Caramel Latte with Sugar Free Dairy Free Butterscotch Sauce
Okay, I apologise for that humungous title – but I am so excited to have come up with a caramel sauce that is thick and creamy and tastes just like butterscotch caramel, but is completely dairy and sugar free! Howzat? And if this was not enough, it is also extremely quick and easy to make! Yes, you can have your caramelatte (better than Starb*cks) in less than ten minutes – although the caramel thickens up nicely if you leave it in the fridge for a while. What to do with a caramel sauce, you ask? Well, there is caramel latte, obviously, and then there is icecream, pancakes, cakes – and if you just have it straight of the jar (as I like doing) – no harm done! This yummy decadent caramel sauce contains hardly any sugar and only very little fat! Have I mentioned that it is oh sooooo easy?
120 ml unsweetened almond milk 100 g erythritol 1 tbsp molasses 30 g vegan spread or butter (you can use any fat content you like, even light spread) generous pinch of kosher salt 2 tsp vanilla
4 steps to yumminess Place all ingredients bar the vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir vigorously until well combined. Bring to the boil, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, constantly stirring. depending how thick you want your sauce to be (it will firm up quite a bit more when chilled). Add vanilla and simmer for 30 seconds or so more, then pour caramel in a glass jar and let cool. Use immediately or transfer to fridge. If the sauce becomes too firm in the fridge, just microwave it for a minute or melt it in a bain-marie before pouring.
Gluten free bread sucks. Do you agree to this statement? I used to. No matter where in the world, and no matter whether from a breadmix, or a bakery – gluten free bread just sucked. And even if it tasted anywhere near something you would serve a human being, it was filled with crap. I know, I know what you are going to say – one doesn’t need bread, or any carbohydrates for that matter. There is absolutely nothing wrong with low-carb or paleo, ans, in fact, I believe many of the western world’s problems could be solved if people ate low(er) carb!
But, heck, I am German and married to an Italian – there is just no way I’m gonna give up bread forever, and even though I am gluten intolerant, there must be a way to make gluten free bread that doesn’t suck! Gluten free bread that doesn’t have a whole shelf of creepy ingredients in it. Gluten free bread that doesn’t have a dozen eggs in it (that’s not bread, that’s cake! And If I crave bread, I don’t want cake – sorry, Marie Antoinette!).
This was an experiment. One that turned out well. One that my (gluten eating) hubs couldn’t get enough of. One that reminded me very much of the texture of a good ol’ German sourdough – even though the taste is more in the tradition of the Irish soda bread. I didn’t have any dried yeast, so had to resort to soda. With an old trick I knew (putting a bowl of water in the oven), my bread got a lovely crust. And thanks to all-time favourite flax, this is egg free, but you won’t miss any eggs – the trick with the flax eggs worked! So this is not only gluten free, it is yeast free, gum free, egg free, and dairy free. And it doesn’t suck.
Gluten free? Check. Dairy free? Check. Yeast free? Check. Egg free? Check. Vegan? Check. Gum Free? Check. Soy free? Most naturally. Full of fibre and omega 3? Check. Sugar free? You have the option. Yummy? Check. Easy and quick to make? Check.
You can start now. You should have the ingredients. And it is really really easy. You don’t even need to preheat the oven – you really don’t!
Makes one loaf
150 g potato starch 100 g sorghum flour 50 g arrowroot 2 tbsp baking soda 2 tsp celtic sea salt 2 tsp sugar or honey 250 ml hot water (ca. 40 ° C) 3 tbsp ground flax seed, dissolved in 9 tbsp water (equals 3 flax eggs) 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil
Mix the dry ingredients (potato starch, sorghum, arrowroot, soda, salt, sugar if using) in food processor with dough blade until one colour. Slowly add oil, flax eggs and honey, if using, with the blender running. Add vinegar and hot water and mix until you get a supple, uniform dough. There should not be any lumps in it whatsoever – it should be the smoothest thing ever. Turn off the processor, and with a silicon spatula, scoop dough into loaf pan. Sprinkle the loaf with sorghum or any other gluten free flour and notch several times with a sharp knife. Place on middle rack in an oven, and place another tray filled with water below the loaf pan. Turn the oven to 230 ° C and let bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven, and let the loaf cool on a wire rack.
