Tomorrow is St George’s Day….how will you celebrate? With a rib of beef, a steak, some English pork or lamb or just a typically English dish like shepherd’s pie or fish and chips?
We’ll probably have a slow-cooked beef casserole, served with lots of good seasonal vegetables like English new season asparagus, new potatoes and mint from my own herb garden.
However, the non-bariatric crew in the team have asked for a sweet offering too and so I have tinkered with my cupcake recipe (bariatric-friendly but they don’t know) and given it a bit of a St George’s theme by decorating with some no-sugar jelly beans.
This is so simple even kids under the age of 5 could attempt! I’ve used sugar-free jelly belly beans available from several outlets but also from www.jellybelly-uk.com to decorate the cupcakes. However, if you can tolerate a small amount of sugar then the regular version can also be used and can be found nationwide. They are only 4 cals per bean so the eight used on each cupcake doesn’t amount to much. The sugar-free have only 2 cals per bean but can have a laxative effect if too many are eaten (with 8 you should be more than ok). Nutritional values in the recipe below don’t take into account which jelly bean you use.
ST GEORGE’S DAY CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Metric/US
150g self-raising flour/11/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted with 11/2 tsp baking powder
additional 1 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp/10 tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener
3 tbsp/4 tbsp dried skimmed milk powder
2 tsbp/3 tbsp ground rice
1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (according to taste)
2 eggs, beaten
100 ml/generous 1/2 cup vegetable or rapeseed oil
3 tbsp/4 tbsp skimmed milk
6 tbsp/1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of/dash of salt
Frosting:
150g/2/3 cup low-fat cream or soft cheese
4 tsp Splenda granulated sweetener
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
red sugar-free or regular jelly belly beans to decorate
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas mark 4.
2. Sift the flour and the baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the Splenda, dried milk, ground rice and cocoa powder.
3. Add the eggs, oil, skimmed milk, water, vanilla and salt. Mix into the dried ingredients with a wooden spoon. The mixture should have a soft dropping consistency. If not, add a further 1 tbsp water. Divide equally between 14 paper bun cases or silicone cupcake moulds, placed on a baking tray.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until well-risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream or soft cheese with the Splenda and vanilla until light and fluffy. Pipe or swirl onto the top of the cooled cakes, then decorate with jelly beans. Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
MAKES 14
WLS PORTION: 1/2-1
V suitable for vegetarians
* suitable for freezing
CALORIES PER CAKE WITHOUT JELLY BEANS: 143
PROTEIN: 4.8g
CARBOHYDRATE: 13.1g
FAT: 7.8g
Image copyright of Bariatric Cookery (UK) Ltd
Sugar-free jelly beans courtesy of www.jellybelly-uk.com
