Chocolate Avocado Fudge Muffins

These fudge muffins are butter-free and egg-free. There's no compromise on the taste though, substituting avocado for the butter not only makes them healthier, but it gives them a decadent rich texture.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 avocado mashed
• 150 g Greek yoghurt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• STEP 1Preheat oven to 160˚C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases.
• STEP 2Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• STEP 3In a second mixing bowl whisk together the mashed avocado and yoghurt until smooth. Then add the milk, oil and vanilla and whisk until it's all combined.
• STEP 4Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• STEP 5Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to about 3/4 full. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean and the muffins spring back when touched.

• Notes

  These muffins are best eaten warm, straight out of the oven.
  You can also top them with extra chocolate chips if you want to make them super decadent.
  Make sure you use a slow oven, the mixture is very dense and needs a long, slow cook time.
  These muffins are very fudge-y so the inside of them will still be quite moist even when they are fully cooked.

Baked Cauliflower Tots

Break the weekday potato malaise with another white vegetable the kids might love. These cauliflower tots are a healthy potato gem substitute

Ingredients

• 550 g cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup onion finely diced
• 1/4 cup parmesan finely grated
• 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt and pepper

• Method

  • STEP 1Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • STEP 2Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the cauliflower florets. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, until just tender.
  • STEP 3Drain the florets and transfer them to a food processor. Pulse lightly until the florets break down to about the consistency of rice. Tip the florets into a large bowl and add, onion, parmesan cheese, egg and salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
  • STEP 4Use your hands to form 1 - 2 tablespoons of the mixture into 'tot' shapes and place them on the baking tray. (You may need two baking trays, depending on how big you make your tots.) The recipe should yield you about 12 - 16 tots.
  • STEP 5Bake the tots for 20 minutes and then flip them over and bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes. They should be browned and crisped when ready.
  • STEP 6Remove from the oven and serve with hummus and a squeeze of lemon.

  • Notes

    One medium head of cauliflower will easily yield you 550g of florets.
    Make sure you dice your onion really finely for this recipe otherwise your tots will be lumpy and the kids may rebel.
    When pulsing the cauliflower, don't overdo it, if you reduce them to mush, your tots will be too liquid-y and won't hold together.

Cookies house

 Cookies 100 s

Tasty treat for both adults and children.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/3 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 cup hundreds and thousands

Method

• STEP 1Preheat oven to 150C. Beat butter and sugars until creamy.
• STEP 2Add egg and vanilla, beat until well combined.
• STEP 3Mix in flour and baking soda until combined, then add hundreds and thousands.
• STEP 4Spray an oven tray with cooking spray.
• STEP 5Knead dough and roll out with a rolling pin to 5mm thick.
• STEP 6Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies in shapes as desired.
• STEP 7Sprinkle with extra hundreds and thousands and bake for 4 minutes.
• STEP 8Flip cookies, then leave in oven for a further 2-3 minutes.
• STEP 9Remove tray and cool on rack.

Notes

For maximum cookies use small cookie cutters. Adjust cooking times for fan forced ovens

Almond and Apricot Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup soft butter
• 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup almonds chopped
• 3/4 cup dried apricots chopped

Method

• STEP 1In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.
• STEP 2Beat in egg and vanilla essence.
• STEP 3In a separate bowl stir in the sifted flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
• STEP 4Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and then add almonds and apricots.
• STEP 5Drop rounded teaspoons of mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• STEP 6Bake in a a pre-heated 175C oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
• STEP 7Cool on wire racks.

Notes

For a sweeter edge a cup of white chocolate chips can be added.

Sugar-free rockmelon and yoghurt sorbet

Sugar-free rockmelon and yoghurt sorbet

Want guilt-free fro-yo? Give this sugar-free rockmelon and yoghurt sorbet a go.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 rockmelons, chopped, frozen
• 3 overripe bananas, cut into 1cm pieces, frozen
• 1 1/2 cups (420g) thick Greek-style yoghurt

• METHOD

  • 1
    In 3 batches, whiz the rockmelon and banana in a food processor until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add 1/2 cup (140g) yoghurt to each batch until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of gelato. Spoon into a 1.25L (5 cup) container. Serve immediately.

NOTES

-

You will need a food processor.

SUGAR-FREE RASPBERRY SORBET

Sweetened with bananas, this sugar-free raspberry sorbet is ready in minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups (810g) frozen raspberries
• 3 overripe bananas, cut into 1cm pieces, frozen
• 60g fresh raspberries, roughly crushed

• METHOD

  • 1
    In 3 batches, whiz frozen raspberries and banana in a food processor until smooth. Transfer each batch to one large bowl, then stir through crushed raspberries. Spoon into a 1.25L (5 cup) container. Serve immediately.

Sugar-free Christmas berry cheesecake

Sugar-free Christmas berry cheesecake

Sun, santa and (usually) stacks of sugar... From honey-glazed hams to sugar-packed pavlovas, Christmas in Australia is often more naughty than nice. Giving fructose the flick doesn’t have to mean forgoing all the fun this festive season. Sarah Wilson from I Quit Sugar’s indulgent sugar-free cheesecake is your answer to healthy-but-festive this Christmas.

INGREDIENTS

Cake filling

• 750g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tbs yoghurt or sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60ml) coconut cream
• 1/2 cup (175g) rice malt syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• Extra raspberries and mint leaves, to decorate

Cake base

• 1 cup (150g) shelled pistachios or hazelnuts
• 1 cup (70g) shredded or 1 cup (90g) desiccated coconut
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal, or other nut meal
• 120g unsalted butter, softened

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the base and sides of a 23cm springform pan with baking paper.
  • 2
    For the cheesecake base, whiz the nuts in a food processor until semi-fine. Add the coconut, almond meal and butter and rub with your fingertips to make a dough. (The more you rub, the more you’ll release the oils in the nuts and achieve the right doughy consistency.) Add more butter if required. Press into the pan, covering the base and sides to an even thickness (about 5 mm). Bake for 5–8 minutes until starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, place raspberries in a blender and slowly drizzle in enough water to make a puree. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until raspberries thicken to a syrup like consistency. Allow to cool.
  • 4
    Combine the cream cheese, yoghurt, coconut cream, syrup, egg and vanilla powder in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. Don’t over-mix, and try to keep the aeration to a minimum while stirring (too much air will make the filling puff up and then collapse during cooking).
  • 5
    Spoon half the mixture into the cold base and smooth surface. Dot teaspoons of raspberry sauce over cheesecake surface. Using a skewer, swirl raspberry over cheesecake surface. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture over and smooth surface. Return to the oven for 20–30 minutes until the mixture pulls away from the base a little and the centre is custard-like (don’t overcook).
  • 6
    Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm before serving. Decorate with extra raspberries and mint leaves. 
Be sure to allow the cheesecake to cool for several hours before serving; otherwise, it can taste too eggy.
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