Delicious Gluten Free bread with Olive Oil and Sea Salt or…
I know I should not be so obsessed with something I thought up and made myself. But this carrot cake is – honestly – a stroke of genius.
I know.
In case you don’t, let me tell you – you can find literally TONS of recipes for “paleo carrot cake” on the net. After all, which cake should be more suitable to adapt to a grain free, sugar free diet than this carroty, nutty yummyness and goodness?
However, what is a carrot cake without frosting? It’s nothing! And what do most “paleo” carrot cake recipes offer you as a frosting? Cream cheese frosting! Dairy cream cheese frosting!!! Hello???!!!! How on earth is it paleo with a cream cheese frosting??? What’s the point making a great, healthy, grain free, paleo carrot cake when you ruin your efforts with a dairy frosting? NOT GOOD!
It’s been a while since my first carrot cake recipe, and as I am continuously trying to improve my recipes, I wanted to come up with a true paleo, grain-free version of my favourite cake – not only gluten free, which is still relatively easy, but totally grain free, gum free, starch free and, of course, refined sugar free. And it is vegan, too! And with a dairy free frosting. Yes. A carrot cake with no worries, basically.
Since I couldn’t find a recipe online which appealed to me, I experimented with my two new favourite ingredients – almond flour and coconut flour. By the way, I ended up making muffins again as they are easier to handle and to give away than a slab of cake – but the amounts stated in this recipe should be enough for a round, 9 inch layer cake. The frosting is as easy and foolproof as the whole recipe – just coconut cream with a bit of maply syrup for sweetness and vegan margarine for firmness. Easy peasy!
These beauties are so yummy you won’t even care how many calories are in them, but just in case you are interested – one of these carrot cake muffins contains 100 kcal. 100! That’s less than two apples! Only that these keep you fuller for much longer than apples do. These muffins have all you need to face the day – brimming with protein, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and with few complex carbs, few healthy fats. You can/should have one carrot cake muffin for breakfast. Have two. Have three, and even after three muffins you will still have ingested fewer calories than with your standard bowl of sugary cereals and milk. Three muffins equal the carb intake of 1 banana.
They stay fresh for a long time (you should store them in a fridge though).
The best thing is – my hubs, who is so not into healthy eating, loved them, and that’s the whole point of healthy baking – that nobody thinks it’s healthy!
P.S.: I take back my statement about frosting. These carrot cakes you can have without frosting, they are that good. But frosting doesn’t hurt anyone. 😉
Makes 18 muffins
50 g rice protein powder 75 g coconut flour 25 g almond flour generous pinch of salt 1,5 tsp. soda 1,5 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tbsp molasses 40 g coconut syrup or date syrup or other liquid sweetener 1 banana, mashed 2 t vanilla 4 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed, dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water) 300 ml almond milk 5 large carrots, grated 60 g chopped walnuts 100 g chopped dates
For the frosting Solidified part of 1 tin full-fat coconut cream, stored in the fridge overnight 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp maple syrup 1 tbsp nuttelex or vegan margarine or coconut oil stevia to taste
Preheat oven to 180 °C and line a muffin mould with paper. Mix the dry ingredients for the batter (protein powder, flours, salt, soda, spices, flax) until one colour. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (molasses, honey, banana, vanilla, eggs, almond mik) until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend well with hand blender. Stir in carrots, nuts, and dates. Scoop batter into 18 muffin moulds and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting – if at all frosting.
Carrot Cake with Maple Frosting
For the frosting, beat coconut cream (only the solidified part at the top of the tin!) with stevia, vanilla and maple syrup until it becomes the texture of whipped cream. Add margarine and whip until it gets to a frosting-y texture. Add more fat if it is not solid enough for your liking. Only use on completely chilled (overnight) muffins and always store in fridge!
I have porridge oats pretty much every day. They are comforting, especially in the colder months, and they keep me going for four to five hours. Something, which eggs have never achieved. Furthermore, oats are cheap! I tolerate oats well, but I know that 20% of celiacs cannot tolerate oats. It definitely worth giving them a shot, however, as there is no breakfast coming anywhere near porridge! There should be certified gluten-free oats in the health aisle of your local supermarket or in health shops, so you might wanna go with them. Oats are indeed a super power breakfast.
