GLUTEN FREE AMARETTO AND CHEERY CHEESECAKES

I was hoping to do a waffley post but so far my waffles still need work, im enjoying the taste tests though non the less!

Whilst doing the weekly shop, strolling around my supermarket, I came across, to my delight gluten free amaretto biscuits, snapped the packet up and ran home,  nibbled a few then it hit me, I realised ... i wanted pudding.... a real pudding. so i present to you my mini gluten free baked cheesecakes! using no/low fat cream cheese makes thsi tastey treat guilt free and my sensitive tummy very happy.

the fresh chopped cherries and creamy vanilla filling go hand in hand with the sweet almond biscuits.  

Bobbin's been keeping a good eye over these baked mini marvels... she doesnt have the most sophisticated palette nor a sweet tooth (she devoured gravy and cheesey rice for breakfast), but i can promise you these are good... too good ...baked 6 but only 2 made it to the photo shoot ;)  no self control but who needs it when these are so low in caloires (75 each).... nutrional info here!

Mini Baked Amaretto Cherry Cheesecake

•  12 Amaretto Biscuts crushed (2 per case)
• 200g non fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powder/granulated sweetener
• 2 egg whites
•  1/2 cup pitted and chopped fresh cherries
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. line a cupcake tray with 6 paper cases, in each case crumble finely 2 amaretto biscuits
2. in a bowl whish egg whites until soft peaked and fluffy. set aside.
3. in another bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla extract and sweetner mix until combined and then add cherries.
4. carefully fold in egg whites and spoon mixture into the individual cases.
5. bake at 180C / 350F for 20 mintues. remove from tray and cool on rack.
6. once completely cool place in fridge until chilled. dust with icing sugar to serve.

Whadda pear! and ginger drizzle cake.

Hello there. its Sunday, my favourite day of the week! The only day when you don't have to feel guilty about doing nothing productive. Today I have enjoyed being a lady of leisure; pottered around the kitchen walked bobs in the park, read some gossip magazines and blogs, enjoyed a day of procrastination from Uni work.
  
Pear and ginger lemon drizzle cake
Good ol' diet soda cake strikes once again, but its all spruced up.
I used the weight watchers lemon mini muffin kit and added some diced pear and crystallized ginger.

 After my last batch of cakes I didn't have any muffin cases so i poured it into a cake pan.
 Oh so very tastey and only 80 calories for a generous slab of this moist cakey torte. The combination of the spicy ginger, sweet pear and zesty lemon works brilliantly.

Ingredients

• 1 boxed cake mix
• 1 small pear
• 5 pieces of crystallized ginger
• 5 tablespoons water
• egg white

Directions

1. dice pear and slice ginger
2. add dry mix and combine with fruit and wet ingredients
3. bake at 190*c (350)  for 30 minutes
4. remove from oven and cool
5. in a separate bowl, combine icing sugar 1 tbsp of water and lemon juice for icing.
6. drizzle icing mixture all over cake and enjoy.  

There wasn't that much mixture and it only just covered the base of the tin so its a shallow cake. would be best in muffin cases i think. oh and the extra egg white isn't necessary but I added it to make sure it rose successfully, and it did.

Time to curl up on the sofa with a cuppa tea, my dog and some cake. I will do work tomorrow!

Wholemeal ravioli and skinny lemon cheesecake

Im reminising about last nights yummy dinner. It was really fun to make, I could really go for it again. but im too lazy and too hungry to make it tonight, my favourite... quick peanut butter oatmeal for me.

but here's the recipe for anyone who wants to have a go...

tuckin' in

pasta dough

• 1 egg
• 100g wholemeal plain flour

  make a well in the flour and add the egg, combine and knead the dough. wrap dough in cling film and place in refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and rest.

cheesy spinach filling

• fresh spinach (or defrosted frozen spinach)
• 100g low fat cottage cheese
• 50g grated mozzarella cheese
• garlic clove
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Fry garlic still soft and ad spinach, once wilted, add cheese and seasoning

Roll out dough with rolling pin, (or if you got one use a fancy pasta making roller contraptions) when the dough is papery and thin, divide and cut out squares. Place spoonfuls of the spinach cheese mix in to the centre of half of the squares. with your finger wet the squares around the sides and place another piece on each. pinch around the edges. Once you get into the swing of it you get a sort of factory line going and its pretty quick to make.

slighty squiffy pasta parcel

Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and careful submerge each parcel into the water. cook for 5 minutes.

To serve drizzle with oilive oil, balsamic vinegar and top with an extra sprinkle of cheese. we had ours with roasted baby plum tomatoes and a rocket salad.

dinner time.

Skinny lemon cheesecake

This was deliciously light, tangy and fluffy and did not taste like a 'healthied' dessert in the slightest.

serves 2

• 2 egg whites
• 50g non fat cream cheese
• juice and peel of one lemon
• table spoon of icing sugar.
• 3 digestive biscuits
• teaspoon of melted light butter

Using an electric whisk whip up egg whites, whilst peaks are soft add sugar, lemon juice and grated peel, continue to whisk til it reaches stiff peaks. carefully fold in cream cheese.

Crush biscuits and add melted butter. divided crumbs into two dessert bowls. top with creamy lemmon mixture. place int he fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

It doesnt set quite like the calorific verison but its just as dreamy and guilt free!
175 calories per generous serving.
could make it even lighter with a less calorific biscuit base.