Chapter 15

Getting Your Just Desserts

In This Chapter

Delightfully decadent desserts

Delicious cakes

Indulgent biscuits and slices

Sweets and treats for the health-minded

W hen you’ve cleared away the main course, everyone eagerly anticipates one thing and it’s not doing the dishes. It is, of course, dessert. A gluten-free diet can, however, mean missing out on that delicious dessert, that slice of birthday cake, or those sweet treats for morning or afternoon tea. But if you think the gluten-free lifestyle puts an end to decadence and indulgence, this chapter surely makes you think again.

If your idea of dessert is a bowl of sliced strawberries or a fruit and cheese platter, that’s great. You probably won’t use most of these recipes. For those who enjoy dessert but want to exercise a little restraint we’ve put together some fruit-based ideas to satisfy your wholesome-and-healthy sweet tooth. And for those sugar and cream babies who just can’t live without their sweet treats, we’ve included recipes for melt-in-the-mouth cakes, delicious biscuits, slices and other wicked indulgences. If it’s a not-quite-so-sweet-and-sugary muffin you’re craving, Chapter 10 has many great muffin ideas.

Delighting in Desserts

Whether you’re eating at home with the family, dining out or entertaining, a delicious dessert rounds off the meal and leaves everyone satisfied and feeling content. Gluten-free desserts are generally not difficult to make. Often you can use a regular recipe, just substituting a mix of gluten-free flours for the wheat flour.

Choose lighter flours and avoid the strongly flavoured soy flour unless your dessert contains a lot of spices. A bit of trial and error may be needed until you find the best combinations.

When serving a wickedly indulgent dessert, keep the servings small and complement them with a colourful array of fresh fruit and low-fat ice cream. Unless you’re cooking for a ravenous family, quickly pop the leftovers away in the freezer for a lovely treat later on, rather than wolfing down the entire concoction, licking the plate (and bowl and beaters — and serving spoon, of course) and then wishing desperately that you had been a tad more disciplined.

In most cultures, dessert comprises sweet, decadent foods. But in some cultures, dessert isn’t sweet at all but is simply a course consisting of very strong flavours, like cheeses. The word comes from the Old French desservir, which means ‘to clear the table’.

Gluten-free baking involves the ‘C-Factor’. Yes, you guessed it! The ‘Crumble’ factor. Spring-form cake tins with removable bases make it much easier to separate cake from cake tin without encountering a catastrophe. See an example spring-form cake tin in Figure 15-1.

Hot Fudge Pudding

If you don’t already know this recipe, you’ll certainly be glad you found it. A surprise layer of thick chocolate sauce forms under the cake and rises to the top during baking. So easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 40 minutes • Servings: 8

Ingredients

200 g (1 cup) white rice flour

150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar

2 tablespoons pure unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

125 ml (½ cup) milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

125 g (1 cup) chopped nuts

220 g (1 cup) brown sugar

25 g (¼ cup) pure unsweetened cocoa, extra

435 ml (1¾ cups) very hot water

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C.

2 Mix rice flour, caster sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt in an ungreased square 23-cm baking dish.

3 Mix in milk, oil and vanilla with a fork until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread mixture evenly.

4 Sprinkle with brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa.

5 Pour hot water carefully over the back of a spoon so it is evenly dispersed over the batter. DO NOT STIR.

6 Bake 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or cream.

Per serving: Kilojoules 1,752; Fat 13.4 g (Saturated 2.6 g); Sodium 103 mg; Carbohydrate 68.6 g (Dietary Fibre 2.1 g); Protein 7.3 g.

Fresh Mango Mousse

The perfect dessert to make when mangoes are at their cheapest and best. Adding the lime or lemon juice really sparks the flavour up a notch. This is simple to make but your guests will think you have gone to a lot of trouble.

Prep time: 25 minutes • Refrigeration and cooling time: 3–4 hours • Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon gelatine

3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

700 g fresh mango pulp, puréed

300 ml cream, whipped to soft peaks

1½ tablespoons pistachios, chopped

Directions

1 In a small saucepan sprinkle gelatine over lime or lemon juice. Heat gently, stirring until gelatine has dissolved. Cool.

