Healthy Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is nice for breakfast or with a cup of coffee or tea later in the day.  I'm glad I found a lighter version and I always like an excuse to bake something in a Bundt pan!  This recipe came from my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups fat-free sour cream (I used Light)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray.

2.  Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pecans in the bottom of the pan.  Combine the remaining pecans, the brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

3.  With an electric mixer on med. speed, beat the butter and 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, then beat 1 more minute.  Beat in the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.  Reduce the speed to low.  Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.

4.  Spoon one-third of the batter into the pan; spread evenly.  Sprinkle evenly with half of the reserved brown sugar mixture.  Spoon half of the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture.  Spoon the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Per serving (1/16 of cake):  233 cal, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 5 WW pts

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You can tell that this cake is a lighter cake, but it is still very yummy!  At 5 pts per slice though, I can't eat this every day.  Since only hubs and I were eating it, I cut the cake into quarters, wrapped each quarter and froze it.  On weekends I pulled out a quarter which was enough to give us each a slice on Saturday and Sunday.  It made our treat last so much longer.  If you try it, let me know what you think!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Blueberry-Corn Muffins

Yet another yummy WW recipe I tried!  I found this recipe in my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.  These are just yummy muffins though - nobody would guess that they're all that healthy!  I had frozen blueberries to use up so I dumped them all in, even though it was more berries than the recipe called for.  I would suggest following their blueberry measurement though - there were too many berries in mine, making some of the muffins too goopy at the bottom!  :)

Blueberry-Corn Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2.  Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened.

3.  Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bake until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed, 15-20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on the rack about 15 minutes longer.  Serve warm.

Per serving (1 muffin): 158 cal, 4 g fat, 1 g fiber, 3 WW pts

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Try them for breakfast this week - yummy!! 

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - go check out all the yummy recipes!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Chocolate Chip - Orange Scones

I saw this recipe in my Weight Watchers Best Ever Desserts cookbook and really wanted to try it. I love scones, but they usually throw off my healthy eating plans so I save them for special occasions. Now I can have them anytime!

Chocolate Chip - Orange Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons fresh orange juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with some small pieces of butter remaining. Stir in the chocolate chips. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until a dough forms.

3. Gather the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly knead 2 times. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 3/4-in. thickness. With a 1 1/2-in. round cookie cutter, cut out rounds, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts to prevent sticking. Place the scones on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Gently gather the scraps, reroll and cut out more scones, making a total of 24 scones. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a rack until warm, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir together the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. Place a sheet of wax paper under a rack. Dip the tops of the scones in the glaze; place, glaze side up, on the rack. Let stand until the glaze sets, about 1 hour.

per scone: 104 cal., 3 g fat, 0 g fiber, 2 WW pts

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When I made these, I must have used a little too much liquid because I had a batter rather than a dough and didn't want to take time trying to add more flour or chill the batter. So I just dropped spoonfuls of scone batter. They spread out and ended up looking more like cookies, but they were still good! They have a cake-like texture and a mild orange flavor. Perfect to go with a cup of tea!

*I made them again and had the same issue with the batter - was not a dough that I could knead.  Just dropped and shaped 24 small scones, but then let them rest on the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  They definitely rose higher and looked nicer so I put the updated pic above now!

If you try them, let me know what you think!

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam! Stop over there for lots of good recipes, including Jen's Baked Oatmeal!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Super Light Granola

I found this WW recipe online a year or so ago and made it for myself and to give as gifts to health-conscious relatives and friends. I like the flavor and the fact that it's good for me! It's not a difficult recipe, but is a bit time-consuming. When looking for walnut oil - compare prices as it's expensive. I bought some and then later discovered that the same store had some in the organic section for $2-3 less!

Super Light Granola
 
6 cups rolled oats (not quick or steel-cut)
2/3 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed (5 1/3 oz.)
6 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup powdered fat-free dry milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped dried apples
3/4 cup chopped raisins (sometimes I use dried currants instead)

1. Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the oats on a large, rimmed baking sheet; bake in the top third of the oven until barely beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the oats to a large bowl; maintain oven's heat.

3. Stir the apple juice concentrate, walnut oil, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat until mixture begins to steam - just until the first sign of a bubble. Set aside to cool 5 minutes.

4. Mix the wheat germ, powdered milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the oats. Pour in the warm juice mixture; stir until well-blended.

5. Spray 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray; divide the oat mixture between them. Bake in the top and bottom thirds of oven for 10 minutes. Stir well, move top tray to bottom and bottom tray to top, bake 10 more minutes, tossing a couple of times.

6. Transfer sheets to wire cooling racks and immediately stir half of each dried fruit into each tray's oat mixture. Cool undisturbed to room temp, about 1 1/2 hours. Seal in bags. Store at room temp 3 months.

WW 4 pts per 1/2 cup serving (Makes 20 servings)

I know - sounds like a lot - but it is yummy. And I do at least 2 batches since I already have everything out.

Have a wonderful week and a Merry Christmas!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Baked pumpkin Bread

In honor of Pumpkin Potpourri Week on my other blog, I thought I would post a healthy pumpkin bread recipe here. The recipe came from the internet a few years ago.

Baked Pumpkin Bread
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5 in. loaf pan.

2. Sift (I just whisk it) the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Mix in the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter until well blended. Pour into loaf pan and smooth the top.

