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Lower Fat Chocolate Toffee Cookies

November 23, 2009 by Pam

Each year, I make a few new cookies, to see if they will make it into regular rotation in my holiday baking. I always leave a few out to sample, you know – the one that got a little burnt on the edge, or are horribly misshapen, or break, so we can all form an opinion of them before the grand unveiling on the trays.

I wanted to try a few healthier cookies this year, and came across this recipe.

So far, these seem to be reigning as the favorites of my holiday baking this year, and they are super easy to throw together and bake off in no time.  I already had to make a second batch, because half of the first batch mysteriously disappeared from the freezer!

Crispy and Chewy, these lil guys are great! And, no, I didn’t make a mistake in the recipe – there are no eggs in these!

Lower Fat Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Adapted from A Taste of Home

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips - I subbed milk chocolate chips, adding a small amount of extra fat per serving

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in the water, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets; flatten with the bottom of a small glass. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 88 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 7 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

Posted in Christmas, baking | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Butter Mints

November 18, 2009 by Pam

I am not a huge fan of hard peppermints, like candy canes, but I have always like the melt in your mouth, almost fluffy butter mints that you would find in assorted pastel colors.

When I saw this recipe, I had had no idea how easy these things were to make myself! But, I also knew I would have to give them a try!

They are just like the ones you would buy at the store, and easy to assemble. Have a little patience in drying them out and you have yourself one tasty lil bowl full of minty happiness! Great for the season, too!

And, this is the first of my holiday recipes that I have shared that is actually not too off the healthy path! One serving has 62 calories and only 2 grams of fat!

Butter Mints

from Woman’s Day

    • 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
    • 1 box (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting
    • 2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
    • 1 tsp mint extract
    • Red and green liquid food color (optional)

In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. With mixer on low, beat in sugar, cream and extract until creamy and smooth - at this point, my mix was dry and crumbly, like pie crust, but as soon as I turned it out and pressed it together with my hands, it came together well.

Lightly dust work surface with confectioners’ sugar. Working with one color at a time, roll out 1⁄4 cupfuls of the mint mixture, using your fingers, into a 1/2-in.-thick rope.

Cut rope into 1/2- to 3/4-in. pillows. Transfer mints to prepared baking sheet with a spatula (be careful—mints are soft and will squish easily). Repeat with remaining mint mixture.

Let air-dry at room temperature for 1 to 2 days until firm enough to handle. Transfer mints to covered containers.

Storage Tip: Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature up to 2 weeks, or keep in refrigerator up to 1 month.

 

 

Posted in Christmas | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

Pumpkin Spice Blossoms

November 17, 2009 by Pam

Christmas Cookies always meant that you would see the infamous Peanut Butter Blossoms on cookie trays — you know, the ones with the Hershey’s Kiss nestled on top of them?

Well, this year, with my introduction to Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kissses, my mind quickly turned toward a cookie adorned with these lil beauties on them. But, it would have to be the right kind of cookie. I thought about a gingerbread cookie, but so many of those turn very crisp, and just wouldn’t give the right cookie experience in my opinion. So, I came up with my own pumpkin spice cookie:

Perfect! The kiss made itself right at home on top and the flavors went great together. The cookie is very cake-like…nice and moist, and a nice contrast to most crisp or chewy cookies. I think it will make a nice addition to my holiday trays, for something extra special and just different enough, and yet the still full of the flavors of the holidays.

Pumpkin Spice Blossoms

A Lobster And Fishsticks Creation

  • 3 c. all purpose flour
  • 3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 30-40 Pumpkin Spice Kisses

cream sugars, butter and eggs, add pumpkin and blend well

incorporate dry ingreients into mix and chill for 1-2 hours

drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets

bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, where color is just beginning to darken

pull from oven and push a kiss lightly down onto the center of the cookie – don’t press too hard – these kisses melt easily and will adhere to the cookie from the heat of the cookie itself

– do not return to the oven:

transfer to wire racks to cool

Posted in Christmas, baking, pumpkin | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Peppermint Cream Cheese Brownies

November 16, 2009 by Pam

I know its been a while, and I do apologize. I have been busy baking for the holidays and sticking my freezer full of goodies, which, beginning this week, I will blog about.