2 Place mango purée in a medium bowl and stir in dissolved gelatine. Add whipped cream and fold through until well blended.

3 Stand bowl in a bowl of ice and water. Stir from time to time until the mixture starts setting around the edges.

4 Spoon into six serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate until completely set. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios to serve.

Tip: Refer to Chapter 11 for an easy way to attack that delicious mango flesh.

Per serving: Kilojoules 861; Fat 13.3 g (Saturated 7.5 g); Sodium 14 mg; Carbohydrate 16.3 g (Dietary Fibre 2.1 g); Protein 4.4 g.

Little Teff Puffs (Syrnike)

The ancient grain teff is used in this adaptation of syrnike, a traditional recipe from Russia. These little puffs can be eaten as a sweet snack, dressed up as a dessert or even eaten at breakfast.

Prep time: 12 minutes • Cooking time: 5–10 minutes • Servings: 12 puffs

Ingredients

1 egg

1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese

2 tablespoons raw sugar

2 tablespoons teff flour

2 tablespoons gluten-free self-raising flour

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon oil

Directions

1 Beat the egg and mix in the ricotta or cottage cheese.

2 Add sugar, flours, vanilla and salt, mixing each ingredient in well.

3 Drop by teaspoon into heated oil in a frying pan or griddle and cook for 2 minutes till light golden brown. Turn carefully, flatten slightly and cook another 2 minutes or until golden brown.

4 Turn out on to plate and keep warm until all puffs are cooked.

5 Eat hot from the pan sprinkled with icing sugar, or serve with sour cream and honey, maple syrup or jam.

Tip: These puffs can be savoury, too. Cut down the sugar to ½ tablespoon, and stir in 2 chopped spring onions and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Add 1 teaspoon mixed herbs if desired and cook as before. Savoury puffs make a delicious accompaniment for soup.

Per serving: Kilojoules 259; Fat 3.0 g (Saturated 1.3 g); Sodium 77 mg; Carbohydrate 5.2 g (Dietary Fibre 0.2 g); Protein 3.0 g.

Having Your Cake — and Eating It Too

Margaret thought she was pretty cool with cakes in the kitchen until she had to bake gluten-free. At first, one collapsed-cake crisis led to another crumbled-cake catastrophe, time after time. For her first gluten-free Christmas she ate her Christmas cake out of the cake tin with a spoon. Slightly bizarre, but it showed initiative (or maybe desperation!). Her children quickly invented names for these culinary creations. A ‘dippy cake’ was one that collapsed in the middle, a ‘spong’ was a sad little sponge that sulked in the bottom of the cake tin instead of rising spectacularly, and a ‘worm farm’ was a cake with little hollow tunnels winding through it.

But that was before the Clever Cooks came onto the gluten-free scene, before user-friendly gluten-free flours were available and before the appearance of magic xanthan gum. You can make truly delicious gluten-free cakes now — cakes that hold their icing high on any table and keep everyone contented and satisfied.

Provided you’re not pigging out on fat and sugar-loaded desserts and cakes on a daily basis, or you have a weight or blood sugar problem, we think it’s fine to splurge now and then, on the basis that those on a gluten-free diet are already well behind in the Department of Sweet Treats. And if you’re an incorrigible sweet tooth, sweet treats do seem to play a role in keeping your spirits up at times when you’re in the gluten-free dumps. The key to satisfying your sweet cravings without sacrificing your good health is to keep the servings small and not too frequent.

Friands

Friands are easy to make and everyone seems to like them. Muffin trays work just as well as friand moulds and the poppy seeds are optional.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes • Servings: 10–12 friands

Ingredients

100 g (½ cup) rice flour

270 g (1⅔ cups) gluten-free icing sugar

150 g (1½ cups) almond meal

2 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)

Finely grated rind of 1 large orange

5 egg whites

180 g (¾ cup) butter, melted and cooled, or vegetable oil

90 g (¼ cup) orange marmalade (optional)

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 10-friand baking tray or line a 12-hole muffin tray with foil cupcake liners.

