An Apothecary of Buns: healthy cakes

I believe  healthy  cakes can exist and  be good for wellbeing! I started baking when I was ill myself so I have always been an advocate for the curing power of baking.

Lavender biscuits photographed by sallyrobinson.wordpress.com

I discovered baking with lavender which I love especially as lavender is such a good herb for its calming properties. It  tastes delicious in cakes & biscuits when you get it right. (Tricky as you have to get the right balance  to avoid it being soapy!)

I was  then given Harry Eastwood’s cookbook of natural cakes made with vegetables and discovered a recipe for chamomile cupcakes.

My idea of “Beck’s Apothecary of Buns” was born (with thanks to Paddy Lund from Krysalis for the title over drinks in the pub!)

I love the idea of a range of cup cakes – or buns as they are called here in Yorkshire- with positive wellbeing qualities: lavender for stress; chamomile for sleep; rosemary & lemon for memory etc.

It stayed as only an idea  until I got together with Jenny from Active Eat who is a qualified Nutritionist. We have started working  together on making healthy cakes. Yes they really can exist! I’m also working with Mina from Msitu Forage & Feast and baking gluten free cakes for her sales page on Facebook Mina’s Gluten Free Posse.  Mina is a wild food expert and very knowledgeable in the healing power of wild plants.

Jen and I used some of Mina’s foraged Lime flowers to create a healthy cake recipe which is  gluten free, low sugar, vegan and still tastes darn good. I have played around with it some more and come up with 2  wellbeing cupcakes which are the start of my Apothecary of Buns range:

Good night’s Sleep Bun: Lime flower with almonds & figs. These gorgeous cupcakes are perfect for a good night’s sleep or just a spot of relaxation. Lime flower & almonds are both good for sending you off to sleep. Figs are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Also soluble fibre which makes them great for including in cakes for diabetics as they help lower blood sugar & the cake contains very very little sugar

De-stress Bun: Lime flower with lemon & barberry. These delicious  cupcakes are great if you are feeling stressed. Limeflower is great for relieving tension & anxiety whilst Barberries help in boosting the body’s immune system. The home made lemon & orange peel & the lemony barberries tone beautifully with the citrus flavour of Mina’s foraged Limeflowers. Also low in sugar, gluten free & vegan so a guilt-free treat

Both currently available though Mina’s Gluten Free Posse on Facebook.

I’ll  be continuing to increase my range of wellbeing cakes and Baking for all diets so if you and your friends or family want a Wellbeing Tea Party you really can have your cake and eat it!

What other cakes that do you good would you like to see ?