Archive for April, 2009
Low-Fat Peach-Blueberry Crisp
Frozen Berries Make This Healthy Treat Easy To Prepare!
I just love finding desserts that are easy and quick to make and that have nutritional value as well. I found this recipe at DailyMail.com and it boasts a reduced calorie count because of less butter and crumble topping than other fruit crisps. I’m happy to hear that, especially as bathing suit season approaches! And I certainly don’t want to give up my dessert! This recipe is great because you get the natural sweetness of the berries, and you can use whatever fruit combination you want, or have on hand. Feel free to add nuts to the crumble (which I always love to do) and top with low-fat yogurt. It also makes a nice big batch so it’s great for company or for lots of leftovers. Please let me know how you enjoy this delicious and healthier fruit treat!
Low-Fat Peach-Blueberry Crisp
2 1/4 cups frozen peaches, defrosted
2 1/4 cups frozen blueberries, defrosted
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup quick-cooking or regular oatmeal (do not use instant oatmeal)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbsp. cold salted or unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Combine the fruit and any accumulated juices, almond extract, white sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl, mixing well. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready an 8-by-11-inch (ungreased) shallow baking dish or one of similar volume.
Combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Add the butter and use your fingers to thoroughly work it into the dry ingredients. The consistency will be crumbly.
Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish, distributing the berries and peaches evenly. Scatter the crumb topping over the fruit, covering it as much as possible. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling up the sides of the dish and the crisp topping is just starting to brown.
Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Nutrition per serving (based on 8, using unsalted butter): 190 calories, 2 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 26 g sugar.
Frozen Banana Treats Kids Can Make
Kids Can Assemble These Fun Treats in 15 Minutes!
I’ve loved bananas my whole life. Probably because they are sweet and fun to eat, but also because of my love of monkeys. I’m guessing that there’s lots of kids out there who feel the same way I did…and still do. And even for those children who aren’t big banana fans yet, I might have found a recipe to change that! KraftCanada.com has a great banana dessert recipe that’s easy and quick, and perfect for kids to make. It’s called Frozen Banana Treats and not only is the banana dipped in chocolate, but it’s also coated in any topping of your choice. You can dip your bananas in things like nuts, cereal, granola, even cookie bits. It’s easy to be creative with this easy recipe that kids will love! One tip that is posted on the website recommends adding caramel to the chocolate mix for a different flavor, and also melting the chocolate on the unfrozen banana, then freezing the completed treat (supposedly it’s easier to apply the chocolate this way). Well, be creative, try different methods and please let me know what works best for you. Have fun!
FROZEN BANANA TREATS KIDS CAN MAKE
3 small bananas
6 wooden pop sticks
4 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup KRAFT Smooth Peanut Butter
Chopped nuts, flaked coconut or candy sprinkles
PEEL bananas and cut them in half. Insert 1 wooden pop stick into each piece of banana. Freeze until firm (about 4 hours).
MELT chocolate, butter and peanut butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes; stir until melted.
PAINT frozen bananas with chocolate mixture using a pastry brush, then roll in chopped nuts, flaked coconut or candy sprinkles.
Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
It Only Takes 15 Minutes to Prep This Triple-Threat Cookie!
I am a huge cookie lover! Whether it’s the traditional chocolate chip cookie, or fancy Italian cookies my mom makes, I will not turn one down! Store-bought or homemade also does not matter. But of course homemade usually tastes better, especially warm from the oven. Heck, I even love the raw dough! So I want to share an easy and quick cookie recipe today that is a spin-off from the usual chocolate chip cookie. This one adds peanut butter and oats and I found it on Allrecipes.com. It’s like an oatmeal cookie and chocolate chip cookie and peanut butter cookie combined! If you like all these flavors, you’re going to LOVE this outrageously delicious cookie! Enjoy!
OUTRAGEOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.
Gorgeous Apple Pie Cake
It only takes 6 simple ingredients to make this BEAUTIFUL cake!
As you know, I love to bake desserts that are easy and quick. Well, I want to share a recipe that takes a little longer to prepare than the other desserts on this site. It takes 45 minutes to prep this cake but if you have the time, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous apple cake that is a cross between apple pie, apple crumble and cake. It’s a unique dessert that your guests are sure to love! I made this cake years ago for the first time and I can’t remember where I found it, but I must thank the creator. I think you will too! Enjoy!