2 Sift flour and icing sugar into large mixing bowl. Stir in almond meal, poppy seeds and orange rind.

3 Use electric beaters or hand whisk to lightly whisk egg whites in a large bowl until frothy but not firm. Fold beaten egg whites into almond mixture. Add melted butter or vegetable oil and stir until combined.

4 Spoon mixture into prepared trays to ¾ full. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. If desired, melt marmalade over gentle heat and brush the tops of the warm friands before cooling.

Vary It! Leave out the poppy seeds, orange rind and melted marmalade, but add a blueberry or some chocolate chips to the top of each friand before baking.

Per serving (serves 12): Kilojoules 1,496; Fat 22.2 g (Saturated 2.4 g); Sodium 27 mg; Carbohydrate 34.9 g (Dietary Fibre 1.8 g); Protein 4.9 g.

Last-minute Fruit Cake

We’re not suggesting that you leave making this cake until Christmas Eve, but if you did it would still be delicious the next day. This excellent cake uses canola oil rather than butter, making it a low-cholesterol treat. Vary the fruit to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Prep time: 40 minutes • Cooking time: 1½–2 hours • Servings: 24 slices

Ingredients

250 ml (1 cup) canola oil

330 g (1½ cups) brown sugar

4 eggs

600 g (3 cups) gluten-free flour

375 g (3 cups) chopped nuts

155 g (1 cup) glacé pineapple, chopped

200 g (1 cup) dried figs, chopped

150 g (1 cup) sultanas

225 g (1½ cups) whole glacé cherries

155 g (1 cup) mixed peel

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons each salt, allspice and cinnamon

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

250 ml (1 cup) orange juice

Glaze (optional)

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 135°C. Line a 20-cm tin with greased brown paper. Two 23 × 13 cm loaf tins can also be used.

2 In a large mixing bowl combine oil, brown sugar and eggs and beat for 2 minutes.

3 In a separate large bowl combine 1 cup of flour with the nuts, pineapple, figs, sultanas, cherries and mixed peel.

4 Combine remaining flour with baking powder, cloves, salt, allspice, cinnamon and xanthan gum.

5 Add flour and spice mixture to the combined fruit and mix well.

6 Add flour mix to the oil mixture alternating with orange juice. Stir thoroughly.

7 Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Place tin in a pan of water on the lower oven rack.

8 Bake for 1½ to 2 hours. Use a skewer to test for doneness. The skewer should come out clean. Cover with foil if the cake is browning too fast.

9 Cool on a rack covered with a clean tea towel until cold. Wrap well in foil.

Per serving (per slice): Kilojoules 1,851; Fat 20 g (Saturated 2.2 g); Sodium 288 mg; Carbohydrate 58.4 g (Dietary Fibre 4.4 g); Protein 7 g.

Favourite Flourless Chocolate Cake

You might already know this classic recipe. You’ll want to make it over and over again.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 40–45 minutes • Servings: 8

Ingredients

125 g dark chocolate

100 g unsalted butter

100 g caster sugar

1 tablespoon brandy, Cointreau or orange juice

1 tablespoon prepared black coffee

100 g almond meal

3 eggs, separated

Gluten-free icing sugar, for dusting; flowers, for serving

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease an 18 cm spring-form tin. (Not familiar with a spring-form cake tin? Refer to Figure 15-1 earlier in the chapter.)

2 Melt chocolate in a double saucepan over low heat. Add butter. Stir when melted and add sugar. Add brandy (or Cointreau or orange juice) and coffee.

3 Remove from heat and add almond meal.

4 Let cool for a few minutes, then add egg yolks and stir.

5 Beat egg whites until firm. Lighten chocolate mixture with a couple of spoonfuls of egg whites, then fold in rest of egg whites and spoon into prepared tin.

6 Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cake will test a little gooey in the centre (this is good because it will be all fudgy and delicious). Don’t worry if it seems crumbly on top. Once they taste it, no-one will care in the least.

