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: Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

I love being able to whip up some healthy cookies and these are only 1 WW point per cookie!  The texture is a little different than a regular cookie, but they are yummy and smell wonderful!  My hubs loved them too and couldn't believe they were only 1 point each.  These were in my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or substitute other dried fruit)

1.  Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2.  Whisk together the pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.  With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil, egg white, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute.  Beat in the applesauce.  Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.  Stir in the oats and cranberries.

3.  Drop the dough by level tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart, making a total of 30 cookies.  With the back of a spoon, spread the mounds to make 2-inch cookies.  Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets on racks about 2 minutes.  With a spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Per cookie:  73 cal, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber, 1 WW pt

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I need to make another batch soon.  Not only do I love the flavor, but it's like aromatherapy every time I open the container of these cookies!  Enjoy!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Frozen Peanut Butter-And-Chocolate Pie

I enjoy finding new healthy desserts to have!  I must have some sort of dessert or I will fail miserably at any healthy eating attempts!

I found this recipe in my WW cookbook -  Comfort Classics.  I didn't have a reduced fat crust, so I made my own crust with some chocolate graham crackers and melted butter - not a reduced fat crust and I made it too thick!  So my version definitely had extra points, but it was a nice treat!

 

Frozen Peanut Butter-And-Chocolate Pie

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk ( I used whole milk)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (I used all-natural PB)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup frozen thawed fat-free whipped topping (I used light)

1 (6 oz) prepared reduced-fat graham-cracker crust (I crushed chocolate grahams and mixed w/ melted butter)

1 tablespoon chopped dry roasted peanuts (I skipped this)

1/2 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated

1.  Combine the milk and sugar in medium saucepan and set over med-high heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes; remove from the heat.  Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into a medium bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour.

2.  Gently stir the whipped topping into the chilled milk mixture, spoon into the crust.  Sprinkle with the peanuts and grated chocolate.  Loosely cover the pie with wax paper, then with heavy-duty foil.  Freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.  Let the pie soften at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

12 servings

Per serving: 175 cal., 7 g fat, 1 g fiber, 4 WW pts (my version was probably 6 WW pts)

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Hope you get a chance to try this recipe - don't be afraid to make changes to recipes and make them your own or use up what you already have in your home!

I'm linking this up to my other blog (Stop and Smell the Chocolates) for Chocolate/Dessert Friday, but you should only stop by if you can keep your chocolate cravings under control.  :)

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

Easy Dessert Tip

You may have already tried this dessert, but part of it was new to me!

I had leftover strawberries and decided to slice them up. I lightly sugared them (you could use Splenda, etc.). I realized that we had Nilla Wafers on hand and that they are .5 WW pts each. Also had the canned aerosol whipped real cream - 2 tablespoons is 0 pts actually, but you could also use some fat-free Cool Whip.

I just made a parfait - limiting the number of Nilla Wafers. I used a couple of Nilla Wafers in the bottom (I used them whole but realized after that it would have been better to crumble them), then strawberries, then a little whipped cream. Repeated the layers one more time and YUM!! It turned out so pretty and yummy and was only about 3 WW pts!

What do you like to do with strawberries?

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Watermelon and Lime Granita

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine. I finally decided to give it a try and YUM - very glad I did! It's easy to make and has a nice refreshing flavor. Perfect for dessert after a summer meal. If you serve this to company, they won't even realize that they're eating something healthy. They'll just think it's delicious and *fancy*!

Watermelon and Lime Granita

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)

1. Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place sugar mixture in a small bowl; cool 10 minutes. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

2. Place sugar mixture, watermelon, and lime juice in a blender; process until smooth. Pour watermelon mixture into an 11x7-in. baking dish; cover and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove mixture from freezer, and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scrape the entire mixture with a fork until fluffy. Serve with lime wedges, if desired. Yield: 6 servings (1/2 cup each).

100 cal, .2 g fat, .5 g fiber, 2 WW pts

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I hope you do try this - I think you'll really like it! You're even getting a serving of fruit at the same time!

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

Have a blessed day!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Sour Cream-Hazelnut Bundt Cake

Now, you wouldn't normally see cakes listed as healthy recipes, but this one is from Cooking Light magazine (November '04). Keep in mind that it's still not as healthy as some other dessert choices, but if you are wanting to make cake - this one would be lighter and a better choice than most of the cakes on my other blog! Since it doesn't have any frosting, that helps keep the fat and calories lower too.