3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

12 servings, approximately 3 pts per slice

Try it out and see what you think! Good for snacking or for breakfast.

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Mini-Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from Weight Watchers magazine a few years ago. It's a great alternative to a huge, really-bad-for-you cinnamon roll.

Mini-Cinnamon Rolls
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
1 (11-oz) tube refrigerated breadsticks
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Separate the breadsticks into 12 strips. Sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar mixture and roll each one into a spiral, pressing to seal the ends. Arrange in the baking pan about 1 inch apart and bake until lightly golden, 15-18 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes.

4. To prepare the frosting, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla in a small bowl, adding a few drops of water if needed to make a smooth, spreadable glaze. Drizzle over the tops of the warm rolls and let stand a few minutes to set. Serve warm.

Per roll: 94 cal, 1 g fat, 1 g fiber, 2 pts

OK, now I'll have to have some of these. Sounds like a plan for Saturday morning!

See you back here on Friday for my weigh-in! It was a bad weekend, but the week is OK. Don't know if I'll actually lose anything this week though.

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Marmalade-Broiled Grapefruit

I usually only post recipes that I've tried, but I just found yet another cookbook that I had tucked away. This recipe sounds easy and interesting and it's only 1 point for WW! I'm not a big fan of grapefruit, but I would actually eat it this way.

Marmalade-Broiled Grapefruit
2 medium grapefruit
4 teaspoons orange marmalade
4 teaspoons brown sugar

1. Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise; remove seeds, and loosen sections of grapefruit with a knife.

2. Spread marmalade evenly over cut sides of grapefruit; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Broil 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Yield: 4 servings.

69 cal., .1 g fat, 1.4 g fiber, ( 1 pt)

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Fabulous Fruit Salad

I'm still away from home, but at least I can give you one healthy recipe that I have memorized. I don't have the points for it, but they would be easy for a WW person to calculate.

I love this fruit salad - so yummy and so refreshing and...all the ingredients are good for you!

Fabulous Fruit Salad
1 red apple, cored and chopped
1 green apple, cored and chopped
1 nectarine, sliced or chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup walnuts
6-8 oz. lemon yogurt

Mix ingredients and chill.

**I always double this recipe when I make it. Also, to make points/calories lower if you need to, you can use fat-free lemon yogurt and decrease the amount of craisins and walnuts.

I hope you like this. I want some right now!

Have a blessed weekend!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Apple-Bran Muffins

I like giving you breakfast recipes for the weekend! Here's another one from Weight Watchers a long time ago. The flavor is very mild, but they are nice for breakfast, especially since you can have 2! They are nice when served with some healthy bacon or sausage and a little fruit.

Apple-Bran Muffins

1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated
1 cup All-Bran cereal
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup each whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a nonstick 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.

2. With a fork, beat the egg substitute in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in the milk and oil, then the apples.

3. Combine the cereal, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir just until blended (do not overmix). Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

per muffin: 107 cal., 2 g fat, 1 g fiber (2 pts)

Try them out and see what you think. Have a wonderful, healthy weekend!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Oven French Toast

This recipe was from a Weight Watchers magazine. It's nice if you're trying to do a lighter version of baked french toast for breakfast.

Oven French Toast

1 (1 lb.) loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
1 pint fat-free half-and-half
2 cups fat-free milk
1 (16 oz.) container fat-free egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large apples, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light stick butter, melted

1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place 3 rows of the bread in the baking dish lengthwise, overlapping the slices slightly to fit.
2. In a bowl, combine the half-and-half, milk, egg substitute, vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg, beating with a whisk until blended. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degress F. Uncover the baking dish. With the back of a spoon, lightly press the bread into the egg mixture.
4. Combine the apples, brown sugar, melted butter, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium bowl. Top the bread mixture evenly with the apple mixture. Bake until puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 servings, 246 cal., 4 g fat, 2 g fiber (5 pts)


Hope you get to try it and that you enjoy it!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Carrot Cupcakes

This is a yummy recipe for dessert or breakfast. I found it in Weight Watchers magazine a few years ago. It's really good!

Carrot Cupcakes

CUPCAKES:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup apple butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium)


FROSTING:
1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs, oil, apple butter, and vanilla in another bowl, and fold into the flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Stir in the carrots. Spoon into the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
3. To prepare the frosting, combine the cream cheese and honey in a small bowl. Dab a teaspoonful onto the top of each cooled cupcake.

Makes 24 servings. Per cupcake: 111 cal., 5 g fat, 1 g fiber (2 pts)

A little work, but a yummy result and makes quite a few - enough to share! What do you think?

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Tony's Breakfast Couscous

OK, another couscous recipe - but for breakfast this time! Again, a great recipe from Cooking Light. This feels like comfort food and it's healthy. It's a yummy way to start the day and it's good leftover, too. You can eat it warm or cold and it's easy to double.

Tony's Breakfast Couscous

1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins (I like to use dried currants)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in milk and remaining ingredients. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.)

3 servings (2/3 cup each), 305 cal., 6.9 g fat, 3.3 g fiber (approx. 6 pts)

If you need even lower calories and fat, you could eliminate one of the dried fruits and use half the walnuts and half the sugar - it would still be yummy! Try it for breakfast this week and let me know what you think. I love it!

Lisa :)