Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

I had a load of very ripe bananas to use up and no one will eat them in my house of they have gone too far, so i decided to treat the boys to muffins.
I'm so glad i did, as they were lovely!! So moist and light and full of yummy flavours. As i tried one i decided to work out the syns of each muffin and was very surprised when they worked out at only 5 syns each on extra easy. So as they aren't too bad i decided to share them with you all....
The whole batter mix comes to 97 syns so divide that by how many you make.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5
Yields about 20

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
¼ cup, 62.5g  maple syrup
¼ cup, 62.5g dark brown sugar
½ cup, 125g fat free greek yogurt
1 large egg
⅓ cup, 83ml skimmed milk
½ cup,  125g reduced fat peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 and ¾ cup, 437.5g plain flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt

Method

In a blender blitz together the bananas, maple syrup, sugar, yogurt, egg, peanut butter and extracts.
In a large bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients, then gentle combine the wet and dry until smooth, try not to over mix or the batter will make tough muffins.

Fill the cases about 2/3 of the way up.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer come out clean.

Fruity Rice Pudding

I expect you all know the recipe for the syn free rice pudding, but i thought i would post my version. I must admit i was very sceptical about a rice pudding made with cream soda and no milk or cream, but i have to admit it is very good!

I much prefer it cold with lots of fruit in it.

Although it is syn free on extra easy, please be careful because if you eat too much of it, it may affect your weight loss. If you find you aren't losing while having this delicious dessert it could be down to eating too much!

Ingredients

2 litres low calories or no added sugar cream soda

400g pudding rice

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract

I used ½ tube of Muller light vanilla yoghurt per serving

Selection of fruit to serve

Method

Pour the cream soda and rice into the slow cooker, split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds add the seeds and pod to the slow cooker, i set my slow cooker to 4 hours as that was my shortest high setting.

Stir every now and then.

I divided mine into 8 portions and each time i had one i stirred in ½ tube of yoghurt and a selection of fruit.

Best served cold.

Tiramisu

As a special treat on Valentine's Day i decided to make a creamy and delicious dessert. I was amazed at how good it was, for being fat free, it was really creamy and rich, with just enough coffee flavour and a touch of almond from the Amaretti biscuits.

3 syns each.

Make 2 desserts

Ingredients

1 tub of fat free quark

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 double shot espresso

3 tsp sweetener

6 amaretti biscuits 1 syn each

Method

Whip the quark, vanilla extract, sweetener and half the espresso together.

In nice glasses, place an amaretti biscuit in the bottom of each and pour over ¼ of the remaining espresso, layer over some of the quark then crumble over another biscuit, pour over another ¼ of the remaining espresso, layer some more quark. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, Overnight is even better. Crumble over the 3rd biscuit and serve.

Fruit Sundae

I had some quark in the fridge that needed to be used up so decided to make a dessert out of it. I was very pleasantly surprised at how lovely it was.

It was creamy and sweet with a sharp note from the raspberries, but you can use any fruit you like.

As i crumbled ½ a rocky road Hi Fi bar on top and ½ a piece of dark chocolate, it was only 2 syns on extra easy for the whole dessert.

Makes 2 desserts at 2 syns each.

Ingredients

1 tube of quark

1 punnet of raspberries

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp sweetener

1 hi fi bar

1 piece 5g dark chocolate

Method

Mix the quark with the vanilla extract and sweetener, layer the quark and raspberries in a glass, crumb ½ a hi fi bar on top of each then grate over the chocolate, chilli then serve.

Brownies

I made these brownies with high hopes that they would curb my craving for chocolate, and if i'm honest they do as they are very chocolatey!

I will say though if you're not a fan of the aftertaste you get from sweetener, then maybe you should give these a miss.

These are not gooey like a regular brownie but they are moist.

I personally won't be making them very often as i would prefer to use my syns on savoury foods, but for someone with a sweet tooth they are great!!

They would make a great dessert, served with fat free creme fraiche and berries.

The whole batch comes to 47.5 syns on extra easy, i managed to make 25 out of mine so they worked out at just under 2 syns each.

Preheat oven 180c, 360f, gas mark 4.

Spray a 20cm x 20cm tin with frylight and line with parchment paper.

Ingredients

400g butternut squash peeled and diced

100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped (26 syns)

4 medium free range eggs

70g sweetener (I used stevia as it is meant to have less of an after taste and doesn't make you crave more sugar, like the unnatural ones do)

75g cocoa powder (13.5 syns)

2 tbsp plain flour (7 syns)

2 tsp baking powder (1 syn)

Method

Put the butternut squash into a large microwave proof dish, splash with some water, cover with clingfilm and microwave for 10 minutes on high until the squash cuts like butter. Drain off any excess water. Add the chocolate to the dish, it should melt from the heat of the squash, with a hand mixer, whisk until its a puree.

In another large bowl whisk up the eggs and sweetener until it is light and fluffy, then fold in the cocoa, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Fold in the chocolate mix and pour into the tin, bake for 20 minutes, let it cool before removing from the tin.

Lemon and Lime Dessert

This is such an easy pudding to make and when put into fancy bowls can be served to impress!

You can do any combination of flavours you like, I love Key Lime Pie and this tastes just like it!!

½ syn per bowl on extra easy.


Ingredients

3 tubs of Muller Light Greek Style Lemon Yogurts ( ½ a syn each)
1 sachet of no sugar lemon and lime jelly crystals ( ½ syn )
½ pint of boiling water

Method

Make up the jelly as per packet instructions, let it cool slightly.
Pour in the yogurts and whisk till smooth and combined, pour into 4 serving dishes and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.