Lisa Keerthichandra
I’ve been baking ever since I was a little girl: every Sunday my nan’s kitchen turned into a baking marathon of fruit pies, steamed puddings, crumbles, cakes, biscuits. We always used fruits foraged from the wild apple orchards, cherry and plum trees, blackberry bushes and rhubarb patches around our village. Of course, flour was less processed then, butter was straight from the farms, nobody knew the health problems associated with sugar, and a slice of something sweet baked after dinner was part of a healthy diet!
When I moved to Sri Lanka, I was delighted to be surrounded instead by mango, papaya, bananas, pineapple, coconut and numerous new local fruits growing wild around us. But my baking habits had changed beyond recognition from my childhood memories.
After becoming seriously ill in my thirties with a chronic genetic illness, I had to eliminate many foods from my diet to enable my body to find its healing balance again. The most dramatic was my allergy to gluten, and the most difficult for a sweet-toothed baker was eliminating sugar to reduce chronic pain and inflammation.
Here’s my ‘low down’ on the changes which had the most impact on my life, and some of my favourites adapted recipes that allow my family and me to still indulge in a sweet baked treat without affecting my recovery.
Honey is a great alternative to sugar: It’s all we use in our home. But be careful, not all honey is equal, in fact, most shop-bought honey is mixed with sugars. There simply are not enough bees in the world to indulge our global addiction to the sweet stuff! So, always buy raw honey from local suppliers. Honey is twice as sweet as sugar so you only need half the amount you’d use of sugar. It’s best not to heat honey, as it loses its high nutritional and healing properties in the heating process.
Coconut sugar is also a great alternative, especially for baking. It’s actually made from flowers of the coconut tree so doesn’t have a coconut taste. It has the same sweetness as sugar so can be replaced 1 for 1. And it’s also slow releasing, so helps prevent those sugar highs and subsequent lows!
Sri Lankan Kithul syrup and Kithul jaggery are actually the healthiest of all the sweet sugar alternatives, so long as you get an authentically made version which isn’t mixed with sugars. Its highly nutritious, with a wealth of beneficial nutrients and is very low on the glycaemic index. It’s a dense rich sugar/ syrup and can be used to replace maple syrup in many recipes.
Gluten-Free grains I’m allergic to gluten, but I also react to overly processed gluten-free flours which are heavily processed and contain many chemicals. Be careful when switching to gluten-free grains, as some can actually be worse for you over time. I tend to stick with natural grains like ground almonds, polenta, and homemade quinoa flour, oat flour and hand ground rice flours.
Artificial sweeteners are not only dangerous to our health but are also proven to deplete our bodies’ energy levels. I avoid anything with processed or artificial sugars, or with sugar syrups which are frequently used in restaurants and coffee shops.
As sugar is addictive it takes time to adapt to a natural sugar diet, but trust me it is worth it, just take it slow and start swapping those sugars out in stages.
Kithul Jaggery Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
The Ayurveda digestive-strengthening one!
When I became allergic to gluten this family loved to crumble topping was the first thing I adapted, as life without crumble seemed dull!
But when I started to learn more about Ayurveda medicine I noticed that stewed apples (in the morning) are highly recommended to help strengthen the digestive processes.. The soft stewed apples serve as a gentle daily cleansing for the digestive system, supporting regular bowel movements, lowering acidity and excessive hunger, optimizing the gut microbiome, and boosting the immune system. Since a considerable part of my illness had been caused by a parasitic infection that wrecked my digestive system, I thought this would be perfect!
I’ve since adapted my fruit crumble recipe further to remove all processed sugars, replacing with raw bee’s honey and authentic Sri Lankan kithul jaggery. Enjoy it as pudding, a late night snack, or a healthy morning breakfast, as recommended in Ayurvedic traditions.
Ingredients
Filling
4 sweet apples (medium sized)
500g of ripe pink rhubarb
2 tbsp water
2 tsp Sri Lankan ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 tbsp raw honey
Topping
60g crushed nuts or seeds (i used almonds)
150g porridge oats
100g organic rice flour (or a mix of rice flour & kurakkan flour)
100g organic butter cubed
75g grated kithul palm jaggery
1 tsp Sri Lankan ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples, chop into large cubes, add to a pan with 3 tbsp of honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Simmer on a low heat for 10 mins, stirring frequently, until apples are almost soft and juices evaporated.