But, I wanted to start with this festive recipe, and the inspiration I had to create it….

Two things happened this weekend…

1. My friend Amanda tweeted about finding this amazing candy that she had found Dove Peppermint Bark.  Hubby had to go out and find me some, as I have been having some serious peppermint cravings lately. She’s as enamored by them as I am. Check out what she made with them!

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2. We went to Starbucks on Saturday, where I got a decaf, nonfat, peppermint mocha. They have this bad habit of putting out samples of pastries that they are going to start selling in the near future, and this morning, they had bits of a peppermint brownie. I was instantly in love!

So, between the candies and the sample, these were born:

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I cannot tell you how good these are!

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I had to pack half of the pan up and send them to work with hubby, for fear of eating them all! So far, I have been good – I have only eaten two, and that includes the one I had for breakfast this morning!

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As far as how many of the the Dove candies I have eaten? Well, we won’t talk about that…..

 

Peppermint Cream Cheese Brownies

A Lobster and Fishsticks Creation

brownie portion:

  • 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips, divided in half (one half for brownies)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 c. butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 2/3 c. sugar
  • 1 c. flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

cream cheese filling:

  • 1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 egg

icing/topping:

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • other half of bag of semi sweet chips
  • 5-10 Dove Peppermint Bark Candies, chopped

Melt 1/2 bag of semi sweet chips and butter together in a double boiler or microwave

Whisk eggs and sugar until light yellow and fluffy

add extract, cocoa and cooled melted chocolate, along with flour

pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan

mix cream cheese, sugar and egg with a mixer until well blended

add to the top of the unbaked brownie mixture as evenly as possible to cover the whole pan — I added with a spatula a little at a time, and filled in the gaps as I went along

bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until knife instreted in the center comes out clean

allow to cool slightly on the counter while you melt the remaining chips with canola oil

pour across the warm top and spread evently

scatter chopped candies across and chill until the topping has firmed up

allow to come to room temperature before slicing to prevent the chocolate from cracking.

 

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Cranberry Pecan Bars

November 3, 2009 by Pam

I found a recipe a few weeks ago that screamed holidays to me, and I couldn’t wait to give it a try, especially after scoring the pecans at the Farmer’s Market two weekends ago.

Cranberries are still somewhat scarce, but I know I will soon be able to find them everywhere as Thanksgiving and Christmas are closing in, and I was able to snag a bag the other day at Winn Dixie.

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They were a snap to assemble.

I did alter the recipe slightly, because the filling is very tart. I added some chopped milk chocolate pieces on top just after baking, while still warm enough to have them melt slightly and adhere to the bars. I made a few more changes, as noted in the recipe below.

I wish I had had white chocolate, because I think that would have been an ideal match, and that is what I will be doing with the next batch.

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Beautiful, festive, looks like you fussed over them look, isn’t it?

These treats are healthy, and will be a great addition to any holiday goodie tray!

Cranberry Pecan Bars

adapted from A Taste of Home

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup light butter spread, melted
  • FILLING:
  • 1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup fruit punch juice, divided
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup chopped white or milk chocolate

Directions

  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats and brown sugar. Stir in butter until blended. Set aside 2/3 cup. Pat remaining mixture onto the bottom of a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, 7 tablespoons  juice, dried cranberries, honey, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook and stir over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until berries pop. Combine the cornstarch and remaining cranberry juice until smooth; stir into berry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
  • Pour filling over crust. Sprinkle with pecans and reserved oat mixture. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Add chopped chocolate after pulling from the oven, to allow to melt enough to adhere to the bars.
  • Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.

Posted in baking, healthy, healthy cooking | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Pear Butter

November 2, 2009 by Pam

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I bought a case of red Bartlett Pears at the Farmer’s Market two weekends ago. I just love pears, but I think I underestimated how many would be in this lovely box. Hubby ate as many was he could in his lunches, and we still had over 20 pears left.

