The problem with most commercial bakes is they are often high in saturated fat – just what you don’t want. Although there are now quite a few ranges of very low-fat biscuits and cakes on the market and it’s fine to eat ordinary wholemeal and whole grain breads, there is something very satisfying about having a baking session at home – and even more so when you know they’re good for you!
Granary Bread Sticks
Makes 24
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups skimmed milk
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
450 g/1 lb/4 cups granary flour
A pinch of salt
10 ml/2 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
A little hot water
1 Warm the milk and oil until hand-hot.
2 Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add the hot milk mixture and mix, adding a little hot water if necessary, to form a soft but not sticky dough.
3 Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until elastic. Return to the bowl, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes until doubled in bulk.
4 Re-knead and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage about 30 cm/12 in long. Place on a non-stick baking (cookie) sheet. Leave for 20 minutes to rise again.
5 Bake in a preheated oven at 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7 for about 30 minutes until crisp and brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Leave until cold, then store in an airtight container.
Oat Tortillas
makes 12
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
100 g/4 oz/1 cup medium oatmeal
100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup hand-hot water
1 Mix the oatmeal, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
2 Mix in enough of the hot water to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface.
3 Divide into 12 balls and roll out each one on a surface dusted with a mixture of oatmeal and flour.
4 Heat a heavy non-stick frying pan (skillet) until very hot. Cook each tortilla for 1–2 minutes on each side until just browning in patches. Slide out on to a plate and repeat until all the tortillas are cooked. Either keep warm, wrapped in a napkin on a plate over a pan of hot water, or reheat briefly in the microwave when ready to serve.
Oat Bran and Wholemeal Pancakes
makes 12
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
Use these for the stuffed pancake recipes given in this book or simply drizzle with warm clear honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a delicious pud.
25 g/1 oz/¼ cup oat bran
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup wholemeal flour
A pinch of salt
1 egg
150 ml/¼ pt/2/3 cup skimmed milk
175 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup water
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 Mix the oat bran and flour in a bowl with the salt.
2 Make a well in the centre and add the egg.
3 Add half the milk and water and half the oil and whisk thoroughly until smooth.
4 Stir in the remaining milk and water. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, if possible.
5 Brush a small non-stick frying pan (skillet) lightly with a little of the remaining oil and heat the pan until your hand feels very hot when held 5 cm/2 in above the pan.
6 Pour 2–3 tbsp/30–45 ml of the batter into the pan and swirl round to coat the base (don’t make the pancake too thick). Cook over a fairly high heat until browned underneath and set on top. Flip over and cook the other side.
7 Slide out on to a plate standing over a pan of hot water to keep warm.
8 Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all the batter is used.
Garlic and Herb Bread
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
1 small wholemeal baguette
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup sunflower or olive oil spread
1–2 garlic cloves, crushed
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped tarragon
1 Cut the bread into 12 slices, not quite through the base crust.
2 Mash the spread with the garlic and herbs. Spread generously between each slice and spread any remainder over the top.
3 Wrap in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for about 15 minutes until the crust feels crisp and the centre soft when squeezed.
Oat Bran and Sesame Pitta Breads
Makes 8
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
These are delicious filled with tuna or chopped chicken and salad for lunch or cut into fingers and served with a Greek-style dip, such as Minted Yoghurt and Cucumber.
225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
100 g/4 oz/1 cup oat bran
10 ml/2 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
A pinch of salt
60 ml/4 tbsp sunflower oil
175 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup hand-hot water
45 ml/3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 Mix the flour, oat bran, yeast and salt in a bowl.
2 Add the oil and beat in the hand-hot water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
3 Turn out on to a board, well-dusted with flour, and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, place the dry ingredients in a food processor and run the machine while adding the water. Continue to run the machine for 1 minute after the dough is formed.
4 Put the dough into a floured bowl, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place for about 40 minutes until doubled in size.
5 Re-knead the dough and divide into eight pieces.
6 Shape each piece into an oval. Dust a work surface with some sesame seeds and roll out each piece to an flat oval shape. Lift, scatter more sesame seeds on the board, turn over and flatten again slightly to allow the sesame seeds to stick to the dough. If not ready to cook, wrap in clingfilm.