Chop the rhubarb into 1″ pieces and add to a pan along with water and 3 tbsp of honey.
Simmer for 5-7 mins on a low heat, stirring frequently, until rhubarb pieces are softened and just starting to lose their shape.
Note: At this point, you can bottle the stewed fruits and once cooled keep in a fridge for a healthy quick treat.
In the meantime, make the crumble topping.
Mix all the dry topping ingredients together, making sure the grated jaggery is evenly mixed through.
Add the butter and rub the mixture through your fingers, breaking up the butter pieces and ensuring they are fully incorporated. This crumble should almost stick together when you press firmly with your fingers – that’s when you know it is ready.
Put the two fruit fillings in a baking dish and top with the crumble (this recipe is crumble heavy!). Pat the crumble down gently to encourage a certain amount of ‘holding together’ with it.
Pop into a preheated oven at gas mark 5 (375 F/190 C) and bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve immediately or serve leftovers cold.
If rhubarb is not available you can replace with blackberries, raspberries, pear, or a handful of sultanas!
Turmeric Orange & Honey Almond Cake
The Anti-inflammatory pain reducer!
Shortly after becoming allergic to gluten I took a trip to visit friends in Milan, and they surprised me with a traditional Italian orange cake which was naturally gluten-free. You can imagine my delight as they brought out a gleaming orange cake that looked like sunshine on a plate!
I’ve since adapted this cake further and it’s literally a superhero on the healing scale, packed with ground almonds that pack a powerful magnesium rich punch and are full of digestive friendly antioxidants. Add to that the powerhouse of vitamin C from the oranges, the anti-inflammatory boost from the turmeric, and the anti ‘everything negative’ benefits from honey, and this cake could literally be medicine!
I highly recommend pairing a slice of this cake with a golden milk latte, you can check out my recipe for this on my blog.
Ingredients
2 large unwaxed navel oranges, (with unblemished skins as the whole fruit is used)
5 free range eggs
125g raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
250g ground almonds
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base of an 8” round cake tin.
Place the two whole oranges in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, ensuring that the oranges remain covered with water. (change the water every 20 minutes to reduce bitterness)
Drain and cool. Chop the oranges into quarters, discard any seeds, then place the chunks into a blender and puree until smooth.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until thick, then add the orange puree, vanilla, turmeric, ground almonds and baking powder and mix well.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour.
After cooking leave the cake to firm up in the pan for 20 minutes then turn out, remove the baking paper and turn over to finish cooling right way up.
This cake definitely mellows with a little time and can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance.
To serve, brush with some warmed honey on top and decorate with orange zest and almonds.
Dark Chocolate Mint Brownie Torte
The Anti belly bloater!
For my husband’s 31st birthday we spent the day at a friend’s house with a group of friends. The men were on BBQ duties, the ladies on cocktails, and I was tasked with birthday cakes! I prepared a classic Victoria sponge for the main cake, stacked high with fresh fruit, cream, and a coating of buttercream and a fondant monkey on top. I had become quite famous for my Victoria sponge cakes, they always went down a treat, and I was always jealous that I could not join in the indulging. So I decided I would make two cakes, the second being a rich indulgent chocolate torte cake that was entirely flour free, and just for me!
Well, as it turned out the rich indulgent chocolate torte cake was so good that everyone wanted a slice, and I was left with the smallest slice for my own chocolate filled indulgence!!! Ever since then this has become a very popular recipe, even making it into my wedding cake repertoire.
I don’t need to tell you that good quality dark chocolate is a superb mood enhancer (scientifically proven!), but it’s also a powerful source of magnesium and can improve energy, brain function and boost the immune system. Add to that my latest edition of fresh mint and you have a digestive friendly, mood enhancing, and a brain-boosting slice of heaven that actually prevents belly bloating.
Ingredients
275g good quality dark chocolate (70% min), roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped (or blended)
5 medium free range eggs, separated
150g coconut sugar
25g kithul jaggery grated
140g ground almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base of an 8” round cake tin.
Roughly chop 50g of the chocolate, and set aside
Melt the remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water
Add 2 tablespoons of the chopped mint to the chocolate and stir through, leave to cool
Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in half the coconut sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until incorporated and you have a soft meringue.
