Super Low-fat Chocolate Brownies

Here they are. Very chocolaty and really sticky but, believe it or not, "low-fat" chocolate brownies.
I posted this unbelievable mayonnaise chocolate brownies recipe before but here is a slightly amended version after trying it several times. These chocolate brownies can be made in a round tin and turned out as a cake.
It's also delicious with a drop of creme fraiche, for a dessert. :)

Ingredients

• 100g dark chocolate , 70% cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces
• 100g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder which I prefer)
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 60g light muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½  Tbsp milk and a little drop of lemon juice (approx. ¼ tsp)
• 1 egg
• 120g “reduced fat” mayonnaise

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour enough water into a small pan to one-third fill it. Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Put the chopped chocolate into a large bowl that will fit snugly over the pan without touching the water. Sit the pan over the water (still off the heat) and leave the chocolate to melt slowly for a few mins, stirring occasionally until it has melted evenly. Remove the bowl from the pan, then let the chocolate cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, lightly oil and base-line a 19cm square cake tin that is 5cm deep. Combine the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder which I prefer). Using a wooden spoon, stir both the sugars into the cooled chocolate with vanilla, milk and tiny drop of lemon juice. Stir in 1 tbsp warm water. Break and beat in the egg, then stir in the mayonnaise just until smooth and glossy. Sift over the flour and cocoa mix, then gently fold in with a spatula without overmixing.
3. Pour the mixture into the tin, then gently and evenly spread it into the corners. Bake for 30 mins. When a skewer is inserted into the middle, it should come out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If cooked too long, the mix will dry out; not long enough and it can sink. Leave in the tin until completely cold, then loosen the sides with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto a board, peel off the lining paper and cut into 12 squares.

simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Here is the super low-fat chocolate birthday cake for the person who is concerned about... .you know...

Low-fat Savoury Muffins

This is a favourite "lazy weekend supper". Black forest ham, mozzarella cheese and tomato salad with good olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. I normally have chiabatta bread to clean up the plate, but I tried something different today. I've been in a kind of muffin mood recently, so I thought I could bake savoury muffins for this supper. I could have used cheddar cheese as most savoury muffin recipes suggest, but I decided to go for a low-fat option of cottage cheese. The result was rather nice. :)   It proves that muffins don't have to be sweet.

Ingredients for 6 muffins 

• 200 g plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• freshly ground pepper
• dried herbs (if you have fresh herbs, it would be even better) 
• 1 large egg
• 100 ml milk
• 60 ml vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 spring onion chopped
• 2-3 slices of ham
• 100g cottage cheese
• 6-8 pitted green olives chopped   

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas 6 and add paper cases to a muffin tray.
2. Measure out the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, and egg. Then, stir into the dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).  Carefully mix in ham, spring onion and cottage cheese.
4. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

I added frozen peas in the mixture. 30.05.2012 

  

Really Fruity Tea Cake

 I was looking forward to baking this cake last night when I was soaking the dried fruit in my favourite Earl Grey tea.... 
When I came across the fruity tea cake recipe in BBC Good Food, I couldn't resist trying this out immediately. Sadly, I didn't have "dried berries and cherries" that the original recipe suggested and I didn't particularly want to rush to the shop to buy them at 10pm. So, I emptied all my dried fruit jars and got 250g of mixed dried fruit, apricots and prunes. Well, That's all I had. So, I adjusted the original recipe for tea soaked dried fruit. I used Earl Grey tea instead of normal tea because I love the flavour. 
Next morning, I found all the dried fruit looked plump and juicy and ready for me to bake a cake with them. 
The cake was really rich in flavour and moist.... and really really low-fat.  Look at the independents. :) 

Ah, and it would be even nicer if I added some kind of  liqueur, like brandy, cointreau or cherry liqueur to be a bit naughty. :)  Perhaps I could add some spice such as cinnamon and cloves to make a version of Christmas cake.  

