Tuesday 19 April 2011

Two Fab Easter Recipes from Splenda

Easter Egg Brownies

Makes 12


100g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

115g unsalted butter

3 eggs

5 tablespoons Splenda granulated sweetener

25g self-raising flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

125g milk chocolate, chopped

for the topping:

175g milk chocolate

36 chocolate mini eggs

In this recipe, rich chocolate brownies are baked as individual little cakes and finished with a chocolate mini egg topping. Like all chocolate brownie mixtures, they need very little cooking or they’ll lose their moist texture.



Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Line a 12-section tartlet tray with paper cases.



Put the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate and butter are melted and mixed together. Alternatively, melt in the microwave and stir together.



Crack the eggs into a bowl and gradually whisk in the sweetener until combined, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the bowl. Add the chopped milk chocolate and stir the ingredients together until just combined.



Divide the mixture over the paper cases and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until just firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.



To decorate the brownies, shave 100g of the milk chocolate into small curls using a potato peeler. If the chocolate breaks off in brittle shards, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and try again.



Melt the remaining milk chocolate and spread over the brownies. Top with the chocolate curls and the chocolate mini eggs. Delicious!



Per serving: 325kcal; 5g protein; 23g fat; 11.8g saturated fat; 27g carbohydrates; 23.4g sugar; 0.9g fibre; 0.11g sodium

Hot Cross Buns



Makes 10



375g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

100g mixed dried fruit

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast

6 tablespoons Splenda granulated sweetener

1 egg, beaten

50g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

200ml warm milk

oil, for greasing

for the crosses:

25g plain flour

2–3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

Although easy to make, you’ll need to allow plenty of time to prove these spicy buns – they’re made using a rich, fruity bread dough which takes longer to rise than a plainer dough. Once made, you can freeze any buns you won’t be eating, warming them through in a moderate oven once thawed.



Put the bread flour, dried fruit, lemon zest, spices, yeast and 4 tablespoons of the sweetener in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the egg, melted butter and milk and mix with a round-bladed knife to make a soft dough.



Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.



Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Push the air out of the dough and tip onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into ten even-sized pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on the baking sheet, about 3cm apart, and flatten them slightly. Cover with greased clingfilm and leave to rise again for about 45 minutes until doubled in size.



Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.



To make the crosses, mix the plain flour with the milk to make a soft paste. Spoon into a small polythene bag and squeeze the mixture into a corner. Brush the dough with beaten egg. Snip off the corner of the bag and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until risen and golden.



Dissolve the remaining sweetener in 2 teaspoons hot water. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush with the glaze. Leave to cool.



Per serving: 227kcal; 6g protein; 6g fat; 3.2g saturated fat; 40g carbohydrates; 9.3g sugar; 1.5g fibre; 0.17g sodium

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3 comments:

  1. so i melted several easter eggs to make brownies. chocolate and relaxing, my kind of monday. Building Self Esteem

    ReplyDelete
  2. Easter Egg Brownies look yummy

    ReplyDelete

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