Guilt free Baking – Cookbook Review and Bourbon Biscuits

  Baking has become my new leisure time activity. I like to bake a lot as it requires less effort on our side to make delicious treat. Usually I prefer to make eggless bakes .

 I received  the book Guilt – Free Baking by Gee Charman from publisher Nourish books.

About the publisher :

 Nourish books is the book publishing company based in United Kingdom. They published many famous cookbooks. I thank them for sending me the guilt free baking cookbook.

About the Author

  Gee Charman was raised and educated in Berkshire . she finished her training  at Tante Marie. Soon after that she started cooking for Royal family at Kensington Palace. She also owns a catering company called Duck Duck Mousse doing dinner parties and weddings.

  She  is a great demand Home Economist for television shows such as Market kitchen , Lorraine , There’s No taste Like home , Daily cooks and Britain’s Best Dish. She has worked under Gordan Ramsay , Hairy Bikers , Gino D’Acampo , Simon Rimmer , Jun Tanaka , Paul Merrett , James Martin and many more.

            

About the book :

  The book comprises of Low – Calorie and low fat sweet treats. The book begins with a introduction from the author about her sweet tooth and her interest in low calorie and low fat desserts.

 The book was divided into seven sections.

Then a section for basic recipes like berry coulis , apple puree , pear puree , pavlova , meringues, guilt free shortcrust pastry  and so on .

 Above all the recipes I liked the instant guilt – free banana ice cream with just three ingredients. It is a must try recipe.

 The next section consists of cupcakes, muffins and small cakes begins with Victoria sponge cupcakes to go fruity muffins to pumpkin puffs.

The next section is for biscuits and cookies which comprises Lime fingers , Jaffa cakes to oats coconut cookies and so on.

 Then comes the tray bakes which consists of fruity flapjacks to Jamaican Gingerbread , blondies and Chocolate beetroot brownies.

  Next was the Tart and pies section which has my favorite French apple tart  , other fruit tarts  , fruit pies , cobbler and crumbles.

 Next section consists of meringue Nest  , meringue Roulade , swiss roll and passion fruit mille Feuille.

 At the end of the book the large cakes section  which has Rhubarb cake , orange polenta cake  , Lemon Tofu cheese cake and so on.

I want to try my hands on each and every recipe , so far I made Instant Guilt free ice cream and Bourbon Biscuits.

Bourbon Biscuits are my favorite biscuit , I immediately decided to make these biscuits when i go through the book.

Bourbon Biscuits

Makes 24 biscuits ( 12 servings )

FOR CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

40 g butter softened

50 g golden caster sugar + 1 tsp for sprinkling
1 tbs skimmed milk 
100g plain flour + extra for dusting
1 tbs corn flour 
3 tbs cocoa powder 
1/2 tsp baking powder 

FOR CHOCOLATE FILLING

2 tbs evaporated milk
1 tbs coffee essence
1 tbs cocoa powder 
75 g icing sugar 

  Preheat oven to 160 * C / 315 * F.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl  until light and creamy , then mix in the milk.
 stir in flour , cornflour , cocoa powder and baking powder  mix everything together really well until stiff.
wrap in cling film and chill in fridge for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface , roll out the dough into 3 mm thick.
Use a rectangular pastry cutter or a knife and ruler  to cut out 48 rectangles about 2 X 4 cm.
 Place the cut out biscuits on the baking tray , with a skewer make small indentation on half of the biscuits and sprinkle sugar on top.
Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until just firm  to touch. Transfer to wire rack and let it cool.

To make filling :

Put the evaporated milk , coffee essence and cocoa powder in a sauce pan over a low heat for a few minutes , stirring occasionally until melted and combined.
Beat in the icing sugar until  a thick paste is formed and let it cool.

Spoon the filling to the piping bag. Take the plain biscuits and squeeze a small line of the filling mixture on the centre. Place the biscuit with sugar sprinkle on top and press down lightly and leave to set.
Bourbon biscuits are ready to munch on.........



My verdict :
 Each recipe was clearly explained in step wise.

Each recipe is accompanied by a full page picture , the food photography and the styling was fabulous.

Each recipe has a column for fat and calorie count per serving along with cooking and preparation time.

Of all these all the recipes are low calorie and we can bake guilt free, it was a happy news for those on diet.

 This book was worth having to try all these delicious guilt free desserts. You can buy from the publisher , online book stores or in leading book stores.



Disclaimer :
This is not a paid review and all the views are my own.

COOKIES / BISCOTTI / SHORTBREAD

COOKIES  

Torcettini di Saint Vincent

 BISCOTTI / SHORTBREAD

Shakarshee – Armenian cookies

 This become my favorite cookies as this has no baking powder. Little angel liked this cookies . easy to make within minutes.

Ingredients :

1 cup All purpose Flour

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top ( optional )

Method :

In a bowl , add butter ,sugar and vanilla together and beat until smooth using a mixer.

Add in the flour and mix by hand until a soft dough is formed.

 We covered it in cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

 Make small balls of walnut size from the dough.

Place on the baking tray with 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly.

Bake  in the preheated oven @ 200* C for 15 minutes.

Let it cool on wire rack.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. I skipped this part.

Shakarshee is ready to munch on……..

Sending  to here.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Double chocolate cookies – the name of the cookies itself makes me drooling. I am a chocolate lover. I love to have any recipe with chocolate. I hope every chocolate lover will like this recipe.

Dark chocolate was found to reduce atherosclerosis of blood vessels thereby preventing cardiovascular problems.

Everyone eat lots and lot of chocolate……

Ingredients :

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup

Butter – ½ cup

Coco powder – ½ cup

Sugar – 2 cup

Dark chocolate melted – ½ cup

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Salt  - ½ tsp

Method :

Shift flour , baking powder , salt and coco powder well twice.

Mix butter and sugar well .

Add in the flour mixture and mix once.

Add the melted chocolate and milk as required .

Mix the dough into rolling consistency. Add more milk if needed.

Make small pebbles out of dough and place on parchment sheet , press gently.

Bake in a preheated oven @ 220*C  for 15 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack and let it cool for five minutes.

Transfer into air tight container and store.

Double chocolate cookies is ready.

Chef’s suggestion :

1. I used sugar in less quantity as I like the bitter taste of chocolate.
2. As i uses whole sugar instead of powdered sugar , sugar granules can be seen on the cookies.
3. Egg can be used , for this quantity two whole eggs is enough.
4. Chocolate chunks or chips can be used.

French Sable’( Biscuit ) / Biscuit Sable’s / Eggless French Shortbread Biscuits

   Sable’ is a French round shortbread biscuit , originates in Caen , in the province of Lower Normandy.

  According to the letters of the Marquise de Se’vigne’ , the biscuit was created for the first time in Sable’- sur – Sarthe in 1670.

  The French word sable means sand perhaps relating to these soft ,delicate , crumbly texture biscuits and their golden colour.

Among the most  well- known Sable’ recipes are those of La Me’re Poulard and the biscuits of Saint Michel and Pont – Aven.

Sable’s can be flavored with almonds , lemon or orange zest.

  French shortbread biscuits are very famous and they melt in mouth bcoz of the butter. Eggs can be used in this biscuits.

Requirements :

All purpose flour – 2 + ½ cup

Softened butter – 1 cup

Powdered sugar – ½ cup

Vanilla extract – ½ tsp

Milk / water – 1 tsp

Method :

Beat the butter and sugar together until they turns light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla extract , milk or water , beat for few minutes.

Now add the flour and mix well to form a smooth dough.

Roll the dough between two ungreased baking sheets and flatten slowly with a rolling pin.

Using a cookie cutter , cut the cookies into round shapes.

With a fork prick on the center of each cookie.

Transfer to the baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes @ 220* C.

Cool the cookies and store in air tight container.

French sables is ready to serve.