After making Pumpkin Butter a few years ago and it being such a hit with the family, I decided to make some pear butter. I knew it would not be the volume that I got with the pumpkin butter (9 pints), and that was attractive, too, since I was about out of canning jars!

Every recipe I found online had orange zest and orange juice in them, of which I had neither. I did have half a bag of limes in the fridge though, and decided to see what would happen if I concocted my own recipe.

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Turns out, it was pretty darn tasty! I did not use as much sugar as the recipes called for, either. I didn’t see the purpose, since pears are such a naturally sweet fruit to begin with. This smooth butter was amazingly sweet and spicy.

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I had made some Wheat Oat rolls earlier in the day, and they went together perfectly.

Pear Butter

  • 15-20 fresh, ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
  • juice of 4 limes
  • 1 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground allspice

in a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook the pears on medium low heat until softened – about 20 minutes. If the pears have become watery/soupy, drain off a majority of the liquid, leaving about 1/4 – 1/2 cup.

with an immersion blender, puree the pears. If needed, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot

add sugar and spices and cook on medium low until thickend to the consistency of pudding – about 3 to 4 hours

ladle hot mixture into canning jars. The heat from the butter will likely seal the lids. If the lids do not seal after the jar is cool, you can place the jars in a hot water bath / canner and boil for 10-15 minutes

 

Posted in Canning, healthy, pears | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta

October 29, 2009 by Pam

I made some pasta last year with sausage and pumpkin, and it was good, and while I actually made it somewhat healthier than the original recipe it was based upon, it was still not to the level we look for now in a dish. I decided with all of the pumpkin things I have been making that I would try, try again!

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Boy am I glad that I did! This dish was easier, creamier and just all around more decadent to the palate than the previous one, and here’s the real kicker – it is lower in fat and calories, higher in nutrition!

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This is a yummy, comforting meal for any autumn evening with a chill in the air. Too bad we haven’t seen many of those yet here, but here’s to cranking up the AC and pretending

Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta

A Lobster And Fishsticks Creation

  • 1/2 -1 box whole grain spiral pasta
  • 1 package of turkey Italian Sausage, sweet or hot
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 c. fat free half and half*
  • *or 1/2 c half and half plus 1 (12oz) can fate free condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp sage
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • optional: reduced fat provolone cheese, or reduced fat Italian Blend Cheese

cook the pasta according to the box to al dente.

cook the sausages, removing the casings, adding a pray of olve oil to the pan if needed

once sausage is cooked through, add bell peppers and onions,  and saute until just softened.

Add to cooked pasta

Mix milks with pumpkin and seasonings and add to pasta and mix thoroughly

Can be served immediately, or if you wish, add the optional cheese over top of the pasta and bake under broiler until cheese is golden brown, serving immediately

Posted in healthy, healthy cooking, pasta, pumpkin | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Spinach Tortillas

October 28, 2009 by Pam

Its always better to know just what is in the food you are eating and feeding your family. I am trying to make more and more of the things that we do eat, so when I saw this recipe for homemade spinach tortillas, I knew I had to give them a try!

 

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While they are a bit time consuming in a single skillet, they are easy, and so worth it!

You will notice in the recipe it says to use the cooking liquid from the spinach. I apparently used more water than I thought I did, so I added a good 1/2 cup extra of flour to the dough, plus a good bit to dust and roll out.  It didn’t compromise the flavor or texture at all, so its a very forgiving recipe, which is always a good thing!

They came out nice and soft, which made them perfect for wraps:

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Just fill em full of your favorite ingredients and give em a roll!

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I wrapped up the leftover ones with aluminum foil and stuck them in the fridge. When I got one out two days later to make a wrap for hubby’s lunch, they were still nice and soft!

The spinach gave a wonderful flavor and texture to them. I even ate one with a little light cream cheese and nothing else, my toddler even ate them!

