The Banting Baker
By Catherine Speedie
(Jacana Media)
Price: R280
Catherine Speedie is a well-known Joburg restaurateur and caterer who has dedicated her time to preparing what she calls “clean food”.
She has provided her customers with an array of Banting and Paleo-friendly treats, which she is now sharing in this, her first cookbook.
The book goes into a great deal of detail about the Banting way of eating, along with all the theories presented by Professor Tim Noakes.
The space dedicated to explaining all the ingredients used in a Banting pantry is extensive and informative.
The chapters in the book cover recipes for breakfast options, snacks and nibbles, savoury crackers, breads wraps and pizzas, cookies and treats, squares and bars, cakes and cupcakes, and baked desserts.
If you are not familiar with Banting ingredients, Speedie replaces refined wheat flour with the likes of almond, coconut and seed flours; sugar is replaced with erythritol and xylitol; and the fats used are butter, coconut oil and MCT oil.
If you are following this lifestyle and are looking for recipes to replace high-carb conventional treats, then this book will certainly give you lots of ideas.
I found the pictures in the book a bit uninspiring but the recipes I tested turned out absolutely delicious and a good alternative to sugar and carb- laden conventional baking.
TAHINI SESAME COOKIES
Makes about 30 cookies
1 cup tahini, stirred well
1 cup xylitol
1 egg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
quarter teaspoon salt
quarter cup sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Beat the tahini, xylitol, egg, bicarb and salt together to combine well.
Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, dampening your hands with water to prevent sticking.
Place balls about 5cm apart on an ungreased baking tray. Flatten slightly by making cross-hatches on top with a fork.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 12 minutes, until golden.
Cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
NOTE: It is a good idea to drain off the oil on the top of the tahini before giving it a good stir.
I also found the cookies a bit sweet and will definitely reduce the xylitol when I bake them again.
COCONUT AND CRANBERRY BREAD
Makes 1 loaf
160g almond meal/flour
30g desiccated coconut
95g coconut flour
quarter cup of ground flax meal
quarter teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
half teaspoon of baking powder
6 eggs
quarter cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon xylitol
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 apple, grated
50g dried or frozen cranberries
additional flaked coconut, for topping
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin well.
Place the almond meal, desiccated coconut, coconut flour, ground flax, salt, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to combine. Alternatively, use a hand whisk.
Add the eggs, oil, xylitol and vinegar and pulse to form a batter.
Add in the apple and cranberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and top with a little extra flaked coconut and cinnamon, if desired.
Bake for 50 minutes until the loaf is cooked through and a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Remove and cool for 5 minutes before removing from the loaf tin and cooling on a cooling rack.
FRESH LIME CHEESECAKE TART
Serves 10-12
CRUST
1 cup xylitol, ground finer in a blender
three-quarter cup of almond meal
half a cup of coconut flour
1 and a half teaspoons of cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter softened
FILLING
250g cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
half cup fresh lime juice
3 eggs
lime zest
Preheat the oven to 180°C, and grease a 20cm loose-bottomed quiche or tart pan.
Combine a quarter cup of xylitol, almond meal, coconut flour, cinnamon and butter.
Spread the mixture on the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese, the remaining xylitol and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add lime juice and eggs slowly into mixture while making sure to stir well.
Pour the mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake again for about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Decorate with lime zest just before serving.
ENGLISH MUFFINS
Makes 6 muffins
half cup almond meal
half cup coconut flour
4 tablespoons flax meal
2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
half teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons coconut oil
125ml water
a pinch of paprika and mustard powder
a grinding of black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir through until fully incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to greased microwave-safe ramekins or into a flat English muffin pan if baking them in the oven. Microwave for 2 minutes or bake for 12 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then remove from the ramekin/pan and slice the muffins in half.
You can then toast them in the toaster or under a grill for a few minutes to crisp up the surface.
These muffins are great served with poached eggs, some wilted spinach, smoked salmon or crispy bacon. They freeze very well.
The Angela Day recipes appear in The Star, Pretoria News, Cape Argus and Daily News