Keep your little ones sweet with Halloween horrors from SPLENDA !

The time of year is fast approaching when you can dust off your broomstick and indulge in some scarily sweet Halloween treats.

Yet with links between sugar filled diets and childhood obesity ever growing, a night of the kids guzzling as many treats as they can get their fancy-dressed hands on, is enough to give any parent nightmares! So SPLENDA® has created these delicious home-cooked recipes to provide healthy but tasty low sugar alternatives, to tempt trick or treaters of all ages.

This Halloween the kids can decorate ghoulish Passion Cakes and pass around spidery Peanut Butter cookies, whilst the adults meet for gruesome gatherings around a delicious pumpkin pie. But there’s no need to feel spooked after indulging, as Splenda contains just 10% of the calories of sugar.

Using SPLENDA® is a simple way to keep sweetness in your diet without feeling guilty about overindulging. SPLENDA® Granulated measures and sweetens spoon for spoon like sugar and can be used almost anywhere sugar is used, making it easy for people to make a healthier choice every day without compromising on taste. In addition, simply by switching from sugar to SPLENDA® Sweet Minis in tea or coffee, people can save 90 calories a day - an easy switch and a small step, but one that can add up to make a big difference in the long run.

SPLENDA® Granulated and Sweet Minis are available in all major retailers. For more information on the product and for tips on cooking and baking – please visit http://www.splenda.co.uk/  or http://www.facebook.com/#!/SplendaUK.

 

PASSION CAKES

4 eggs , beaten

225ml (8floz) vegetable oil

8 tbsp SPLENDA® Granulated

225g (8oz) wholemeal self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

300g (10½oz) carrots, grated

1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice

75g (2 ¾oz) toasted hazelnuts, chopped

75g (2 ¾oz) reduced fat soft cheese

2 tbsp SPLENDA® Granulated

2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/160°C fan. Line 2 patty tins with paper cases. Beat together the eggs, vegetable oil and SPLENDA® Granulated. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spice in to a large bowl, returning any bran left in the sieve to the bowl.

Add the beaten egg mixture, with the carrots, lemon zest and juice and hazelnuts and carefully mix until just combined.

Spoon into the prepared paper cases and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Beat the soft cheese until smooth. Add SPLENDA® Granulated and the lemon juice and mix well to combine. Spread a little of the topping onto each cake and serve

Per serving: 183kcal; 4g protein; 2g saturated fat; 9.2g carbohydrates; 1.7g sugar; 2.1g fibre; 0.2g sodium

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Serves 20

75g (2 ¾oz) polyunsaturated margarine

225g (8oz) crunchy peanut butter

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp runny honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

25g (1oz) SPLENDA® Granulated

200g (7oz) plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/fan oven 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick parchment. In a large bowl whisk together the margarine and peanut butter until well combined.

Beat in the egg, honey, vanilla extract and SPLENDA® Granulated. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the salt and beat until smooth. Take walnut sized balls, space 5cm apart on the trays and flatten slightly. Bake for 7-9 minutes until golden and set.

Cool on a wire rack until cold and then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days

PUMPKIN PIE

SERVES 6

1 x 23cm short crust pastry case

500g peeled and deseeded pumpkin, cut into

2.5cm chunks

3 eggs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Splenda granulated sweetener

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

pinch of sea salt

thick natural yogurt, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Prick the pastry case with a fork and line with a large piece of greaseproof paper. Fill the paper with a single layer of baking beans or dried pulses, then bake for 10–15 minutes. Lift out the greaseproof paper and beans. Turn the oven temperature up to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

To make the filling, steam the pumpkin until softened, then place in a coarse sieve and press lightly to extract any excess water. Mash it into a purée.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and sweetener together until light and frothy. Add the mashed pumpkin, all the spices and the salt and blend into the egg mixture, stirring thoroughly.

Fill the pastry case and level the top of the filling roughly. Cook in the oven for around 8–10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and continue cooking for another 30 minutes or until the filling is set. To check that the pie is cooked on the inside, insert a skewer into the centre and, if it comes out clean, the filling is cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Spread the cake with the yogurt and sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon if you like. Keep in the fridge.

Per serving: 244kcal; 6g protein; 13g fat; 3.9g saturated fat; 27g carbohydrates; 10.6g sugar; 1.4g fibre; 0.25g sodium

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

FRIGHT NIGHT PUMPKINS! Advice on pumpkin carving from Zippo
The Fabulous Bakin' Boys Limited Edition Spooky Cupcakes review
Spooky bottle design and non-alcoholic Vimto cocktails for Halloween