I usually just fill a mug with 2/3 cup (approx. 50 g) of oats, top them up with boiling water from the kettle, stir, and then microwave them for 30 seconds – this works fine, even with rolled oats. I normally have them with flax, cinnamon, berries and/or banana. This is a really quick, really healthy, and really satisfying breakfast.
This is a more fancy version of my standard porridge, prepared on the stove top. It is still reasonably quick to make, and it makes a bigger batch of porridge even though you use just as much oats as for the microwave version. As you might have learned, I have kind of a fondness for coconut flour. I am so happy since I got my coconut flour from here, and I use it almost every day to make a quick snack or just to satisfy any carb cravings I might have without using up my carb credits hehe. It tastes so rich and coconutty, but is still virtually free of net carbs, as the carbs in coconut flour are almost all fibre! Isn’t that good? Oh yes, and it is a lot lower in fat than coconut, which is also good! Coconut flour absorbs HEAPS of water, and I just love how you add a little water or almond milk to coconut flour and get the loveliest mousse! But that’s a different story…
Back to my super power breakfast – one word of warning: DON’T have that when you have a lunch meeting on with your hubs/date/bestie/sister/mum/boss/whoever – you will NOT be hungry for lunch if you have this for breakfast! So if you are one of those who are magically drawn to the chocolate bar vending machine in your office at 11 am, have this for breakfast, and spare your wallet and your waistline the disgrace! Honestly, isn’t the prospect of being fully satisfied until the early afternoon worth getting up 2 minutes earlier? I think it definitely is. And that’s why we go straight to the point now:
Super Power Breakfast
Serves one
2/3 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free) 600 ml (1 pint) boiling water pinch of salt 2 tbsp (14 g) coconut flour 1 tbsp (10 g) flax 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) stevia to taste toppings by choice (e.g. fruit, nuts, honey, maple syrup…)
Boil water in the kettle. While you are waiting, start dry roasting oats and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat while stirring continuously – don’t let them catch! When the water has finished boiling, pour into saucepan (watch out – there will be splashes when the water touches the hot pan), keep stirring while boiling for about one or two minutes. Reduce heat and add flax, whisking thoroughly as to prevent the flax from becoming a “flax egg”, then add the coconut flour and keep stirring. As coco flour absorbs so much moisture, you should soon have a thick and lovely porridge! Now transfer to a bowl (I love how it comes out really clean from the saucepan – must be the coconut flour), top with your favourite toppings and love the feeling of satiety.
Tip: If you want to be even fuller, you could try replacing (part of) the water with your favourite dairy free milk. I haven’t tried that though, as I found that using just water is sufficient for me and saves me money.
Mediterranean Style Gluten Free and Yeast Free Bread
Today it happened. Today was the day I made the decision it was time to enter new gluten free territory. To try the object of desire of countless celiacs and gluten free folks. To make with my own two hands the thing that turns good olive oil and coarse sea salt into the most desirable, seductive ménage de trois, the loyal companion of a good merlot, the reliable foundation for freshly churned butter, the satisfying partner of a bowl of steamy, creamy soup: Bread. Gluten free bread.
I made gluten free bread! I still can’t believe my luck! I tried gluten free bread, and it worked! I can serve my half-Italian husband Italian-style bread to dip into oil and salt. To nibble straight of the loaf pan. To enjoy with a chunky piece of good, salted butter.
Gluten free bread.
No, not that gluten free bread you buy in the supermarket, no no! I mean – fantastic gluten free bread. Yummy. Delicious. Easy to make. And – yup – healthy. And satisfying. And it makes you happy. What? Yes.
You read right: Today I made a bread that is GLUTEN FREE AND YEAST FREE AND VEGAN. And is healthy. Let me tell you what you will get when you try my experiment:
-proteins from brown rice, buckwheat, millet, eggs, chickpea, flax for your muscles
-calcium from brown rice for your bones and teeth
-magnesium from brown rice, millet to calm your nerves
-fiber from brown rice, millet, chickpea, flax to promote digestion
-iron from brown rice, sundried tomatoes and chickpea to boost your power
-zinc from brown rice to fight infections
-niacin from millet and sun-dried tomatoes for hairs and nails and to lower cholesterol
-omega 3 from flax and chia for healthy heart and brain function
-healthy fat from olive oil and olives – see above
-antioxidants from millet and sundried tomatoes to protect you against cancer
-serotonin from millet to make you happy. 🙂
Great with olive oil, coarse sea salt and a dry Merlot
Yes, all that in less than 30 minutes! (hooray!)