GORGEOUS APPLE PIE CAKE
2 cups flour
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
10 cups apples (I like a mix of Granny Smith & MacIntosh) – about 10 apples
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Using an electric mixer or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it looks like pea-size pieces. Press two-thirds of it onto the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel the apples, cut into thin slices and place in a bowl. Pour off any accumulated liquid and sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the lemon juice over top. Mix to combine then pour into prepared crust. Press apples down gently. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture on top and pat down again.
Put the pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Run a knife around the edge to loosen cake and let cool in pan to set. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Easy Italian Ricotta Cookies
Make These Cake-Like Cookies In About 30 Minutes!
I LOVE ricotta cheese whether it’s in lasagna, on top of spaghetti, in desserts or by itself. It is SO creamy! So this week I made a lasagna for dinner and had left over ricotta, and even though I could’ve eaten the rest out of the tub, I thought I’d try experimenting with a recipe. I found a great one on Allrecipes.com for Italian cookies. These taste slightly sweet, they’re light in texture and so adorable! Best of all the ingredients are simple so I already had everything on hand and the recipe is easy and quick to put together! You’ll love these little white balls of sweet heaven…and they’ll look great on a cookie platter too. Enjoy!
ITALIAN RICOTTA COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or use parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and ricotta cheese. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the cheese mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets (these don’t spread while baking).
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden (tops will still be white). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing: In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk gradually until a spreadable consistency is reached. Frost cooled cookies. Makes 3 dozen.
Bunny Cupcakes!
Make these cuties in about an Hour!
My whole family knows how much I adore bunnies. I used to see them playing in my parents’ backyard and I’d get so excited. That’s why I especially love Easter…I have an excuse to decorate with bunnies! This is a really cute recipe from General Mills for the holiday and easily made with cake mix. I would recommend making it even easier by buying bunny shaped chocolate, candy or marshmallow to put on top of the cupcakes if you don’t want to make your own. Either way, these cuties will please both children and adults…like me! Have a wonderful holiday and let me know how your guests react to these adorable cupcakes. Enjoy!
BUNNY CUPCAKES
1 pkg (510 g) Cake Mix (any flavour)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs as called for on cake mix package
2 tubs (each 450 g) Frosting (any white or vanilla variety)
Pink (red) food colouring
5 large marshmallows
Pink decorating sugar
Pink and blue miniature candy balls
Chocolate candy sprinkles
Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare 24 cupcakes according to package directions.
Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Gradually stir drops of food colouring into 1 tub of frosting. Frost cupcakes with pink frosting. Spoon 1 heaping spoonful of white frosting on centre of each cupcake.
To make ears, using scissors, cut each large marshmallow crosswise into 5 slices; cut each slice in half to within 1/4-inch (6 mm) of edge. Separate to look like bunny ears; press 1 side of cut edges into pink sugar, flattening slightly. Arrange on each of the white frosting mounds and use miniature candy balls for eyes and nose and chocolate sprinkles for whiskers.
Makes: 24 cupcakes
Tip: To make Easter Chick Cupcakes: Frost cupcakes with white frosting. Stir drops of yellow food colouring into second tub of frosting. Spoon 1 heaping spoonful of yellow frosting on centre of each cupcake. Decorate with orange jellybean for nose and orange miniature candy balls for eyes.
COOL ‘N EASY Mousse Pie
If You Have 15 Minutes You Can Make This Low Calorie Pie!
The sunshine and warmer weather has inspired me to share this sweet, yet light, and low calorie pie recipe! I found it on KraftCanada.com and this dessert is so easy and quick that it’s even in the name…COOL ‘N EASY Mousse Pie! What’s even more fabulous about this pie is that you can make the recipe EVEN EASIER, by using a store-bought graham cracker crust! In addition to that, all you need to buy is a package of JELL-O (any flavor you like) and frozen whipped topping! Set aside 15 minutes to prepare and you’re done! Can it get any easier than that? I think this pie is perfect for any occasion, and especially when you have guests who prefer light desserts over heavy and overly sweet ones. Please let me know what JELLO-O flavors you like best for this pie. Enjoy!