Ingredients

250g mixed dried fruit, apricots, and prunes

200ml hot Earl Grey tea

Juice of 1 orange (about 75ml/2½fl oz) plus zest

50g butter (or Low-Fat spread)

100g light brown sugar

1 egg

225g self-raising flour

4 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1.     Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, orange juice and zest. Cover with cling film, then leave for at least 4 hrs or better still overnight.

2.     Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin. Beat together the butter (or low-fat spread) and sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg followed by the flour. Carefully stir through the fruit mixture including the tea and the orange juice. Spoon the mixture into the tin, then smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle all over with a thick layer of demerara sugar.

3.     Bake for 1 hr or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out.

Super Low-Fat Chocolate Brownies

Naughty but nice. Chocolate brownie is a comfort food, isn't it? Well..., why not once in a while! But I wondered if there was a good "guilt-less" chocolate brownie recipe. Then I found this! Chocolate brownies with mayonnaise which is called "ultimate makeover:chocolate brownies". MAYONNAISE in cake? I couldn't believe it, but I tried it for a laugh. They were really delicious. Noboby could guess there was mayonnaise in it. Very moist and light texture. Really chocolatey. The original recipe suggests using bicarb, but I use baking powder instead as I think the quiet taste of baking powder  doesn't affect the pure taste of chocolate.
I also used this recipe to make chocolate cake, and I just pour the mixture in a round tin to make a classy desert.
It's a great for a birthday cake for someone who loves chocolate, but is low-fat minded.

Ingredients

• 85g dark chocolate , 70% cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces
• 85g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder which I prefer)
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 50g light muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Natural Yogurt
• 1 egg
• 100g “reduced fat” mayonnaise

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour enough water into a small pan to one-third fill it. Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Put the chopped chocolate into a large bowl that will fit snugly over the pan without touching the water. Sit the pan over the water (still off the heat) and leave the chocolate to melt slowly for a few mins, stirring occasionally until it has melted evenly. Remove the bowl from the pan, then let the chocolate cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, lightly oil and base-line a 19cm square cake tin that is 5cm deep. Combine the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder which I prefer). Using a wooden spoon, stir both the sugars into the cooled chocolate with vanilla and buttermilk. Stir in 1 tbsp warm water. Break and beat in the egg, then stir in the mayonnaise just until smooth and glossy. Sift over the flour and cocoa mix, then gently fold in with a spatula without overmixing.
3. Pour the mixture into the tin, then gently and evenly spread it into the corners. Bake for 30 mins. When a skewer is inserted into the middle, it should come out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If cooked too long, the mix will dry out; not long enough and it can sink. Leave in the tin until completely cold, then loosen the sides with a round-bladed knife. Turn out onto a board, peel off the lining paper and cut into 12 squares.

Low-Fat Lemon Cake: Lemon drizzle cake

This is a very "lemony" version of my basic low-fat cake recipe. You need to pour lemon syrup after the cake is baked. 1 lemon would be enough, but try 2 if you like a really lemony flavour. :) 

 Ingredients

• 6 oz Castor Sugar 

  

  Baked in a lof tin. decorated with lemon icing
  (Lemon juice and icing sugar)

• 6 oz SR Flour (or plain flour + 2tsp baking powder)
• 6 oz Low-Fat Spread (ignore the note on the package “Not suitable for baking” It seems to work fine.) 
• 2 Eggs  
• The Zest of 1 or 2 Lemons
• 2 Tbsp Milk

 For Lemon Syrup 

• The Juice of 1 or 2 Lemons
• 1 or 2 Tbsp Sugar

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °c or 160°c for fan oven.
2. Put all ingredients in the food processor, or stand mixer, and mix well. (but not too much) I normally use a hand mixer.
3. Bake in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes.
4. When the cake is baked, let it stand in the tin for 5 minutes.
5. Make 12 holes with a fine skewer.
6. Make a syrup with lemon juice and sugar and pour over the cake.
7. Wait about 20 minutes for the cake to absorb the syrup and then remove the cake from the tin.
8. Finish with a thin even layer of granulated sugar and a few pieces of lemon zest