Shall we?
For one 20×20 cm baking pan
100 g brown rice flour 50 g millet 50 g chickpea flour 50 g buckwheat flour 25 g flax 25 g arrowroot 1,5 tsp sea salt 1,5 tsp baking soda 1 tsp xanthan 3 tsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp chia seeds, dissolved in 6 tbsp water (“chia eggs”) 5 tbsp olive oil (use a good brand) 1 tsp maple syrup or agave approx. 120 ml or more warm water sundried tomatoes, olives (as much as you like) or anything else you’d like to put in! coarse sea salt to decorate
Preheat oven to 180° C. Use your food processor or any other standing blender. Whisk together all dry ingredients (flours, flax, salt, xanthan, soda, arrowroot) until well blended (one colour). Add the chia to the dry ingredients. Add vinegar, oil, and maple syrup and beat in food processor for a few seconds until incorporated. Pour warm water through your processor’s feeder until batter becomes smooth, firm and sticky (the texture is a bit like marshmallow) and homogenous. You might need to experiment with the amount of water (approx. 120-150 ml). With a wet spoon or spatula scoop into oiled pan. and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake for another 5 minutes.
Easy, healthy, and delicious
Turn off the heat and let rest in the oven until lukewarm. Remove from pan and serve. Goes well with olive oil, dips, or dukkah.
Tip: Try herbs, garlic, roast onions, chili or walnuts for yummy alternatives to olives and tomatoes!
I have two predicaments right now. One is, I spend too much on groceries – which is not a sin, but saving money is always preferable. The other is that I don’t seem to tolerate nuts very well, much as I like them. I felt it was time to move away from my original vegan cream recipe which used nuts on to a super creamy, super delicious whipped cream made purely of coconut which is ready in seconds, kind to the tummy, very very easy to make and not least quite a lot cheaper than the nut version – and as close to the real thing as you can get!
Honestly, if you don’t have dairy for whatever reason and you are craving whipped cream (or need it in a recipe) then look no further. I am yet to find a recipe for a healthier, cheaper and easier vegan whipped cream. It can’t get better than this. I am not one to dance around the kitchen, but this one made me do just that. Aaaah, this is soooo good!!!
200ml cold full-cream coconut milk – it has to be solidified and look like the coconut milk in this recipe 1 tsp vanilla (this is not mandatory, but it’s killer) 2 tsp of erythritol or other sugar
Whip up all ingredients in a cold bowl with cold beaters. Scoop out of the bowl with your fingers and be in heaven Serve with cake or icecream or use it for my vegan gluten free carrot cupcakes or ginger snaps. You can add some spices, such as ginger, cinnamon or even chocolate powder for a creative touch to your recipe.
The yummyness, the fluffyness, the beauty – chocolate mousse can actually be good for you!
Marveling at the Wonders of Instant, Healthy, Low-carb, Vegan, Paleo Chocolate Mousse or I Want it All,Act I, Scene I
Test Eater: Wow, this looks great! You must have spent ages making this! Chef: Not even a minute, dear. Test Eater: Um. So it’s bought stuff, ay? I thought you make things from scratch! Chef: All from scratch, darling. (Well, I didn’t harvest the coconut or the cocoa.) Test Eater (tries some): This is heaven! Honestly, this is one of the best chocolate mousses I have tried, and I am picky you know…actually, I shouldn’t really have a treat like that… (becomes serious) It must be loaded with sugar and carbs! Chef: Not a trace. This is virtually carb-free. Test Eater: Yeah right. So it’s filled with bucket loads of artificial sweeteners and other poisonous stuff! Chef: Just the sweetness of nature, honey. (Well, it doesn’t actually contain honey because it’s carb-free.) Test Eater: Wow. So I can have as much as I want – but you can’t, since you can’t have dairy! And we can’t offer it to XXX – she’s a vegan! Chef: In this dessert, there is not a cow in sight – nor any other animal. Test Eater: OK, I give up. What IS this stuff, and how did you make it? Chef: Scroll down to the recipe!