I can vouch that this is a yummy cake! Not too rich, but a nice flavor.

Sour Cream-Hazelnut Bundt Cake

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16-oz) carton fat-free sour cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons Nutella
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream; beat until well blended.

4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring just until combined.

5. Spoon half of batter into prepared Bundt pan, sprinkle evenly with hazelnuts. Drop small spoonfuls of Nutella over nuts. Spoon remaining batter over Nutella; swirl batter using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar. 14 servings (1 slice each)

293 cal., 9.8 g fat, 1 g fiber, about 6 WW pts
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Depending on why I'm making this cake, I sometimes add more hazelnuts and Nutella and use low fat sour cream instead of fat-free. Of course, that increases the fat and calories!

I hope you get a chance to try out and let me know what you think! I will also be linking this recipe up to my other blog's Cake Week links.

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Chilled Espresso Custard

I found this recipe in a South Beach cookbook and I love it! It also works great for WW as it's only 2 points per custard.

Chilled Espresso Custard
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons sugar substitute
2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant decaf coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar substitute, espresso powder or coffee, and vanilla extract until well-blended. Pour into four 6-oz. custard cups or ramekins and place in a 10 in. skillet.

Fill the skillet with water to 1/2 in. from the tops of the custard cups. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cups from the skillet, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the pudding, and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until chilled. Garnish with cinnamon and/or lemon twists if desired.

Makes 4 servings. 110 cal, 3.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 2 pts

Try them out - they were pretty easy and I thought they were delicious (you have to like custard consistency)! I even plan on serving them to company!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Cranberry Gelatin Salad

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here's another recipe with cranberry in it. This is yummy - I got the recipe off the internet several years ago.

Cranberry Gelatin Salad
2 (6 oz) packages sugar-free cherry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Combine the jello and boiling water; stir until jello is dissolved. Mix in cranberry sauce and pineapple.

2. Transfer to glass serving dishes. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Chill until set and serve.

Makes 12 servings, approx. 2.5 pts each

Try it out and let me know what you think. It could work as a side dish or even a dessert.

Hope your week is going well!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter-Chocolate Brownies

Just the title sounds good, huh?! This recipe is from Cooking Light and I had kind of forgotten about it. I did make it for company before and everybody really liked it. Hope you do, too!

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter-Chocolate Brownies
3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk, divided
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 (18.25 oz) package devil's food cake mix
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine 1/4 cup condensed milk, butter, and next 3 ingredients ( batter will be very stiff). Coat bottom of a 13x9 in. pan with cooking spray. Press two-thirds of batter into prepared pan using floured hands; pat evenly (layer will be thin).

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup condensed milk and marshmallow creme in a bowl; stir in chips. Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over brownie layer. Carefully drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Yield 2 dozen.

176 cal., 5 g fat, .8 g fiber, about 4 pts each

If you try these, let me know what you think and what you like!

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: Cocoa Crispy Bars

A nice variation of rice crispy treats - these are good! They are best the same day, but can keep up to 3 days. The recipe was in a Weight Watchers magazine a few years ago. The Dutch-process cocoa can be expensive, but the taste is great.

Cocoa Crispy Bars

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped or grated
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups crisped rice cereal

1. Spray a 13x9 in. baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallow creme, cocoa, and vanilla; stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add the cereal, stirring until well-coated.

3. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Spray your hands with nonstick spray and press the batter down evenly. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 24 squares.

69 cal., 2 g fat, 1 g fiber (1 pt)

Better try it out and save me a piece...or two!

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 :)

A Yummy Food Find

I do love dessert - can you tell?! I just recently discovered these and am in love! They are Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch Ice Cream Bars. Oh, they are so yummy - my hubby and son like them, too.

They are only 2 points each! Of course, that means they are small, but packed full of flavor and they satisfy the sweet tooth. I loved English Toffee ice cream bars when I was a kid, and these bring me right back to that time.

Are they all natural? No way! Are they really yummy? Absolutely! And there are no trans fats - that's something.

Try them out. Even if you're not dieting, it's still nice to have a smaller portion of dessert.

Lisa :)