Fabulous Biscotti

I first made these lovely crisp biccies, which go perfectly with a cuppa, with raisins and dark chocolate chips using a brilliant recipe from the Hairy Dieters as inspiration when on the hunt for lower fat/calorie bakes that still delivered a sweet hit. They turned out fantastically and have since become a bit of a signature bake of mine. I love how easy and versatile this recipe is - once you've got the basic biscotti dough you can add pretty much anything you want for flavour; chocolate, spices, citrus zest, dried fruit, nuts...the list is endless!

The original version made with orange zest, dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries weighed in at only 53 calories a piece so, although I can't give an exact estimate when other ingredients are added, the chances are they're still reasonably sin-free provided you don't go too mad with the sugary extras!

I know traditionally biscotti is made with almonds but I always use almond extract as I love the delicate flavour it gives. By all means use whole almonds if you prefer though.

I made these cherry and white chocolate ones for Valentine's Day :)

INGREDIENTS - makes approx. 20 pieces

• 180g self-raising flour
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg white*
• 40g white chocolate chips (or other chocolate/ingredient of choice)
• 40g glace cherries, chopped into chocolate chip sized pieces (or other dried fruit/ingredient of choice)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp baking powder

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl then add the chocolate chips, cherry pieces and almond extract.
3. Beat the egg and egg white together along with the vanilla extract for around 1 minute and pour into the mixture.
4. Mix with a wooden spoon and then your hands until the ingredients come together to form a stiff dough. If it's too sticky add a little more flour and if it's too dry and crumbly add a splash of milk.
5. Roll the dough into a sausage shape about 25-30cm long and place on the baking tray then gently flatten it until it's about 2cm tall.
6. Place in the oven for around 25-30 minutes until the dough is firm with a crust but still fairly pale.
7. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 140 degrees C then allow the dough to cool for around 10 minutes before sawing into pieces about 2cm thick using a serrated knife.
8. Place the biscuits back on the baking tray and cook for a further 25 minutes or until lightly browned then leave to cool before enjoying with tea or coffee.

*Please don't throw the spare yolk away if at all possible! It can be used in homemade burgers, Welsh rarebit or eggy bread, among other things (sorry, I just really hate waste!)

Edit: I made these decadent double chocolate biscotti for my friend's birthday by following the above recipe but omitting the almond extract, replacing two heaped tablespoons of flour with cocoa powder and substituting dark chocolate chips in place of the cherries:

Low Fat Cornbread Muffins

Like a lot of people I'm currently on a new year health kick. I'm not doing anything fancy, just trying to eat more wholesome and low calorie food and reduce my intake of sugary and fatty naughties in the hope of shifting a bit of weight and generally feeling better in myself. I'm useless at following any kind of diet as I love food so much but so far I've stuck to it as I'm really enjoying trying out lots of recipes that are sin-free but still delicious. The hardest part is not being able to make and consume my favourite baked goodies but being armed with some healthier substitutions like these muffins, which are genuinely scrumptious, really helps!

I adapted this recipe from one I found that used polenta; unfortunately I couldn't find any in my local Sainsbury's (shocking I know!) so I substituted it with finely ground matzo meal, which is very similar in appearance but traditionally tends to be used in Jewish cuisine. The result was a delicious bread with a lovely moist, tender texture and tasty flavour.  I don't think you'd guess they're low fat if you didn't know :)

INGREDIENTS - makes approx. 10-11 muffins

• 4 oz self-raising flour
• 4 oz ground matzo meal or polenta
• 8 fl oz fat-free yogurt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• Splash of milk (preferably skimmed)

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl then add the eggs, yogurt and milk.
3. GENTLY stir the ingredients together by hand until just combined to form a dough - DO NOT OVERMIX!
4. Drop the mixture into each muffin case using a teaspoon until they are filled right to the top (they won't rise much in the oven).
5. Bake for around 10-20 minutes depending on oven type until they spring back when touched and are slightly brown on the top.