. Keep some in the fridge as little life-savers for those moments of temptation.

SERVES 6

6 sheets of leaf gelatine (about 10g)

4 tbsp lime or lemon squash (with no added sugar)

50ml water

600ml diet lemonade

100g fresh raspberries

100g fresh blueberries

small handful of fresh mint leaves (optional)

20 calories per portion

Put the gelatine sheets in a medium bowl and cover them with cold water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes or until they become very soft and floppy. Turn the gelatine sheets a couple of times to make sure they don’t stick together in a clump.

Pour the lime or lemon squash and water into a small saucepan and heat very gently for a few seconds until just warm. Remove from the heat. Take the gelatine sheets in your hands and squeeze them over the bowl to remove any excess water.

Plop the gelatine into the pan with the squash and stir well until it melts into the liquid. If it doesn’t melt almost immediately, return the pan to the heat and warm through gently, stirring constantly until the liquid is smooth and clear.

Pour the diet lemonade into a large measuring jug. Add the gelatine mixture, stirring constantly with a long-handled spoon until it is thoroughly combined. Pour it slowly as the lemonade will froth up.

Drop the berries into 6 wine glasses or tumblers, then pour almost all the jelly mixture gently over the top – keep back about 100ml of the lemonade jelly. Place the glasses on a tray and cover with clingfilm. Carry them carefully to the fridge and leave for 4 hours or until lightly set. Leave the reserved jelly at room temperature and do not allow it to set.

Take the jellies out of the fridge, and add a few mint leaves to each jelly if you like. Stir each jelly a couple of times with a fork to create bubbles of air, but be careful not to mash the fruit. Pour the runny reserved jelly over the top to create a smooth surface for each dessert. Cover with cling film and return to the fridge for a further 2–3 hours or until set.

Top tip:

If you are short of time, don’t keep back some of the jelly, use it all at once. The jellies won’t look as bubbly but they will still taste great.

CHEWY CRANBERRY AND APRICOT BITES

These little goodies are sweetened with maple syrup and have a lovely soft, chewy texture.Great for an occasional treat or to pop into lunch boxes, but go easy as the dried fruit means they aren’t totally low in calories.

MAKES 24

25g flaked almonds

40g no-soak dried apricots

40g dried cranberries

40g sultanas

75g unsweetened puffed rice cereal

40g desiccated coconut

150ml maple syrup

400ml apple juice (preferably the cloudy type)

125g porridge oats

82 calories per piece

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Line a 20 x 30cm brownie tin with baking parchment. Scatter the almonds over a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5–6 minutes or until lightly toasted, then tip them into a large mixing bowl. Cut the apricots into small pieces and add them to the bowl along with the cranberries, sultanas, rice cereal and coconut.

Put the maple syrup and apple juice in a large saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring once or twice. Add the oats and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly until the oats become thick and porridgy – keep a close eye on it as the mixture does get very sticky. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in all the other ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and flatten the surface with a spatula to press everything down well. Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes until the mixture is golden brown and the surface is crisp. Take out of the oven and press once more with a spatula – this will make the bites easier to cut later. Leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before cutting into small squares with a sharp knife.

Transfer to a board and lift the squares off the lining paper. Store in an airtight container lined with baking parchment for up to 5 days.