COOL ‘N EASY MOUSSE PIE
1-1/4 cups HONEY MAID Graham Crumbs
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (10.1 g) JELL-O No Sugar Added Strawberry Jelly Powder
Ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1-1/4 cups thawed COOL WHIP Light Whipped Topping, divided
MIX graham crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
ADD boiling water to jelly powder in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to jelly; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Add 3/4 cup Cool Whip; stir with whisk until well blended. Pour into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
TOP with remaining Cool Whip just before serving.
Serving Size = 1 slice (61 g) Calories – 130 Total fat – 8 g
Springtime Lemon Bars
These Sweet & Slightly Tart Treats Are Ready In 1 Hour!
With spring in the air, I wanted to share a lemon recipe that makes me think of the sunshine! These are my favorite Lemon Bars! I’ve baked several lemon square recipes in my search for the perfect one. Some were too tart, or not lemony enough. And some were too thin and fell apart to the touch. Well, my search ended when I found this amazing recipe from Allrecipes.com! The bars are sweet, with just the right amount of lemony tartness, and they hold together very nicely…which is important for presentation. These are truly “Bake Sale” worthy! I especially love how this dessert is easy and quick…using only 7 ingredients and taking only 15 minutes to prepare! Plus, it makes a nice big batch that could last days, if you restrain yourself! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
BAKE SALE LEMON BARS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden.
While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares and enjoy!
The BEST Easy Canadian Butter Tarts
Mix A Few Ingredients & Bake 12 Minutes…Voila! Butter Tarts!
My mother baked a lot at Christmas time…and throughout the year, but especially at Christmas. I remember butter tarts were one of my favorites on the treat platter…I just loved the homemade flaky pastry and sweet gooey center. Since butter tarts were a staple in my life since I was a kid, I found it surprising that it was so difficult to find a recipe on the internet. I mean, there were definitely recipes, but very few of them, compared to other recipes I had searched for like lemon squares (which were also on my mom’s treat tray). Well, after doing some research I learned that butter tarts are a Canadian dessert. There’s a similar version of them in Scotland called Ecclefechan butter tarts, but basically the rest of the world isn’t too familiar with them. So if you’ve never eaten a butter tart before you have been missing out on a sticky, sugary, sweet tart that’s similar to pecan pie. For all of you who know what I’m talking about and love butter tarts as much as I do, then you must try this amazingly easy recipe! Enjoy!
BUTTER TARTS
12 frozen tart shells
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup currants or 1/4 cup shredded coconut or 1/4 cup raisins or 1/4 cup chopped pecan
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
In bowl, vigorously whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt. Set aside.
Divide currants/coconut/raisins/pecans among pastry shells. Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.
Bake in bottom third of oven for about 12 minutes or until filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden. Let stand on rack for 1 minute. Run metal spatula around tarts to loosen; carefully slide spatula under tarts and transfer to rack to let cool.
Tip: The center of these butter tarts is runny (just how I like it) so it’s best to refrigerate them once they cool down so they will hold together better.
Hot Fudge Ice Cream Bar Dessert
You Only Need 30 Minutes & 5 Ingredients to Make This Frozen Treat!
I’ve never really considered myself to be a big fan of ice cream because it’s not usually my first choice when I want something sweet. However, there are certain frozen treats I just love, like Drumsticks, Creamsicles and ice cream sandwiches. So I was especially excited to find this amazingly easy dessert recipe for ice cream cake on Allrecipes.com. It’s made with some of my favorite things…peanut butter, frozen whipped topping, and ice cream sandwiches! I know that the summer is a few months away, but I don’t think there’s ever a wrong time to eat this cake. You can even make a lower fat version using products like The Skinny Cow or Breyers who both make a low fat ice cream sandwich. The best part is that this cold, deliciously rich treat takes only 30 minutes to prepare and requires only 1 hour to firm up. I know you’re going to love this!
HOT FUDGE ICE CREAM BAR DESSERT
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts
Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes on high. Do not allow to boil. Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwiches. Spread half the whipped topping over the sandwiches. Spoon half the chocolate mixture over that. Top with half the peanuts. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.