7 Preheat the oven and a baking (cookie) sheet to 230ºC/450ºF/gas mark 8. Lay four pittas on the hot baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Turn over and bake the other sides for a further 3 minutes until just cooked through. Wrap the pittas in a clean cloth while cooking the remainder. Reheat the baking sheet for a few minutes between each batch of baking.
8 To form pockets, split along one edge of each bread with a sharp knife, or cut the breads in half widthways and open each one along the cut. These are best eaten fresh.
Poppy Seed Scones
makes 8
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
100 g/4 oz/1 cup wholemeal self-raising (self-rising) flour
100 g/4 oz/1 cup white self-raising flour
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup sunflower or olive oil spread
15 ml/1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
30 ml/2 tbsp poppy seeds
90 ml/6 tbsp skimmed milk
5 ml/1 tsp lemon juice
A little extra milk for brushing
A little sunflower or olive oil spread and reduced-sugar jam (conserve), to serve
1 Sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the bran from the sieve (strainer).
2 Rub in the spread, then stir in the sugar and seeds.
3 Mix the milk and lemon juice together and stir into the mixture to form a soft but not sticky dough.
4 Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Pat out to about 2 cm/¾ in thick and cut into rounds using a 4 cm/1½ in fluted cutter. Re-knead the trimmings and use to make more scones (biscuits).
5 Place well apart on a non-stick baking (cookie) sheet.
6 Brush with a little milk, then bake in a preheated oven at 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7 for 10–12 minutes until risen and golden. Serve split with a scraping of sunflower or olive oil spread and reduced-sugar jam.
Walnut Cheese Loaf
Serves 4–6
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
1 small wholemeal baguette
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup low-fat soft cheese
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil spread
15 ml/1 tbsp finely chopped walnuts
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 Cut the bread into 12 slices, not quite through the base crust.
2 Mash the cheese and spread with the walnuts and parsley. Spread between the slices.
3 Wrap in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for about 15 minutes until the crust feels crisp when squeezed.
Almond Shortbread Slices
Makes 18
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
100 g/4 oz/½ cup sunflower or olive oil spread
50 g/2 oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
50 g/2 oz/½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
50 g/2 oz/½ cup wholemeal flour
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup ground almonds
A few drops of natural almond essence (extract)
A little sunflower oil for greasing
1 Beat the spread and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2 Work in the remaining ingredients to form a soft dough.
3 Press into a lightly oiled 18 x 28 cm/7 x 11 in Swiss roll tin (jelly roll pan). Prick all over with a fork.
4 Bake in a preheated oven at 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3 for about 40 minutes until a pale golden brown.
5 Mark into wide fingers with a knife, then leave until completely cold before removing from the tin. Store in an airtight container.
Hazelnut Macaroons
Makes 10
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – some fibre
You can use ground almonds and almond essence (extract) instead, if you prefer.
1 egg white
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup ground hazelnuts (filberts)
75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
15 ml/1 tbsp ground rice
1.5 ml/¼ tsp vanilla essence
10 whole blanched hazelnuts
1 Line a non-stick baking (cookie) sheet with rice paper.
2 Whisk the egg white until very frothy but not stiff.
3 Beat in the hazelnuts, sugar, ground rice and vanilla essence.
4 Spoon ten mounds of the mixture well apart on the rice paper. Top each with a whole hazelnut.
5 Bake in a preheated oven at 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3 for about 25 minutes until pale golden brown. Leave to cool. Carefully cut round each one with scissors. Store in an airtight container.
Raspberry Angel Cake
Serves 6–8
almost no saturated fat – no cholesterol – low fibre
50 g/2 oz/½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g/4 oz/½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
4 egg whites
2.5 ml/½ tsp cream of tartar
2.5 ml/½ tsp vanilla essence (extract)
45 ml/3 tbsp reduced-sugar raspberry jam (conserve)
5 ml/1 tsp icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
1 Sift the flour twice. Sift the caster sugar to make sure there are no lumps at all.
2 Whisk the egg whites until white but not stiff. Stir in the cream of tartar, then whisk until stiff and glossy.
3 Lightly whisk in the sugar and vanilla.
4 Sprinkle the flour over and fold in very gently with a metal spoon.
5 Turn into a deep 18 cm/7 in round cake tin (pan); do not grease the tin.
6 Bake in a preheated oven at 140ºC/275ºF/gas mark 1 for 30 minutes. Turn the heat up to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3 and cook for a further 40 minutes until risen and golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed.
