CHOCOLATE TREATS FOR THE SPRING HOLIDAY; many low-sugar, skinnier, easy, make in advance

I know, I know.  The end of Lent and Easter are just one huge excuse for indulging in chocolate.  And 67goingon50, for one, is quite happy to haul out the Chocaholics’ Archive.

The great joy with these wonderful recipes - apart from their sensational taste and texture - is that many are low-sugar or skinnier version of calorie-laden special occasion treats.  Some, moreover, are easily prepared and can be made in advance.

They’re great for Easter holidays and a few - with the usual adjustments - can join the treat table during Passover week.

NOTE:  There are four gluten-free recipes: the Rich Chocolate GingerTorte, the Skinnier Chocolate Peppermint Mousse and the White Chocolate Cream Pie (served as a pudding, without pastry), plus the No-added sugar Mocha Chocolate Brownies.  The blogger has not yet tested fine matzo flour, often used in kosher baking at this time of year, but has been served matzo soup dumplings, marvelling at their light airy texture.   67 suspects fine matzo flour could replace conventional flours in some of the cake and brownie offerings. 

LUXURY

Luxury Chocolate Torte with Ginger

Rich, creamy and to die for, AND easy-peasy and prep ahead

Adapted from Delia Smith, this wonderful treat stops conversation on first bite. 
(Kosher if biscuits chosen carefully)

Ambrosial Mint Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding:

Truly to die for — rich, light, gooey, with a crispy top, the intensity of chocolate sends guests into raptures.   Cook's Delight: it’s made 3 days before  needed and forgotten until it's time to bake

'Wow! Excellent, really good.' 'Very chocolatey; it's nicely crusty & chewy.' 
'A great office hit!' Tasters

Usually a winter treat but perfect for chilly April.  So popular in some households, cooks have been known to make one for Christmas Mass supper and another for Christmas Day.  

'Irish Coffee' Chocolate Cake':  Vegan-glorious; Dark, rich and gorgeously chocolate, the cake is fine-crumbed and hints of whiskey.  The frothy topping is served on the side or turned into icing 

LOWER-SUGAR & WALLET FRIENDLY

…but will still blow you away with fantastic flavours and wonderful textures.  And guess what?  Many of them are also low in cholesterol.  They're almost guilt free!  

Skinny Chocolate Peppermint Mousse: (gluten-free)

Only a little added sugar (but plenty of chocolate) and no cream unless you want it as a topping; this healthier dessert offers deep, dark flavours.

Light & lovely but intensely chocolatey; 
no-bake, butter-free, cream optional

TIRAMISU PUDDING: 

Less fat and fewer calories: layers of coffee dipped lady fingers, creamy filling & chocolate ganache; enlist the family's help and the making of it goes fast.

Vegetarian White Chocolate & Raspberry Cream Pie:

(gluten-free served as pudding without pie shell)

Lower-fat with full-fat flavour; this is quick & easy loveliness.  A store-bought pie shell saves time.  Just 5 ingredients and it works with dark chocolate , too!

No-added-sugar Mocha Walnut Brownies (gluten free)

 Surprisingly tasty; ideal for diabetics and sugar-phobes; easy peasy 

Not quite what we’re used to but loved by sugar-phobes

 

Hot Choco-Nutella Brownie Pudding, prep-ahead knock-out indulgence

Beatty's Glorious Chocolate Cake ,  indulgent vegetarian family treat, dairy free batter

 Please leave a Comment in the box below

These recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

Easy-peasy High-Protein lower-fat Mayo: no flour/gluten, sugar or vinegar

Quick and easy to prepare, packed with healthy fats and proteins, this make-it-yourself mayo is a great - and cheaper - replacement for shop bought.

PHOTO COMING

67goingon50 discovered the recipe amongst dozens of similar ones on the net but sadly lost the name of the author.  Apologies.

The blogger loves it not just because it has no unhealthy ingredients - ie flour/gluten, sugar, vinegar or additives - but also because the proportion of cooked eggs boosts protein. It is silky, full of flavour and versatile.   It is wonderful spread on bread or crackers, used as a dip or as a dressing over crunchy lettuce.  

You do, however, need a good blender.  The 67 kitchen doesn’t have one but, seldom needing large quantities anyway, uses a the  trusty coffee grinder instead.  It’s super-simple to prepare and if you have the best equipment, takes only minutes.

Ingredients: (recipe multiplies easily)

2 large hard boiled eggs, refrigerated at least an hour in the fridge & pref. overnight

2 tb extra virgin olive oil  (divided)

1 tb lemon juice (divided)

1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard (divided)

1.5 tsp water(divided)

1/4 tsp salt (divided)

Method:

1.  Peel eggs, grate on coarse side of grater; divide in half

2.  Place half the grated eggs in coffee grinder

3.  Add 1 tb extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 tsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard and 3/4 tsp water; blend till very smooth; scoop out into a bowl 

4.  Repeat with remaining ingredients

5.  Add to bowl with salt, mix with a small whisk 

6.  Pour into serving dish, cover with cling film, refrigerate till needed.

7.   This is enough to last a singleton or couple a few days; making more is very quick.

Please leave a Comment below 

These recipes were developed by B  Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.    

