From boozy puddings and tins of sweets to calorie-laden Christmas drinks, temptation is everywhere at this time of year.
And as a former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, you might expect my household to be worse than most.
I’ll admit it: we’ve had mince pies on the go since October, there’s something festive baking in the oven most days, and, as a busy mum to three boys aged 15, 11 and eight, I don’t need much of an excuse to sit down with a gin and tonic in the evenings.
But for the past 18 months, our family has been almost entirely sugar-free. We still tuck into our usual Christmassy treats — mince pies, plum pudding, gingerbread and sloe gin (for the grown-ups) — but I make them all myself, with clever sugar substitutes so they turn out much better for us, without compromising on flavour.
It sounds impossible — we’ve all tried those ‘sugar free’ desserts that look and taste like cardboard — but I guarantee my bakes are truly delicious.
They all get the thumbs up from my boys! And they’re so simple you can make them at home for family and friends, without anyone knowing the difference.
My low-sugar obsession started back in 2016. I applied for Bake Off, failed, and spent the next 12 months practising like mad to get a spot in the tent the following year.
When I did get on, there was even more to do: I made each bake up to 15 times to get it just right. At home, the cakes, biscuits and pastries started piling up — and my husband, James, and the boys were more than happy to be my taste-testers.
However, after a while, James started feeling really nauseous and unwell. It went on for weeks and we couldn’t work out what was causing it. Having done some research online, he decided to quit sugar — and his symptoms disappeared almost overnight. He’s never looked back.
My first reaction was, ‘Oh great, now no one’s going to eat my cakes.’ But I love a challenge, so, I decided to take my baking in a new direction.
An alternative to sugar made sense: I don’t want my sons getting hooked on it, and there’s a history of diabetes in my family, so if I could cut out the white stuff, all the better.
It was tough for the first few months. I tried sugar alternatives, replacements and additives, and hated most of them.
A dentist friend then recommended xylitol — a natural sweetener that comes from birch trees. It occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, is low in calories, doesn’t raise blood sugar levels — and, most importantly, tastes great in baking.
As I experimented, I came up with more low-sugar tricks: using apples instead of raisins in pies and puddings; adding unsweetened nut milk; even making my own marshmallows.
Spices such as nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon can really jazz up a cake, while dark chocolate, rather than milk, gives a lovely rich flavour.
Unlike other bakers, I don’t use sugary alternatives such as honey, sugar or dates just to claim my bakes are ‘sugar free’. Instead, I’m transparent about exactly what they contain.
You’ll find me whipping up new recipes at all hours. On a wintery evening, I’m happiest in my kitchen, with the Christmas candles lit, rustling up a batch of my handheld chocolate pies or my festive Swiss roll.
All the family — parents, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces — come to me for Christmas Day, so the pressure’s on to cook a low-sugar feast without anyone feeling like they’re missing out.
After all, this time of year is about indulgence, not depriving yourself of the things you love.
SOFT CHOCOLATE COOKIES: 457 calories, 37.7g sugar (9 ½ tsp)
Makes 20.
Ingredients for the pastry:
170g plain flour and 90g wholemeal flour l 2 tbsp xylitol l 200g unsalted butter, cold and diced l 1 large egg plus 1 medium beaten egg
For the chocolate ganache filling:
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped
150ml double cream l 1 tbsp xylitol
Optional: 1 tbsp of rum or Frangelico
For the drizzle:
40g dark chocolate, finely chopped
½ tsp coconut oil
50g chopped roasted hazelnuts
In a food processor, pulse the flours, xylitol and butter to a breadcrumb consistency. Add egg and pulse until it forms a dough.
On a floured board, cut dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 45 mins to firm up. Now, make the ganache. Put chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl.
In a saucepan, gently heat cream and xylitol, stirring until just about to boil. Pour over the chocolate, wait 30 seconds then whisk until smooth. Add the rum or Frangelico.