Common dilemmas and how to solve them. A practical guide. Problem 1: You need your chocolate fix and you are extremely impatient and/or short of time.
Solution 1: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 2: You have an insatiable sweet tooth, but you are trying to eat more healthily.
Solution 2: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 3: You are on a low-carb and/or paleo diet, but you miss chocolate mousse.
Solution 3: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 4: You love chocolate, but you are worried about all the unhealthy ingredients in it.
Solution 4: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 5: You need/want to cut out dairy, but you need/want chocolate mousse.
Solution 5: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 6: You are a vegan, but you suddenly have an odd craving for chocolate mousse.
Solution 6: Make this chocolate mousse.
Problem 7: You need your chocolate fix, and you need it now.
Solution 7: MAKE. THIS. CHOCOLATE. MOUSSE. NOW.
It takes one minute to make. One minute! Doesn’t matter whether you are suffering from a very sudden, very intense chocolate craving that does NOT allow postponement or whether you need a goodie for a surprise guest or whether you just can’t be bothered spending hours making a great dessert – this is it. Got the in-laws over for Christmas? Why spend hours making dessert when you need/want the time for your beauty routine/yoga lesson/wrapping presents/unwrapping presents? You can make this in one minute. Or less. One minute, that’s 60 seconds. That’s how long it takes – maximum. And that’s a promise. (OK, your coconut milk must be refrigerated, but you should have a couple of tins in your fridge anyway – at least when you are trying my recipes ;-))
I know not everyone cares whether desserts are healthy, but this one is. Spot on. There is no more than three ingredients (four if you count the water): Coconut meal, coconut milk, raw cocoa. That’s it. No sugar, no grains, no dairy, no processed crap, no GMO, no thickener, MSG, emulsifier, colourant or flavouring. Just. Pure. Goodness. Straight from mother nature. It is real, it is paleo, it is nutritious.
It is low-carb, if not no-carb, it is absolutely sugar free, but without nasty sugar replacements that can spike your blood sugar. This is as low GI as it gets. And it is very filling!
It is absolutely dairy free, and it goes without saying that it is also gluten and soy free. It is vegan. It is a very allergy-friendly dessert as even many nut sufferers can have coconut.
Oh, and for those who are interested – it is also veeeeeery delicious. Not to mention divine.
Dear vegans, low-carbers and paleoists, here comes the one-minute-guide how to have your mousse and eat it, too. Thanks for reading, my friend, and if you can spare one more minute of your precious time, you better make this. NOW.
Note: This has quite a strong flavour. If you like your stuff very sweet, you should probably add some stevia or erythritol. Use honey to make it paleo. I don’t sweeten it, as I don’t like my things overly sweet, but then – I’m special. 😉
Serves 1 very hungry chocoholic or 2 normal people 😉
4 tbsp coconut flour 4 tbsp solidified coconut milk (should have been stored in the fridge overnight) 4 tbsp cocoa powder 4 tbsp filtered water
The coconut milk should look like this:
solid coconut milk
Mix all ingredients bar the water in a small bowl, then slowly add the water while stirring until smooth.
I admit I suffer from a serious and acute dip mania at the moment! After my harissa turned out beautifully, I was motivated to experiment a bit more. I have not tried baking gluten-free bread yet, – sorry, but I’m still pretty new on the gluten free journey – but once I have achieved the holy grail of gluten-free bread making, it’s good to know what to dip it into, don’t you think? (Update: I made gluten free bread! The results can be found here, here and here.)
Although unlike the Northern hemisphere, it’s not really pumpkin season in Oz right now, the delicious and versatile vitamin A bomb is omnipresent in this part of the world all year round – and since we happened to celebrate Halloween just over a week ago, I assume we all still have some leftover pumpkin in our freezer, and what better way than to turn it into a tasty dip?
Pumpkin has such a unique flavour, which makes it so different from your average dip or pesto. I decided to marry it off to some chickpea – must be my love for falafel coming through here – to give it a mysterious middle eastern touch. Of course, there had to be chili in it, as with most of my savoury dishes. I used hot chili powder from the middle eastern shop, as the naughty mint in our back yard killed my chili plant (*sniffle*), but it turned out alright nonetheless.
My first version didn’t feature any basil, as I didn’t have any and couldn’t be bothered going shopping. It was good, but trust me, you don’t want to leave out the basil! You might try parsley, too, though I haven’t tried that. The version featured here is pretty low in fat – pumpkin is already so luscious and creamy that unlike a traditional pesto, you just need to add a tablespoon of healthy olive oil to make it yummy. In my next version of this dip, I am going to put some cashews or almonds in it – I think this will be beautiful!
Makes approx. 200 g
100g roasted or char-grilled pumpkin, chopped 50g chickpeas from the tin, drained 1 tbsp good olive oil (try chili or lemon infused olive oil for that extra kick) 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (you can use any vinegar – I just wanted to make this dip even more healthy!) 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, but gives great flavour) fresh basil, chili, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika to taste – you can always adjust the spices afterwards
Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Serve immediately with crudités or gluten-free bread or keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. Extra hot tip: Mix it with my harissa paste – you won’t regret it, it’s superb!
I was never much into chocolate or lollies, but icecream was one of the sweet things I ALWAYS needed to have. I couldn’t go past a gelateria whenever I was out and about, and I always had a couple of tubs of the frozen delight in my freezer – until the diagnosis of dairy intolerance ruined it all. My newly bought icecream maker seemed to be doomed to abandonment in the shed. Alas! So I thought…until I found that I can make yummy, creamy, luscious, and decadent icecream creations with one of my favourite newly discovered cooking ingredients – coconut milk! Yes, you can make delicious icecreams and gelatis without dairy, and you won’t really taste the coconut in the final product, so don’t worry. This icecream is the happy marriage of strong and black Italian espresso with creamy and sweet coconut milk – oh my!
600 ml full-fat coconut milk or cream 160 ml espresso (I used Nespresso Grand Cru Roma) 100 g sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
Creamy, dairy free frozen delight
Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until well combined. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool, and then transfer to fridge. Chill in fridge overnight – the longer the better! Then churn in icecream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. After 20 minutes or so, it will be like a Frappuccino – transfer to a freezer safe dish and put in freezer, stirring every now and then. After a few hours in the freezer, it’s all ready to go! On the second day, it gets a bit harder, and you might have to let it thaw for a few minutes before serving.
It’s decadent, it’s pink, it’s tangy, it’s refreshing, it’s Nat’s Raspberry Champagne Sorbet!Raspberry Champagne Sorbet with Mint
I thought it was time to venture into new areas of dessert making that did not involve an oven, and since I have had an ice-cream maker for a while, sitting unused on the bench, I thought it was a good idea to make use of it instead of just dusting it, as usual – and I think I am gonna do this more often now! It came in handy that we had some champagne left from a gathering a couple of nights ago, and the mint in our yard is overgrowing, so my mind came up with this concoction. It is a raspberry champagne sorbet with mint, and it is divine, whether you are entertaining the in-laws or having a girl’s night. It is lovely and pink and yummy. It is especially refreshing in summer, but also great on New Year’s Eve. In fact, you can just have it anytime, and it could not be easier to make!
It contains regular sugar though – in ice-creams and sorbets, you cannot really replace the sugar, as the texture won’t work out any more, and you need the sugar to keep it smooth, or it gets brick hard (I learned that the hard way). I know there are sugar free ice-creams out there, but not only are they made in high-power machines which are able to whip more air in than an ice-cream machine for home use, but they are filled with nasties, and we would rather have sugar than thickeners, fillers, emulsifiers, starches, preservatives, and who knows what! Trust me, this is worth every calorie! And the sugar content is rather low when compared to other ice-cream recipes anyway.
375 g frozen raspberries 375 ml champagne 70 g sugar juice of 1 lemon mint to taste
Dissolve the sugar in the champagne and bring to the boil; then add the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the syrup from the heat, add berries and mint and puree everything with a stick blender. Transfer to a container and chill thoroughly (for several hours or according to the instructions by the ice-cream maker’s manufacturer). Churn in your ice-cream machine according to instructions.
Nat's Ladle 