In the GI News Kitchen

Family Baking, Anneka Manning, author of Bake Eat Love. Learn to Bake in 3 Simple Steps and founder of Sydney’s BakeClub, shares her delicious ‘better-for-you’ recipes for snacks, desserts and treats the whole family will love. Through both her writing and cooking school, Anneka teaches home cooks to bake in practical and approachable yet inspiring ways that assure success in the kitchen.

 
Spiced date, nut and pomegranate loaf 
This moist, fragrant date and nut loaf is studded with dried cranberries and hazelnuts. It has a little crunch and is mildly spiced to go perfectly with an afternoon coffee or pot of tea shared with friends. It is also great toasted and spread with fresh ricotta. The smell of the warm fruit and spices baking in your oven will get you in the festive spirit! Preparation time: 20 minutes (+ cooling time) • Baking time: 50–55 minutes • Makes: 1 loaf (Serves 20)

1¼ cups (300ml) freshly brewed black coffee
1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup currants
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (see Baker’s Tips)
2 tbsp honey
slightly heaped 1/3 cup (90g/3oz) Logicane or raw sugar
1/3 cup sunflower oil or 75g (2½oz ) butter
1 orange, zest finely grated
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly whisked
50g walnuts, coarsely chopped, plus an extra handful, coarsely chopped, to decorate
50g hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, plus an extra handful, coarsely chopped, to decorate
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1½ cups wholemeal plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

Glaze
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp honey
1 tsp water

Preheat the oven to 180°C350F. Grease a 21 x 10cm (base measurement) loaf tin and line the base and two long sides with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the coffee, dates, cranberries, currants, pomegranate molasses, honey, sugar, butter or oil, orange zest and mixed spice in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove immediately from the heat and set aside to cool.
Stir the eggs, walnuts, hazelnuts and sesame seeds into the cooled date mixture.
Sift the flour and baking powder together, returning any bran to the flour. Add to the date mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir gently until just combined.
Pour the mixture into prepared tin and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the extra nuts, pressing into the mixture slightly.
Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the loaf is firm to the touch on the top and cooked when tested with a skewer. If it is browning too quickly, cover with foil after 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and stand in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack.
To make the glaze, combine the honey, pomegranate molasses and water in a small bowl. Brush over the top of the hot loaf. Set aside to cool before serving.

Baker’s tips 

• Pomegranate molasses is available from specialty food stores and delicatessens. 
• This loaf will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. 
• If honey is firm or crystallised, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften before using 

Per serve 
785 kJ/ 188 calories; 3 g protein; 8.5 g fat (includes 1 g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.13); 24 g available carbs; 3 g fibre

American dietitian and author of Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Johanna Burani, shares favourite recipes with a low or moderate GI from her Italian kitchen. For more information, check out Johanna’s website. The photographs are by Sergio Burani. His food, travel and wine photography website is photosbysergio.com.

Almond Meringues
Northern Italy, where we have our home, does not have the best sweets, in my opinion. Meringues, however, is a dessert that everyone seems to enjoy. They show up in bakeries more than in homes. Makes 30 meringues.

4 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp almond extract
½ cup (60g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
30 cocoa roasted almonds

Preheat oven to 250F (120 C) Place parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets and set aside.
Add the egg whites, cream of tartar and almond extract to the bowl of a stand up mixer. Mix the ingredients on low speed for 1 minute. Start adding the sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, and gradually increase the speed of the mixer. The egg whites will start forming soft peaks. Continue to mix at the highest speed until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Total mixing time will be 8-10 minutes.
Using 2 tablespoons, drop the meringue into 30 mounds on the parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Place one almond in the center of each meringue.
Bake for 1 hour or until the meringues are set and dry. Turn off the oven, leaving the meringues there for 1 more hour. Meringues may be stored in airtight tins for several days.

Per meringue
Calories: 18 (75 kJ) Fat: 0.5 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Saturated:unsaturated fat ratio: 0 Carbohydrate: 2 g Protein: 1 g Fiber: 0 g

Moroccan-style barbecued turkey 
This recipe and photo, kindly supplied to GI News by Steggles, can be adapted for oven roasting. Simply follow the same directions, but roast on the lowest shelf at 180C/350F (fan forced) preheated oven. Remove turkey from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. They have turkey roasting tips on their website. Preparation time: 40 minutes • Cooking time: 3½–4½ hours (plus resting time) • Serves: 10 (depending on turkey size)

1 small turkey (2.8 kg)
¼ cup honey
5 small lemons, halved
2 tbsp dukkah
bay leaves, to garnish

Stuffing
1½ cups chicken stock
1¼ cups instant couscous
¼ cup olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1½ tsp Moroccan seasoning
¾ cup chopped pitted dried dates
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
½ cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat a hooded barbeque, hood closed, using indirect heat on medium setting. Or preheat oven. Remove neck from inside turkey. Pat turkey dry, inside and out, with paper towel.
Make stuffing. Place stock in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous, then cover and stand for 10 minutes. Fluff grains with a fork. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in small frying pan and cook onion until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir Moroccan seasoning, dates, parsley, coriander, pinenuts, onion and remaining oil through couscous. Stir in egg.
Loosely fill turkey with about two- thirds of the stuffing (this will depend on size of the turkey). Do not overstuff, as stuffing will swell. Close rear cavity with metal skewers. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Bend wings back and tuck under turkey.
Place in a large roasting pan. Cover completely with a foil tent. Place in the centre of the barbecue and roast, hood closed. • 40 minutes before the end of cooking time, open hood and remove foil. Cover ends of turkey legs with foil to prevent burning. Brush turkey with 1 tbsp honey. Place lemon halves around the turkey and close hood. Continue cooking for 40 minutes. Brush turkey with honey twice during this time. If the turkey appears to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil. • 5 minutes before the end of cooking time sprinkle turkey with dukkah. Test the turkey is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh – between the thigh and breast. The juices should run clear. If the juices are pink, cover turkey with foil and continue to barbecue until cooked.
Remove the turkey from the barbecue and cover loosely with foil for 20 minutes. Place turkey on a platter, reserving pan juices. Place lemons and bay leaves around turkey. Carve and serve.  

Per serve
1145 kJ/ 274 calories; 6 g protein; 11 g fat (includes 1.3 g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.13); 36 g available carbs; 3 g fibre