 

The Not-so-Humble Potato: frugal to sophisticated, cold & hot, sides & mains, very tasty

EVERYONE LOVES POTATOES but they can become too much of a good thing.

These potato salads are easy-peasy and a cut above the usual while the hot potato dishes are sublime.  Both will thrill diners and cooks. Oh, and they’re wallet-friendly, too.  Includes dairy-free.  

 HOT POTATO DISHES

SKINNIER DOUBLE BAKED POTATOES

Really really tasty with fabulous texture: easy, filling, full of good fibre; frugal... 

Stuffed Potato Skins were designed in the 1970's for the male palate but became popular with the entire family.  

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes, French Style: 

lower-fat, make ahead

Using milk instead of cream, this rich soft creamy wodge of potato slices meld together into glorious starchy creaminess.  As good cold (and with less resistant starch) 
as hot.  Great with meatloaf. 

  

Glamourous multi-layer tortilla: 

vegetarian, make ahead, healthier, budget conscious

Spanish Potato Omelette with Spinach, Tomatoes & Peppers.  Perfect taste of Spain that's as good as it looks.  Simple home-made or bought-in Sun-blush tomatoes provide unexpected bursts of flavour.

Lower-fat Tumbet (Layered Potato Ratatouille Pie):

Vegetarian with vegan option; prep-ahead, budget friendly

All of the intense flavour of the original without excessive richness.  Available in two skinny versions: one sprinkled with crumbled feta; the other, plain.  

UBER OVEN BAKED POTATOES

 easy-peasy, wallet-friendly

The perfect baked potato - fluffy interior & crispy golden skin - is a thing of wonder.  Cooking them is an art...get them just right with these tips.

POTATO SALADS

None of these delicious side salads take longer than 20 minutes to prepare and are easy in the extreme.  And they're so good, they'll disappear fat.  

Frankfurter Potato Salad (for kids and kidults) including ultra-frugal version.  Don't want the bother of cooking green beans or chopping onions? Just mix sliced frankfurters and coarsely chopped boiled eggs with cooked mashed or cubed potatoes.  Add silky yoghurt-mayonnaise OR make-it-yourself easy low-fat, high-protein Mayo.  ( below)

Lo-fat 10-minute Smashed Potato Salad: Outstanding flavour with great crunchy bits; versatile; ultra-frugal

Potato Salad Vinaigrette: mayo-free; perfectly complements the rich flesh of mackerel or leftover pork/lamb or spicy firm tofu. Add baby tomatoes and chopped herbs to heighten bright colours.  

And for something a little more colourful and fun:
Russian Potato Salad: lower-fat, high fibre, gut-friendly, uses up leftovers, colourful

Also:

Avo & Egg Potato Salad

Broccoli, New Potato & Egg

MAIN COURSE

Creamy Potato, Smoked Mackerel & Grape 

Easy & budget-friendly, especially if you pick up smoked mackerel on its sell-by date. The salad is like an unctuous fishy version of chicken Veronique…in a good way!

Picnic-worthy Potato Salad, just 10 mins cooking

Please leave a Comment below 

These recipes were developed by B  Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.    

Flour & Gluten Free desserts for Passover/the weight conscious/ Easter

DON’T FORGET WELCOME TO THE BLOG FOR THE LATEST SUPERMARKET BARGAINS.  ALSO  NEW WHOLEMEAL HALF BAGUETTES FROM SABLE DOR ON ENGLANDS LANE

Prepare to be surprised! 

Some of these gluten-free desserts are not the usual fare ( baked goods made with nuts or matzo flour) but are nonetheless delightfully delicious and mouthwatering.

Fruit platters, a sorbet, pudding and a pie join flour-free more-ish biscuits.  All are pretty easy and reasonably wallet-friendly.  And there’s an added bonus — they’re perfect for the weight-conscious!

First published as GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS FOR PASSOVER 2025

Lower-Sugar Cherry & Coconut Macaroons
Indescribably yummy lower-sugar Cherry Coconut Macarons inspired by the London Royal Opera House: low fat, quick & easy

Italian Chocolate Flourless Torta

Easy indulgence a la Angela Hartnett; gorgeously rich, intense chocolate treat;

ground almonds replace wheat flour

Almond Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Flour & dairy-free gorgeous little amond cookes are the bees' knees

 10 mins prep; super easy 

Mango Mint & Ginger Instant Sorbet: vegan, no sugar, fat or preservatives.  
Sorbets are a terrific substitute for the sugar, cream and preservative laden ice creams that kids demand. Replace mangoes with any soft fruit. Budget-friendly.

Frozen Banana Pops with Chocolate & Nuts (Sorry no photo!)

Better than ice cream or chocolate bars; Dairy free, no added sugar

Pomelo (Chinese Grapefruit) Fruit Platter with Cinnamon Yoghurt
Easy-peasy, dairy-free option, low sugar
A touch of the exotic perks up a simple sweet & juicy fruit salad

Luscious Lemon Pudding:

 Gloriously gorgeous crowd-pleaser; diary-free option; yoghurt lightens & enhances creaminess and flavour; 67's Foolproof lemon curd instead of shop-bought elevates the dish and reduces cost!

Please leave a comment in the box below

         .

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission