Apple and Cinnamon Tart

Husband loves anything with cooked apple (I prefer the apples raw, and end up eating all the skin as I peel them for his dishes), so I am constantly trying to work out low syn recipes containing apple. 

 

Serves 6-8

½ syn for the whole cake on Extra Easy*

*Providing you use the cooked apples as your Healthy Extra B

½ cup buckwheat

2-3 tbsp sweetener

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp quark

½ tsp baking powder

2 eggs, separated

vanilla essence

2 tbsp sweetener

2 tsp cinnamon powder

7 apples

sweetener to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a spring form cake tin by spraying it with Fry Light. Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat and dry toast the buckwheat until they start to brown, 3-5 minutes. Switch off the pan, add 2 tbsp sweetener, 1 tsp cinnamon and ca 1 tbsp water to mix it all in. Stir until all the water has evaporated. Quickly line the bottom of the cake tin with the buckwheat and leave to cool.

Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder, 1-2 tsp vanilla essence, 2 tbsp sweetener, cinnamon and the quark, using an electric whisk. In a separate clean bowl, using a clean whisk, whip the egg whites until firm. Carefully fold the yokes into the whites. Pour the mixture on top of the buckwheat and bake for 10-15 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Peel and core 5 of the apples and cut into small chunks. Place in a saucepan with the sweetener and 2 tsp cinnamon and enough water to only just cover the apples. Simmer until the apples are very soft and mash up with a potato masher. Pour the apple sauce over the cake in the tin.

Peel and core the rest of the apples and slice very thinly. Arrange in a pattern on top of the sauce and bake at 200°C for 25-35 minutes until the apples are cooked through. 

 

Tiramisu

I adapted this recipe ever so slightly from the Slimming World Love Desserts cookbook. It is absolutely delicious and had me craving for more afterwards. Just as well it was made up in individual glasses.

Serves 3

4 syns on Extra Easy

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp sweetener

a few drops vanilla essence

200g quark

9 sponge fingers

3 tsbs instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsps water

3 tbsp sweetener

1 tbsp brandy

250g fat free natural fromage frais

sweetener to taste

1 tsp cocoa powder

Whisk egg yolk with 1 tbsp sweetener until thick and creamy. Add the vanilla essence and 1 tbsp quark and whisk in gently. Gradually add the remaining quark, whisking to form a smooth cream.

Mix the coffee, water, 3 tbsp sweetener and brandy in a small bowl. Break each sponge finger in three and dip them in the coffee – long enough to soak up some of the liquid, but not so long that they become soggy and fall apart. Put half the coffee flavoured sponge fingers in the bottom of three tall-stemmed glasses, adding the quark mixture on top. Add the rest of the sponge fingers, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Just before serving, top with the fromage frais, sweetened to taste, and dust with the cocoa powder. 

 

Black Forest Roulade

I decided to have a go at making the half syn roulade with some cocoa powder (which means it is no longer half a syn of course), but I can't say it was all that successful. The taste was good, but it was dry and too dense. Back to the drawing board – watch this space.....

Banana Crêpes with Toffee

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 eggs, separated

2 tbsp sweetener

2 heaped tbsp quark

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 bananas, sliced

Müllerlight toffee yogurt to serve

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk together the egg yolks, quark, sweetener and vanilla essence in a separate bowl and fold in to the egg whites.

Heat a frying pan with Fry Light and pour half the mixture in – the batter will be much thicker than normal pancake batter so you will need to spread it out using a spatula. Cook for a couple of minutes until set – do not be too impatient as it seems to cook slower than normal pancakes – then carefully turn and cook for another couple of minutes on the other side. These pancakes are quite fragile, so it pays to be gentle when you turn them.

Fold the pancakes on to a plate, add the sliced bananas and top with the toffee yogurt. 

 

Raspberry Gateau

This recipe is based on the Half Syn Roulade, and although the cake part is quite thin, it is absolutely delicious with the filling. I used frozen raspberries inside the gateau and fresh on top, but you can use either. It would work equally well with strawberries, blueberries or cherries, I'm sure. I mixed the fromage frais with yogurt and quark, mainly because of the consistency, as fromage frais on its own can be quite runny, but you can mix and match as you like. 

 

Serves 6-8

½ syn for the whole cake

1 tub quark

½ tsp baking powder

4 eggs, separated

4 tbsp sweetener

400-500g raspberries

250-300g fat free fromage frais

1 tub fat free plain yogurt

sweetener to taste

Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder, sweetener and half the tub of quark, using an electric whisk. In a separate clean bowl, using a clean whisk, whip the egg whites until firm. Gently fold the yolks into the whites and mix well. Pour into two greased 20cm springform cake tins and bake in the oven at 180°C for 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Mix the other half of the quark with the yogurt and fromage frais and sweetener to taste. Spread half over one of the cakes and place half the raspberries on top (this is where I use the frozen ones, mainly because they are almost mushy when they defrost) . Place the other cake on top and spread the rest of the fromage frais mix over. Top with the fresh raspberries and serve. 

 

Apple Cake with Summer Fruits

This was a complete experiment as I had a whole bag of apples from a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Husband loves apple cakes and puddings, so I had to think of something to do with the apples that was also portable for our picnic. It makes a very moist cake, and because of the relatively short baking time, the apples retain a nice crunch. 

It is no doubt best the day it is made, as the juice from the berries stained everything blue the next day. It comes out a little messy on the plate (the slices don't retain their shape very well), but tastes absolutely yummy.

 

Serves 6-8

½ syn for the whole cake on Extra Easy*

*Providing you use the cooked apples and cream cheese as your Healthy Extras

1 tub quark

½ tsp baking powder

4 eggs, separated

vanilla essence

6 tbsp sweetener, or to taste

1 tsp cinnamon

4 apples

200g frozen mixed summer fruits, thawed

125g blackcurrants to decorate

150g reduced fat cream cheese

Peel and finely chop the apples. Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder, 1-2 tsp vanilla essence, 2 tbsp sweetener, cinnamon and half the tub of quark, using an electric whisk. In a separate clean bowl, using a clean whisk, whip the egg whites until firm. Carefully fold the yokes into the whites.

Grease two 20cm springform cake times and divide the mixture between the two. Place the apples into the cake mix in the tins. Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Remove the cakes from the tins. Spread one of the cakes with the rest of the quark mixed with 2 tbsp sweetener. Top with the mixed berries and carefully place the other cake on top. Mix together the cream cheese and 2 tbsp sweetener and spread on the top of the cake. Top with the blackcurrants. 

 

Alpen Baked Apple

I have only recently discovered how the Red Days work on the Slimming World Plan, and have taken advantage of that to have two Healthy Extra B choices today.

Serves 2

Syn Free on a Red Day*

* Providing you use the Alpen Light and cooked apple as you 2 HEXB

I suppose it works on a Green Day too, but it took me long enough to get my head around the Red days, I don't want to confuse myself.

2 apples

2 Alpen Light Apple and Sultana bars

sweetener and cinnamon to taste

200ml diet appleade

1 tub quark

sweetener and cinnamon to taste

100ml diet appleade

Core the apples and immediately dip them in cold water with lemon juice. Score the skin all over. Place in a deep ovenproof dish. Break up the cereal bars and stuff into the centre of the apples. Mix appleade with cinnamon and sweetener, and pour all around the apples. Bake in the oven at 220°C for 15-20 until the apples are just soft but not mushy.

Serve with cinnamon sauce: mix together quark, sweetener and cinnamon, and add appleade until you get a smooth pouring consistency. 

 

Crêpes Suzette

This is the Slimming World version of this wonderful French classic recipe. You can add Grand Marnier or brandy should you wish, but don't forget to calculate the syn value if you do. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 eggs, separated

2 tbsp sweetener

2 heaped tsp quark

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 oranges

fat free mandarin yogurt to serve

First remove the skin and pith from the oranges and cut into segments. Keep in a microwavable bowl. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk together the egg yolks, quark, sweetener and vanilla essence in a separate bowl and fold in to the egg whites. 

 

Heat a frying pan with Fry Light and pour half the mixture in – the batter will be much thicker than normal pancake batter so you will need to spread it out using a spatula. Cook for a couple of minutes until set – do not be too impatient as it seems to cook slower than normal pancakes – then carefully turn and cook for another couple of minutes on the other side. These pancakes are quite fragile, so it pays to be gentle when you turn them.

Fold the pancakes on to a plate, briefly heat the orange segments in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and serve with the mandarin yogurt. 

 

Key Lime Pie

I have really got the fat free baking bug now, and decided to have a go at another adaptation of the original half-syn roulade recipe, this time turning it into a key lime pie. Waitrose do the best version of this American dessert, but I needed something that fits in with the Slimming World plan. The name comes from the small key limes that are prevalent throughout Florida and the pie dates back to the 19^th century Key West – the original recipe used the chemical reaction between the lime juice and condensed milk to 'set' the pie. It is thought the local sponge fishermen created the recipe out of necessity – being at sea for days on end without a fridge or an oven, they took with them foods that weren't perishable or didn't need baking, such as canned milk, sugar, limes and eggs.

I am not sure if the same reaction would occur between fromage frais and lime juice, so I have used gelatine in my recipe. These days, because of the health scares of eating raw eggs, key traditional lime pie is usually baked anyway. Because the cheesecake I made became quite 'floppy' with just one packet of powdered gelatine, I played safe this time.

Serves 8

3 ¼ syns for the whole cake

generous ½ cup buckwheat

2 tbsp sweetener

¼ tub quark

2 eggs

½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp sweetener

500g tub fat free fromage frais

1 ¾ tubs quark

1 cup sweetener

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 packets sugar free lime and lemon jelly

zest and juice of 3-4 limes

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm spring form cake tin by spraying it with Fry Light. Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat and dry toast the buckwheat until they start to brown, 3-5 minutes. Switch off the pan, add 2 tbsp sweetener, the ginger and ca 1 tbsp water to mix it all in. Stir until all the water has evaporated. Quickly line the bottom of the cake tin with the buckwheat and leave to cool.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks with a quarter of one of the tubs of quark, the baking powder and 2 tbsp sweetener. Carefully fold in to the egg whites. Pour mixture on top of the buckwheat in the tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Don't worry if the cake looks very high at this stage, it will settle down when it has cooled.

