SweetLife is Australia’s most recognised creator of sugar free products and they have formulated a range of Christmas recipes which are sugar, gluten, flour and grain free. The dishes are sweetened with Xylitol – an all-natural sweetener found in fibrous fruit, the woody fibres of birch trees and vegetables including corn cobs.
Xylitol was first brought to Australia and introduced to the market by SweetLife founder Carolyn Hartz. The Christmas recipes have been developed incorporating Perfect Sweet xylitol, almond meal and using gluten free baking powder where necessary.
“Christmas is such a special time to spend with family and friends but for those individuals who are trying to manage their weight or have other health issues, it’s more difficult to enjoy something sweet. I love desserts but suffer from gluten intolerance so I understand what it’s like. I’ve developed these recipes especially for Christmas so no one has to miss out,” Carolyn says.
This Yule Log looks about as festive as you can get and is not going to affect your intolerances or you healthy eating intentions.
SUGAR FREE & GLUTEN FREE Yule Log
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
Melted unsalted butter or olive oil, for greasing
50g unsalted butter
180g Perfect Sweet® Chocolate Bake Mix
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
2 x 50g eggs
60ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 teaspoons pure cacao or good quality cocoa powder
Filling
250ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon Perfect Sweet® xylitol or to taste
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting
200g unsalted butter
40g Perfect Sweet® xylitol or to taste
30g pure cacao or good quality cocoa powder, sifted
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160˚C/140˚C fan-forced.
Brush a 1cm deep 25cm x 38cm baking tray with butter or oil to grease. Line with baking paper.
Use an electric beater to beat the butter with 40g of the Perfect Sweet® Chocolate Bake Mix in a medium bowl. Sift the remaining 140g Perfect Sweet® Chocolate Bake Mix with the baking powder and add to the mixture.
Add eggs, cream and vanilla and beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
Spread mixture on paper lined tray and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Sieve cacao or cocoa over a clean piece of baking paper. Turn hot cake onto paper, remove lining paper. Cut a 5cm strip off the longer side of the cake to make the branches. Starting with the shorter edge, roll up the main cake like a swiss roll and set aside to cool. To make the branches, cut cake strip in half and roll each half into a miniature roll.
Filling
When the cake is cool, use an electric beater to whip cream until soft peaks form.
Fold in Perfect Sweet® xylitol and vanilla.
Unroll cooled cake and mini rolls (branches) and spread evenly with filling.
Re-roll cake and mini rolls. Set aside in a cool place.
Chocolate Frosting
Use an electric beater to beat butter and Perfect Sweet® xylitol in a small bowl until pale and creamy.
Beat in cacao (or cocoa powder) until combined.
Arrange cake roll and mini rolls on serving plate. Spread evenly with frosting then mark with a fork to resemble tree bark.
Decorate with mini pine cones or a Christmas decoration.
Keep refrigerated until serving.
Recipe courtesy of www.sweetlife.com.au.
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