7 Cool completely in tin. Remove, sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with flowers. Or serve this cake with fresh berries and a dollop of cream as a magnificent dessert.

Per serving: Kilojoules 1,408; Fat 23.9 g (Saturated 12.2 g); Sodium 34 mg; Carbohydrate 23.5 g (Dietary Fibre 1.9 g); Protein 5.7 g.

Flourless Almond Cake

Definitely in the wicked category, this cake is really quick and easy to make and is sure to delight.

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 55 minutes • Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

250 g butter (unsalted is best)

250 g sugar

6 medium eggs, beaten

250 g almond meal

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 170°C.

2 Spray a medium-sized spring-form cake tin with non-stick spray.

3 Cream butter and sugar, and then slowly add eggs.

4 Mix in almond meal.

5 Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 55 minutes, until centre is firm.

6 Cool in tin. Serve with fresh fruit or drizzle melted chocolate over the top to make a thin layer of icing.

Per serving: Kilojoules 2,481; Fat 47 g (Saturated 19.4 g); Sodium 55 mg; Carbohydrate 32.9 g (Dietary Fibre 2.8 g); Protein 11.2 g.

Apricot Fruit Loaf

You can put this fruity delight together in no time at all.

Prep time: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 45 minutes • Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

1 cup diced dried apricots

½ cup sultanas

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup boiling water

2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 23 × 13 × 7 cm deep loaf tin.

2 Mix apricots, sultanas, butter, caster sugar and water in a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes.

3 Stir in flour and egg, using a wooden spoon.

4 Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes.

Per serving (per slice): Kilojoules 879; Fat 1.8 g (Saturated 1 g); Sodium 390 mg; Carbohydrate 45.8 g (Dietary Fibre 2.8 g); Protein 1.4 g.

Sweet Sorghum Blueberry Loaf

Sorghum has great nutritional benefits and isn’t as expensive as some of the other ‘ancient’ grains. Try it in this simple-to-make loaf — the subtle suggestion of lemon makes this a real winner.

Prep time: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 1 hour • Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

115 g (½ cup) butter or margarine

150 g (¾ cup) raw sugar (or white sugar)

2 eggs

Lemon zest (finely grated peel) from one lemon

1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour

½ cup sweet or white sorghum flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum)

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 23 × 13 × 7 cm deep loaf tin with baking paper.

2 Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, and then stir in the grated lemon peel.

3 In a second bowl sift together flours, xanthan (or guar gum), salt and baking powder.

4 Add flour mix and milk alternately to the butter and sugar mix.

5 Gently fold in the blueberries. If using frozen fruit, do not thaw first.

6 Bake for one hour. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from tin.

7 Serve with yoghurt or crème fraiche.

Per serving: Kilojoules 833; Fat 8.4 g (Saturated 5.4 g); Sodium 252 mg; Carbohydrate 27.6 g (Dietary Fibre 0.7 g); Protein 2.0 g.

Boiled Chocolate Cake

So quick and easy to prepare and very good to eat.

Prep time: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 40 minutes • Servings: 20 slices

Ingredients

125 g butter

1½ cups caster sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup boiling water

½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda

2 eggs

1½ cups gluten-free self-raising flour

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20-cm round deep cake tin.

2 Place butter, caster sugar, cocoa, water and bicarbonate soda in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium–high heat. Reduce heat and allow to boil 1 to 2 minutes while stirring.

3 Set aside and cool completely (stir occasionally while it is cooling).

4 Pour cooled mixture into a mixing bowl and add eggs and sifted flour. Beat until mixture is smooth.

5 Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Per serving (per slice): Kilojoules 632; Fat 5.7 g (Saturated 3.6 g); Sodium 237 mg; Carbohydrate 23.7 g (Dietary Fibre <1 g); Protein <1 g.

1-2-3 Fruit Cake

Amazing! No butter, no sugar, no eggs, but it works and it tastes really good!

Prep time: 5 minutes • Cooking time: 1½ hours, plus 4–12 hours soaking time • Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients

1 kg mixed dried fruit

2 cups prepared black coffee

2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour

Directions

1 Soak mixed fruit in black coffee for 4 to 12 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20 × 6 cm deep round cake tin.