Using an electric whisk, beat together the fromage frais, the rest of the quark, 1 cup of sweetener, the lime zest and vanilla essence. Place the lime juice in a non- metallic container and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dissolve the contents of the packets of jelly powder in the lime juice and beat well to ensure it is properly mixed. Allow to cool a little before gently mixing in to the fromage frais mixture. Spread the mixture over the cake and leave for at least two hours to set. 

Blueberry Cheesecake (Almost Syn Free)

After the success with the half syn roulade, I decided to take the recipe one step further and make something else from it. I adore cheesecake and an idea was beginning to take shape..... The secret to the crunchy bottom lies in the buckwheat, which is syn free, unlike crushed up biscuits mixed with butter.

Serves 8 (or two very greedy people)

½ syn for the whole cake

generous ½ cup buckwheat

2 tbsp sweetener

1 tbsp ground ginger

½ tub quark

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp sweetener

500g tub fat free fromage frais

1 ½ tubs quark

1 cup sweetener

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 sachet gelatine*

400g fresh or frozen blueberries

* The cake was really quite soft, which was rather nice, but if I was serving it for a dinner party, I would probably use 2 sachets or 1½ in future as it started to droop fairly quickly.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm spring form cake tin by spraying it with Fry Light. Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat and dry toast the buckwheat until they start to brown, 3-5 minutes. Switch off the pan, add 2 tbsp sweetener, the ginger and ca 1 tbsp water to mix it all in. Stir until all the water has evaporated. Quickly line the bottom of the cake tin with the buckwheat and leave to cool.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks with half of one of the tubs of quark, the baking powder and 4 tbsp sweetener. Carefully fold in to the egg whites. Pour mixture on top of the buckwheat in the tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Don't worry if the cake looks very high at this stage, it will settle down when it has cooled.

Using an electric whisk, beat together the fromage frais, the rest of the quark, ½ cup of sweetener and vanilla essence. Dissolve the contents of the gelatine in 120ml boiling water and beat well to ensure it is properly mixed. Allow to cool a little before gently mixing in to the fromage frais mixture. Spread the mixture over the cake and leave for at least two hours to set.

Finally top with blueberries, remove the sleeve and serve.

This is one of the best experiments I have done for a very long time, and I can see me making this often as Husband absolutely loved it too!

Raspberry Pavlova

Serves 2

3 syns on Extra easy

2 meringue nests

tub of quark

sweetener to taste

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ punnet raspberries

Place the meringue nests on two plates and fill with the quark. Top with raspberries and serve. It couldn't get easier than that, and absolutely delicious they are too. 

 

Salmon with Creamed Cabbage

As I was planning my meals for the week yesterday, I went through the fridge and made a note of the leftovers that needed using up and planning accordingly around what was available. Hence this salmon dish was born, and very nice it was too.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

¼ small white cabbage

2 onions

tub quark

stock cube or bouillon powder

a little sweetener to taste

1 or 2 cooked salmon fillets, flaked

soy sauce

sambal oelek or lazy chilli

sweetener

Thinly slice the cabbage and onion – I used a mandolin set to the thinnest slicer – and sauté in a little Fry Light until soft. Turn the heat right down and add the quark, bouillon powder, sweetener and a little water to get a nice creamy consistency. Do not let it boil.

Heat the soy sauce, sambal oelek and sweetener in a pan over a low heat and add the salmon, stirring gently to coat and heat but making sue it doesn't break up.

Place the cabbage on a plate and top with the salmon. 

Half Syn Roulade

When I first heard about this I wasn't sure how I felt about baked quark. It doesn't sound too appetising... However, after chatting with others in a Slimming World forum, I decided to give it go. I have to say, I was very impressed – it was quick, easy and very tasty.

Serves 4 (theoretically, that is, Husband and I polished it off easily between us)

½ syn for the whole cake

You need:

1 tub quark

½ tsp baking powder

4 eggs, separated

vanilla essence

4 tbsp sweetener

fresh fruit or berries

Mix together the egg yolks, baking powder, 1-2 tsp vanilla essence and half the tub of quark, using an electric whisk. In a separate clean bowl, using a clean whisk, whip the egg whites until firm. Whisk half the egg whites into the yolk mix, then carefully fold in the other half. Line a Swiss Roll tin with baking paper and pour in the mixture. Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Mix the other half of the quark with the sweetener and vanilla essence to taste. Spread over the roulade, cover with the fruit or berries (I used a frozen summer fruit mixture of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants, thawed out first) and carefully roll up. I found this part a little difficult, as the cake was quite thick, so I think next time I will use a larger tin. There will definitely be a next time – we both thoroughly enjoyed it and it was almost syn free!