7 Cool slightly, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
8 When cold, split in half, fill with the jam, then dust the top with the icing sugar.
Chocolate Angel Cake Deluxe
Serves 6–8
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – low fibre
Prepare as for Raspberry Angel Cake, but use half reduced-fat drinking (sweetened) chocolate powder and half plain flour. Fill with 45 ml/3 tbsp chocolate-flavoured low-fat fromage frais before dusting with icing (confectioners’) sugar.
Speciality Flapjacks
Makes 18
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup sunflower or olive oil spread
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp light brown sugar
30 ml/2 tbsp clear honey
175 g/6 oz/1½ cups Original Oat Crunch cereal
50 g/2 oz/½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1 Melt the spread, sugar and honey in a saucepan.
2 Stir in the remaining ingredients until well mixed.
3 Turn into a non-stick 18 cm/7 in square baking tin (pan) and press down well.
4 Bake in a preheated oven at 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5 for about 12 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly, then mark into 18 fingers. Leave until completely cold before removing from the tin. Store in an airtight container.
Date and Walnut Loaf
Makes 1 loaf
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
225 g/8 oz/2 cups wholemeal self-raising (self-rising) flour
225 g/8 oz/2 cups white self-raising flour
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil spread
45 ml/3 tbsp clear honey
75 g/3 oz/½ cup chopped stoned (pitted) dates
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup walnuts, chopped
375 ml/13 fl oz/1½ cups skimmed milk
5 ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
A little sunflower or olive oil spread, to serve
1 Mix the two flours together in a large bowl.
2 Rub in the spread.
3 Stir in the honey, dates and nuts.
4 Mix a little of the milk with the bicarbonate of soda and add to the bowl with enough of the remaining milk to form a soft dough.
5 Turn into a non-stick 900 g/2 lb loaf tin (pan), base-lined with non-stick baking parchment.
6 Bake in a preheated oven at 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5 for about 1 hour or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7 Cool slightly, then turn out on to a wire rack, remove the paper and leave to cool. Serve sliced and spread with a scraping of sunflower or olive oil spread.
Microwave Dry-roasted Nuts
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
Peanuts are cheapest, but I love a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts and cashews.
Put 45 ml/3 tbsp raw, shelled peanuts (or other nuts) in a ring on a piece of kitchen paper (paper towel) on a plate. Microwave on High for 3–4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until browned. Cool and repeat with as many nuts as you like. Store in an airtight container.
Note: If you don’t have a microwave, you can cook a single layer of nuts in a heavy-based non-stick frying pan (skillet), tossing them over a moderate heat until golden. Remove from the pan as soon as they are brown or they will continue cooking and may burn.
Hot Spicy Nuts
Prepare as for the plain dry-roasted nuts (above), but sprinkle with a few drops of reduced-salt soy sauce, before cooking. Then, as soon as they are cooked, sprinkle them with equal quantities of chilli powder and mixed (apple-pie) spice and toss well before cooling and storing.
Garam Garbanzos
Serves 4–6
almost no saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
425 g/15 oz/1 large can of chick peas (garbanzos), well drained
15 ml/1 tbsp garam masala
A pinch of salt
1 Dry the chick peas on kitchen paper (paper towels).
2 Spread on a non-stick baking (cookie) sheet. Mix the garam masala with the salt, sprinkle over and toss to coat thoroughly.
3 Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 for about 50 minutes until the chick peas are brown and crunchy. Cool, then store in an airtight tin.
Crispy Potato Skins
Place scrubbed potato peelings in a single layer on a baking (cookie) sheet and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Bake at the top of a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool, then store in an airtight container.