3 Stir flour through fruit and coffee mixture.

4 Pour into prepared tin and bake for approximately 1½ hours.

Per serving (per slice): Kilojoules 975; Fat <1 g (Saturated <1 g); Sodium 325 mg; Carbohydrate 54.8 g (Dietary Fibre 4.6 g); Protein 1.4 g.

Indulging in Biscuits and Slices

You just can’t beat homemade biscuits or slices with a cup of coffee or in the lunch box. These recipes are all simple to make and keep well (if you can keep your hands off them for long enough).

Choc Cherry Slice

Decadent and so delicious, make this when you have people to share it with so that you don’t end up eating the lot yourself. If you use good quality chocolate — the darker the better, in our opinion — the finished product will be all the better.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Refrigeration time: 1 hour • Servings: 24

Ingredients

600 g dark chocolate, chopped

500 g desiccated coconut

100 g copha, melted

400 g can sweetened condensed milk

150 g glacé cherries, chopped

Red food colouring (optional)

Directions

1 Use foil to line a 30 × 20 cm slice tin.

2 Melt half the chocolate in the microwave or in a small saucepan and spread evenly over the base of the prepared tin. Refrigerate until set.

3 In a large bowl combine coconut, copha, condensed milk and cherries. Add a few drops of red food colouring (if using) and stir until well mixed.

4 Spoon coconut mixture over cooled chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Refrigerate until set.

5 Melt remaining chocolate and spread evenly over coconut mixture. Return to refrigerator until set. Cut into pieces with a warm knife. Store refrigerated.

Per serving (slice): Kilojoules 1,556; Fat 26.9 g (Saturated 23.8 g); Sodium 34 mg; Carbohydrate 29.1 g (Dietary Fibre 4.3 g); Protein 3.7 g.

Caramel Cornflake Biscuits

This recipe just goes to show that the simple things in life can certainly be delicious!

Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes • Servings: 36

Ingredients

125 g butter or margarine

110 g (½ cup) brown sugar, lightly packed

100 g (½ cup) caster sugar

40 g (½ cup) desiccated coconut

1 egg

65 g (½ cup) finely chopped nuts

3 cups gluten-free cornflakes

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking trays with baking paper.

2 Combine butter or margarine, brown sugar and caster sugar in a saucepan; heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3 Stir in coconut. When cooled, add egg and beat well.

4 Place chopped nuts and cornflakes in a large bowl. Pour over the sugar mixture and mix very well.

5 Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto baking trays. Using fingers, lightly press mixture together. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on baking trays for several minutes to firm, then cool on racks until cold.

Per serving (per biscuit): Kilojoules 320; Fat 4.3 g (Saturated 1.6 g); Sodium 47 mg; Carbohydrate 8.8 g (Dietary Fibre <1 g); Protein <1 g.

Chocolate Pistachio Macaroons

These light chocolatey treats are delicious with a cup of tea and store well in an airtight container. You can cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch of macaroons.

Prep time: 15–20 minutes • Cooking time: 25 minutes • Servings: 48

Ingredients

6 large egg whites, room temperature

400 g caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

45 g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder

315 g chopped toasted unsalted pistachio nuts

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 120°C. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.

2 In large bowl of electric mixer, at low speed, beat egg whites until frothy. At high speed gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until stiff peaks form when beaters are raised from bowl. Add vanilla.

3 Place cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sift over meringue mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in cocoa and all but ¼ cup pistachios until no white streaks remain.

4 Drop 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture onto baking trays, leaving 1 cm between each. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios.

5 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dry and slightly cracked on top. Cool on paper on wire racks then peel gently from paper.

Per serving (macaroon): Kilojoules 326; Fat 3.3 g (Saturated <1 g); Sodium 10 mg; Carbohydrate 9.7 g (Dietary Fibre <1 g); Protein 2 g.

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

This very nice biscuit is crisp the day of baking and becomes softer the next day. You can use white or dark chocolate chips or a combination of the two.

