Mini sponge slices - 2 pro points

I love baking but I find trying to keep the points low and bake is so difficult!

There are very few decent weight watchers baking recipes online. A lot of them involve cake mixes which doesn't give me that therapeutic feeling I get from baking from scratch.

These are nice and light and only 2 pro points each. They're about 4cm x 3cm so quite small but a nice little treat with a cuppa and enjoyable to make.

Adapted from an Odlums Sponge recipe

Ingredients:
75g / 3oz Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs (separated and at room temperature)
75g/3oz Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
Few drops of Vanilla Essence (optional)
2 tablespoons of Jam
Teaspoon of Icing sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Grease and lines rectangular tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the three egg whites and the pinch of salt in a large, clean, dry mixing bowl. Stiffly beat until mixture is "dry looking" in appearance.
3. Next, add the sugar and beat for a few seconds; then add the egg yolks and beat until mixture thickens and the trail of the beaters is visible.
4. Finally, sieve in the flour and "fold" it into the thick mixture using a metal spoon. To fold, just cut through the mixture, over and over with the metal spoon until all the flour is blended. Don't beat, as that will beat out all the air.
5. Fold in the vanilla essence (if used), then transfer to the prepared tins and bake for about 15 minutes.
6. As soon as sponge is baked, transfer to a wire tray to cool.
7. Cut in half across one way then the next and continue this until you have 16 little rectangles.
8. Take a rectangle and spread a small amount of the jam flavour of your choice (I prefer raspberry) on, then slice in half and sandwich together. Repeat & sieve a small amount of icing sugar on top.

Weight watchers cocoa squares

I tried to make brownies but I spread the mixture really thinly in a tin that was too large and well the result was not brownies!

But the result was a thin but still tasty and low pro points dessert so I'll share the recipe anyway.

I got a dollop of weight watchers cream and sandwiched two slices together.
They'd also work well with some vanilla ice cream, like an Iceberger.

Maybe I'll figure out a good low weight watchers pro point brownie someday! I'll keep you posted.

A large tray makes 15 squares.

2 squares = 3 pro points

30g weight watchers cream = 1 pro point

Vanilla ice cream = approx 2 pro points per 100ml, check your brand pack

Ingredients:

30g good quality chocolate (I used green & blacks plain)
100g low fat butter
40g cocoa powder
100g sweetener
1 whole egg
2 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease a rectangular shallow tin (I used 0 cal spray) and dust with cocoa powder.

2. In the microwave or in a bowl over a pot of boiled water melt the chocolate and butter.

3. Remove from heat and add the cocoa powder, sweetener & eggs. Whisk lightly to remove any lumps.

4. Pour into tin and spread gently to the edges then bake for approx 30 minutes.

Slice 5 times down the widest part then turn the tin and slice 3 times the other way.

Sandwich with cream or ice cream in the middle. Enjoy!

Note:
After some online research I found another reason these "wannabe brownies" may not have risen, because I used sweetner.
I'm new to this low fat, low calorie, weight watching baking so back to sugar I think and back to experimenting!

Eatin mess 4 weight watchers pro points

I had such a bad day experimenting in the kitchen today!

I tried a pasta dish, not good.

I tried a little chocolate ramekin cake made with bananas, not good.

Both went in the bin.

After eating a decent batch of pasta I was still craving a good dessert and I thought why not have the easiest, tastiest dessert I know?

Eton mess, or as I like to call it Eatin mess.
I love this wether I'm watching my weight or not. Especially when the strawberries are good and I bought a lovely couple of punnets today.

So all you do is throw a meringue nest or two in a bowl, Tesco finest are great and only 1 pro point each. Bash them up (that's the technical term). Then add a load of chopped strawberries, 0 pro points and a lovely dollop or two of cream. I use weight watchers cream, 1 pro point for 30g. I love that cream, I'd used low fat spray cream in the past but this is so much better.
Mix them all together.

It cheers me up to add a tiny little bit of Askeys raspberry syrup, it reminds me of 99's from an ice cream van. You could even add a flake or a bit of one if you've points to spare.

I use 2 meringue nests and one dollop of weight watchers cream which brings it to 4 pro points but you could amend to suit your points allowance.

I don't track the points for the syrup which is probably illegal in weight watchers world but it's only a teeny bit!