Leave to cool, then cover and refrigerate. Set oven to 200c or 180c fan. Take one half of the pastry and roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a 9cm round cookie cutter to make pastry shapes.
Brush a beaten egg over half the circles, then a put a dollop of ganache into their centres. Using the other circles, place one on top of each ganache-filled circle.
Push down edges to seal and repeat with the other half of the pastry. Put on a baking tray and refrigerate for 30 mins before baking for 12-15 mins until golden brown.
Remove and place on cooking rack. Melt chocolate for drizzle, add coconut oil and mix until smooth. Drizzle over pies and top with nuts.
SHOP-BOUGHT SWISS ROLL: 353 calories, 44.1g sugar (11 tsp)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
½ tsp coconut oil
20g dark chocolate drops (or finely-chopped 90pc dark chocolate)
3 large eggs
90g xylitol
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g plain flour
2 tsp cold water
For the filling:
150g double cream
10g xylitol
A few tbsp reduced-sugar raspberry jam
Set the oven to 200c or 180c fan. Line a Swiss roll pan or small baking tray (approx 33cm x 23cm) with greaseproof or baking paper.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth and leave to cool. Using a stand mixer, whisk eggs and xylitol together for 10 mins until pale and voluminous, adding the vanilla near the end.
Sift in the flour in two parts, folding carefully after each addition. Be gentle so the batter stays nice and fluffy.
Sprinkle over the cold water while folding in the second lot of flour. Pour ¾ of the vanilla batter into the lined tin.
Gently fold around half the melted chocolate mixture into the batter remaining in the bowl.
Spoon this chocolatey batter into a piping bag (or use a sandwich bag with a very small hole cut out of it).
Pipe lines of chocolate batter over the vanilla batter in a design of your choice and leave for a moment to settle.
Bake for 10 minutes until springy to the touch. Lay a tea towel covered in parchment paper on the worktop and turn out the hot sponge.
While still warm, use a knife to score the sponge around 2 inches in from the short end (this makes it easier to roll).
Roll up sponge using the parchment and leave to cool completely while still rolled up.
For the filling, whisk the cream and xylitol until it reaches a thick spreading consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread a layer of raspberry jam across the base of the cake, leaving around an inch at the end (so it doesn’t leak out when you roll it up).
Now spread a thick layer of the cream on top of the jam. Roll up the sponge again. Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the top. Refrigerate. Take out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before serving.
ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS CAKE: 387 calories, 2.7g sugar (less than 1 tsp)
SHOP-BOUGHT CHRISTMAS CAKE: 388 calories, 57.8g sugar (14½ tsp)
Serves 10
Ingredients:
100g xylitol
2 large eggs
200g almond flour (or grind some almonds in a blender to make a fine flour)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
60ml coconut oil, melted
150g grated carrots
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp mixed spice
Optional: sultanas
For the frosting:
20g xylitol, ground to a fine powder
40g unsalted butter, softened
70g full-fat cream cheese
Optional decoration:
Cinnamon
Whole or flaked almonds
Set the oven to 180c or 160c fan. Whisk together the xylitol and eggs for around eight minutes until thick and voluminous. Add the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and milk and whisk until just combined. Pour in the coconut oil while whisking.
Fold in the carrots, chia seeds and mixed spice. (You can add in a handful of sultanas at this stage, but this will raise the sugar content.)
Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof or baking paper. Pour in the batter and level it out with the back of a spoon. Bake for around 35 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean). Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the cream cheese frosting, process the xylitol to the consistency of icing sugar (a coffee grinder is best, but any good food blender should work).
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the xylitol a little at a time to avoid clouds going all over the kitchen! Speed up the mixer and keep whisking for a minute or two. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Spoon the frosting over the top of the cake and neaten up with a spatula or knife. Optional extra: sprinkle cinnamon and flaked or whole almonds over the top.
The cake will keep for 2 days in the fridge. Take it out around 15 minutes before tucking in.
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