Wheat free desserts

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Chocolate cheesecake
If you want a pudding with the wow factor, serve this with some chopped strawberries. Of course anything with chocolate in appeals to children, but it also went down very well when Fiona served it at a lunch party for a great friend, Annie. It is surprisingly nutritious, with no added sugar other than that in the chocolate, and is packed with essential fats and protein. The wheat free base uses oat cakes and chopped nuts sweetened with a little xylitol (a natural, very low GI, sugar alternative that releases its energy much slower than sugar and therefore helps concentration levels) for a delicious, crunchy crust. To make this nut-free replace the nuts with an extra 100g (4oz) oat cakes.

Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the base
100g (4oz) unsalted nuts and/or seeds (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds all work well)
100g (4oz) rough oat cakes
50g (2oz) coconut oil or butter
30g (just over 1oz) Perfect Sweet xylitol

For the filling
400g (14oz) dark chocolate, broken into chunks
375g (13oz) plain cottage cheese
300g (11oz) natural yoghurt
2 free range egg yolks
4 free range egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place the base ingredients in a food processor and whiz until the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Press firmly into the bottom of the lined cake tin using the underside of a metal tablespoon, so that it covers the base evenly. Bake for 10 minutes then set to one side to cool.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a bain marie (place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, taking care not to let the water touch the base of the pan) or in the microwave. Set to one side while you prepare the rest of the filling:
4. Blend the cottage cheese, yoghurt and melted chocolate until smooth then quickly blend in the egg yolks.
5. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks then gently fold them into the chocolate mixture until evenly blended. Pour into the cake tin and cook for around 1-1 ¼ hours, or until the top is just firm to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack then chill.

Cook's Notes
-- Rich in brain-boosting EFAs
-- Low allergy rating (wheat free)
-- Suitable for vegetarians
-- Suitable for freezing

Find more on Wheat free desserts

-- Do you suffer from a food intolerance?
-- What is IBS?
-- What is gluten intolerance
-- Food and drink features

-- The Holford 'low GL' Diet Cookbook