Healthy Food Guide - Extreme Makeover: Triple Chocolate Brownies

The Healthy Food Guide have made a few clever tweaks to transform these devilishly tempting treats into something rather more angelic. An intense hit of chocolate but with half the fat? Put the kettle on.

Before:

275g plain chocolate

275g unsalted butter - Swap butter for apple purée

85g milk chocolate - Replace some of the chocolate with cocoa

85g white chocolate

85g walnuts - Swap walnuts for pecans

175g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

4 large eggs - Leave out the eggs

1tsp vanilla essence

325g caster sugar - Use less suger

After:

prep 10 min cook 30 min makes 16

240g apple purée

60g cocoa powder

125g self-raising flour

½tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g caster sugar

75g plain or milk chocolate, chopped

75g white chocolate, chopped

50g pecans, chopped

Icing sugar, to dust

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ fan 160ºC/gas 4, then line a 20x20cm baking tin with baking paper and set aside.

2 Pour the apple purée into a mixing bowl then sift in the cocoa, flour and bicarbonate of soda. Add the sugar and 2tbsp water, then mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped chocolate and pecans.

3 Transfer the mixture to the tin, then bake for 25-30 min until the centre feels set but a little fudgy.

4 Cool in the tin for 5-10 min before turning out on to a wire rack. When completely cool, slice into squares and dust with icing sugar to serve.

How we made it healthier:

We made a fruity swap to cut the fat content

Butter and eggs are traditional baking ingredients but are a fat-laden duo. We replaced them with apple purée, which kept the brownies' rich, moist and chewy texture. This swap alone slashed the fat content by more than 8g per brownie and reduced the saturates by a third - plus it boosts the fibre count so these chocolatey treats feel just as satisfying.

We raised the antioxidants

This was done by replacing some of the chocolate with cocoa powder which, weight for weight, is lower in calories, fat and saturates. Plus, thanks to its strong flavour, you don't need to use as much to get a strong chocolatey hit. Cocoa has more than twice the antioxidant activity of plain chocolate and seven times that of milk chocolate - in particular, it contains flavonoids, which have been found to lower the risk of heart disease, reduce blood pressure and may even protect the skin from ultraviolet damage. To further boost the antioxidants, we also swapped walnuts for pecans, which are richer in flavonoids.

We used less sugar

Using apple purée added plenty of natural sweetness to our brownies, meaning we could reduce the amount of sugar considerably. In fact, we used a third less of the sweet stuff in our healthier version than was needed in the traditional recipe.

A new squeeze from Sacla'

Sacla', the Pesto Pioneers, have launched the first ever Pesto Sauce in a squeezy bottle.

The stylish pack comes in the two most popular flavours - Basil and Tomato - and will keep in the fridge for up to four weeks.

Convenient, versatile and easy to use, these new Sacla' Pesto sauces will perk up your family favourites in a squeeze - from pasta to pizza and potatoes, and salad to salmon and sandwiches.

Retailing at £2.55 it's endlessly versatile - the perfect picnic 'must have', a ready replacement for ketchup and perfect to perk up your lunchbox.

For those who like to eat little and often, Sacla' has a host of super Squeezy treats for you to try from a Fish Finger Fancy to a Mighty Meaty Burger. Simply visit the Sacla' website www.sacla.co.uk and see the videos where Masterchef winner Dhruv Baker drums up a super selection of Squeezy specialities.

Clare Blampied, MD Sacla' UK, says: 'Only Sacla' have the Italian know-how to produce the quality, taste and spirit of Italy in a totally new way, which we hope will inspire and delight Italian food lovers everywhere. These little squeezy bottles are indispensable to anyone who loves Pesto and will make it easy to squeeze this Italian favourite onto or into almost anything"

Why not join Sacla' and become one of our very special fans on facebook www.facebook.com/SaclaItalianFoodLovers, or visit our website to be even more inspired by our creative collection of recipes for every occasion - www.sacla.co.uk

Sensory Exploration In Southern Italy

'The best way to get to know any country or place is through your taste buds'

Nestled in a cool flower-filled garden, with views over an unspoiled beach to the vivid blue Tyrrhenian Sea, Casa Grandinetti in Calabria, southern Italy, is the latest location for Cucina Valentina's Culinary Adventures. In these idyllic surroundings guests are plunged, taste buds first, into a sensory tour of the region leaving no one in any doubt that the Mediterranean diet nourishes mind, body and soul.

Proprietor and tutor for the week-long courses, Valentina Harris is a respected authority on Italian cuisine, author of over 30 books, a familiar face at food festivals around the UK and cookery teacher with 20 years experience.

Welcoming guests with a glass of cool Prosecco, Valentina's enthusiasm as she introduces regional produce on her 'Groaning Table' is infectious - Calabrian hot pepper, Tropea red onions, local olive oils, n'duja sausage, fruit and vegetables grown in sunshine that warms from March to November, artisan cheese, wine from ancient vines, fish fresh from the sea - Valentina proves that eating healthily need never be a hardship!

Guests visit local markets, are indulged at wine and olive oil tastings and introduced to Valentina's favourite producers as part of this total immersion in Calabrian food. But it's not all eating and drinking, chopping and stirring! Guests have plenty of 'down-time' to enjoy Casa Grandinetti's grounds, private beach and swimming pools, perhaps take in a game of tennis or explore the local vicinity under their own steam.

Cucina Valentina cookery workshops are an inspiration to cooks of any level - from absolute beginners through enthusiastic amateurs to professionals. As well as incorporating essential knife skills and improving or enhancing cooking techniques, Valentina takes her guests on a sensory journey of flavour, texture, history and craft - under her guidance it's impossible not to fall in love with this undiscovered and invigorating part of Italy.

Casa Grandinetti is just one of the locations where guests can enjoy Cucina Valentina Culinary Adventures - Umbria and Liguria in Italy, and Chatel in France.

Find out more about Valentina on her website, www.valentinaharris.com