I plan on trying them again with some whole wheat flour, and maybe some blends of other veggies and the like. It seems like a really versatile, low fat recipe, and who can’t use more of those!

Spinach Tortillas

courtesy of Tammy’s Recipes

9-10 ounce bag of fresh spinach, chopped (about 4-5 cups of packed, chopped spinach)
1 tablespoon water
2+ cups flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of pepper and salt
1/4 cup canola oil

In a large pan or skillet over medium to medium-low heat, cook spinach in water. Cover, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and soft. This will probably take about 5 minutes after the pan is hot and the spinach has started to cook.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and oil. Stir until crumbly.

Add the (hot or warm) spinach mixture, including the water left in the pan from cooking. Knead or stir, adding additional flour as needed (may take a cup or more of extra flour) to make a smooth dough. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, which will mix the spinach in better, and give the dough an even consistency.

Divide dough into 8 parts (for 10 to 12-inch tortillas) or more (for smaller tortillas).

Pre-heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. If using a cast iron or non-stick griddle or pan, you won’t need oil (although you can use a little if you wish).

On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a thin circle.

Brown tortillas in pre-heated pan for about 5 minutes on each side, just until cooked. A few light brown spots should appear

Stack cooked tortillas on a plate or in a bowl with a clean towel around them, until all are cooked.

Posted in healthy, healthy cooking | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Homemade Cream Of Mushroom Soup

October 26, 2009 by Pam

Ever since I began making my own Cream of Chicken Soup for casseroles and the like, I have been wondering about Cream of Mushroom.

Over the weekend, I bought 10 pounds of mushrooms from The Farmers Market, so I decided now was about the best time I could give it a try!

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It has a wonderful flavor and I am so happy with it. I froze 6 quart bags about half way full, plenty to replace a can of the store bought, sodium laden stuff.  I think I will be doing one more batch, since I am still up to my armpits in mushrooms!

For those of you who have made the cream of chicken, or used the canned varieties, this is not as thick, although it was velvety and creamy. The lower fat milk you use, the thinner it will be as well, so while you could use a fat free or skim, I would recommend staying with 2% or whole. If you wanted to go fat free, I would consider using one can,  and then 1 1/2 cups of fat free half and half for a little extra thickness.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

a Lobster and Fishsticks Creation

  • 2-3 pounds fresh mushrooms, cleaned and chopped roughly
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2-3 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 2-3 c. water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp powdered beef bouillon, or 2 small cubes
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 -2 tbsp black pepper
  • 2- 12oz cans of condensed milk
  • 2/3 c all purpose flour

cook mushrooms and garlic in broth and water until tender, about 15 minutes on medium high

add seasonings and cook for 5 minutes

mix flour thoroughly into milk and add to soup mixture and stir to combine

using an immersion blender, blend to a puree and boil for 5-10 minutes until thicked

if you do not have an immersion blender, ladle into a food processor or blender to puree and then transfer back to the pot to cook until thickened

Posted in mushrooms, soup | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Rich (Yet Lowfat!) Pumpkin Custard Dessert

October 23, 2009 by Pam

I was in desperate search for a dessert for us to be able to indulge in at Thanksgiving without guilt. What would Thanksgiving be without Pumpkin Pie? Maybe a better question is why does Pumpkin Pie need to be fattening?  That is something I can answer – The Crust!

When I found this recipe, it seemed like such an obvious solution – take away the crust!

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This was an almost luxurious treat, so smooth and rich.  Low calorie and fat, and you’ll never miss the crust! This will definitely be part of our Thanksgiving dessert line up!

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A dollop of fat free whipped cream tops this one off perfectly! Warm or cold, it is a wonderful treat! You won’t be disappointed!

Rich Pumpkin Custard

from A Taste of Home

  • 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Dash ground cloves
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk
  • In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add pumpkin and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into eight ungreased 6-oz. custard cups.
  • Place the cups in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; add 1 in. of water to pan. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chill. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 125 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1-1/2 starch.

Posted in Thanksgiving, healthy, healthy cooking, pumpkin | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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