Add remaining mint to remaining coconut sugar and crush until the mint is fully incorporated into the sugar
Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks with the remaining minty coconut sugar and kithul jaggery in a large mixing bowl, until pale and doubled in volume.
Carefully fold half the meringue mixture into the egg yolk mixture, so you keep all the air in.
Gently fold in the melted minty chocolate and then carefully fold in the rest of the meringue mixture.
Finally, fold in the ground almonds and the chopped chocolate.
Spoon mixture into the tin, level and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the cake in there for a further 15 minutes (it will continue cooking as it cools).
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin, on a wire rack.
The surface of the torte will be cracked and crusted (this is part of the charm), and underneath will be soft and moist. Serve whilst warm for a gooey chocolate fix, or chill for a few hours for a chilled dense experience
Hot Cacao Chocolate
The Hormone healthy way!
Who doesn’t love the warming comfort of a steaming hot mug of hot cocoa of an evening, complete with fluffy socks and a classic movie! But hot chocolate just doesn’t feel the same anymore, with all the branded powders and ‘skinny’ versions on the market, full of hidden sugar (or worse still ‘fake’ sugars).
So I set myself on a mission – a truly healthy hot chocolate that actually feels like hot chocolate, is comforting and nutritious, but without all the negative effects of sugar and chocolate caffeine!
If you haven’t heard of cacao powder yet, you just need to know that it’s incredible! The powder is made from the same cocoa bean but is ground into powder before the bean is roasted, so it retains its powerful array of nutrients. Like with any chocolate powders you can get good or bad ones, and you’ll know it’s good if it has a lovely fruity undertone (much like a good red wine!).
I’ve paired this recipe with maca powder which is a hormone balancing powerhouse and takes the edge off the stimulating cacao powder, but this step is optional and a required taste bud!
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk, oat milk, or dairy milk
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon kithul syrup or honey, or to taste
A good pinch of Ceylon cinnamon (the best!)
tiny pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
2 dried rosebuds (optional)
Optional toppings:
shaved dark chocolate
crushed cocoa nibs
Instructions
In a jug whisk together milk, cacao powder, maca, kithul syrup, cinnamon and salt (whisk well if using maca).
Transfer to a small saucepan and heat (add rose buds if using).
Taste and adjust the sweetness if desired. If it’s too thick, add a little bit more milk.
Serve with shaved dark chocolate, crushed cocoa nibs, and a stick of cinnamon, all optional!
Homemade Chocolate Bark
I apologise for yet another chocolate recipe…. But, I live in the jungle in Sri Lanka, and it’s a well-known fact that despite Sri Lanka being a prime position to grow cocoa beans, they make terrible chocolate! It really is impossible to get any of the good stuff here, so I make my own….!
I’ve said it already but I’ll say it again, chocolate is a superfood, and raw cacao takes it to another level. The cold pressed cacao powder is turbocharged with magnesium flavonoids, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese to name a few. For me, it’s a vital source of essential nutrients, which diminish rapidly in my body due to my genetic ‘x-men’ mutation! But it’s also a great source of nutrients for anyone suffering from chronic pain, cramps, fatigue, high cholesterol, IBS, hormonal imbalance, mood swings, and it even reduces signs of ageing!
The best thing about making your own chocolate is you know exactly what your family are consuming, you can balance the amount of natural sugars they are consuming, and you can top them with even more healthy foods to make them a real superhero treat!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons cacao butter (chopped)
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
5 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A good pinch of Ceylon Cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Grind your coconut sugar down to a finer consistency (this will allow it to dissolve evenly through the chocolate).
Chop your cacao butter into fine pieces (this makes the process of melting much easier).
In a saucepan add about an inch of water, place a heatproof glass bowl on top of the pan and heat the water on a low heat.
Melt the cacao butter in the glass bowl, adding the coconut sugar and vanilla. Mix in regularly for few minutes.
When the cacao butter mix has melted add the cacao powder (and cinnamon) and mix in thoroughly.
Pour the dark chocolate mix into a chocolate mould, or a parchment paper lined tray (for chocolate bark).
Set in the fridge for a few hours to cool. (you can pop in the freezer for quick results but will affect the sheen)
Pop out of your moulds when set and enjoy!
Have fun topping your chocolates with a concoction of healthy superfoods such as
nuts, seeds, toasted quinoa, chia seeds.
