Cake crusader

I've just had a pastry epiphany, courtesy of Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache, a brilliant new cookery book with a twist.

Author Harry Eastwood's premise is to completely replace the fat in cakes, muffins, puddings and sweets with....wait for it...vegetables--and it works unbelievably well so not only can you sneak veggies into your kids/loved ones' diets, you can also dramatically cut the calories without sacrificing an iota of the taste.

Being smug was never this delicious!

I started off with the seriously yummy Coffee and Walnut Courage cake, an impressive looking, but easy to conjure up classic cake and have progressed, to the astonishment of my family, through an array of fabulous treats...with everything from butternut squash to courgettes and turnips employed undercover.

At £20 this is perfect present material with Christmas merely a few dozen teatimes away...and not just for the hausfrau in your life.

Hardback and with some lovely photography, stylish illustrations and bright, easy to follow tone, Red Velvet is occasionally a little padded, but, with the fat free recipes you won't be...and with the divine recipes and quality of everything else, it's a small price to pay! Buy this book and enjoy guilt free teatimes forever.

If there was a Pulitzer for Pastries, this would win hands-down!