Prep time: 25 minutes • Cooking time: 10 minutes • Servings: 24

Ingredients

115 g (½ cup) butter or margarine

50 g (¼ cup) sugar

75 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

150 g (¾ cup) rice flour

75 g (½ cup) soy flour

½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda

½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

Pinch of salt

65 g (½ cup) walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts

200 g (¾ cup) white or dark chocolate chips

40 g (½ cup) desiccated coconut

Directions

1 In a large mixing bowl cream butter (or margarine), sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until fluffy.

2 In a separate bowl combine rice flour, soy flour, bicarbonate soda, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix well. Fold in nuts, chocolate chips and coconut.

3 Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake at 190°C for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Per serving (biscuit): Kilojoules 672; Fat 9.5 g (Saturated 3.8 g); Sodium 79 mg; Carbohydrate 15.8 g (Dietary Fibre 1.1 g); Protein 3.2 g.

Being Sensible: Sweets for the Health-Conscious

‘Healthy dessert’ — isn’t that an oxymoron? For the most part, desserts can be like landmines, sabotaging even your strongest attempts to eat well. And most of the recipes for healthy desserts are no-sugar, no-fat, no-carb, no-taste affairs, loaded with artificial sweeteners and more appealing to horses than humans. But you can satisfy without sabotage and still keep the dessert gluten-free. In this section, you find ideas and recipes that can form part of a gluten-free, guilt-free, well-balanced diet.

Try sautéing fruits like apples, pears, or bananas over medium–high heat in sugar and water until they’re a little bit caramelised. This adds a caramel flavour without the fat of a caramel sauce.

Are you trying to cut down on sugar, but desperately crave the sweetness and texture of cake? Try this healthy alternative. Peel a ripe banana, coat it with peanut butter, shut your eyes and enjoy!

No Sugar Fruit Balls

This recipe is quick, easy and great for the lunch box or snacks.

Prep time: 20 minutes • Servings: 20–30 balls, depending on size

Ingredients

4 tablespoons each of sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds

350 g mixed dried fruit, such as apricots, peaches, figs and dates

Orange juice

Desiccated coconut

Directions

1 Finely grind seeds in a food processor.

2 Add dried fruit and process finely, adding enough orange juice to make the processor run smoothly but without letting the mixture become runny.

3 Form mixture into small balls and roll in coconut. For variety add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and cloves.

Per serving (per ball): Kilojoules 398; Fat 5 g (Saturated 1.3 g); Sodium 12 mg; Carbohydrate 10 g (Dietary Fibre 1.8 g); Protein 2.2 g.

Blueberry Layers

No need to peel, pit, core, dice, slice or chop for these babies. They’re easy, delicious and loaded with nutritional value. Blueberries are higher in antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables, and they’re fat-free, low in kilojoules and high in fibre. Just one cup provides about 15 per cent of your daily vitamin C requirement. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried blueberries are available all year long — but treat yourself to the sweet, fresh blueberries of summer for the best blueberries of all.

Prep time: 30 minutes • Freezing time: 2 hours • Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cups blueberries

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons maize cornflour

¼ cup cool water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

250 g low-fat plain yoghurt

2 cups sliced strawberries

Directions

1 In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the blueberries and sugar.

2 In a small bowl, mix the maize cornflour and water together until it forms a smooth paste.

3 Add the cornflour mixture to the blueberries and sugar and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Let it boil for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice and let the blueberries cool.

4 Gently fold the yoghurt into the cooled blueberry mixture so you don’t crush the berries.

5 In four parfait glasses, tall glasses or glass dessert bowls, layer some of the blueberry mixture, then some strawberries and then the blueberry mixture again. Keep alternating layers until the glasses are full and you’ve used all the ingredients.

6 Freeze desserts for at least 2 hours. Take them out of the freezer 30 minutes before you plan to serve them.

Tip: Just before serving, when the mixture has softened a little, you can pop a gluten-free biscuit or wafer on the top.

Per serving: Kilojoules 636; Fat 1 g (Saturated 0 g); Sodium 39 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g (Dietary Fibre 4 g); Protein 3 g.