80(ish)--- Just Peachy Tartlets

Remember how I hate to waste food? Well- a few posts back I made Pecan Pie Tartlets and I had leftover phyllo dough. I'm also not a fan of re-freezing food. So.... I took some frozen peaches from my freezer and voila!

You can use any fruit that you have in your freezer for these- or a combination!

Phyllo dough is a great substitute for a pie or pastry crust. One sheet of dough contains only 57 calories and 1 g of fat! You CAN make it from scratch, and one day I will and I promise I will post it.

Just Peachy Tartlets
Serves 12

6 sheets phyllo dough
Cooking Spray
2 cups frozen peach slices (or fruit of your choice)
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a cutting board and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with two additional layers. Using a knife, cut dough into six even 2 1/2 - 3" squares. Place one square into one cup of a muffin tin prepared with cooking spray. Repeat for each cup. Repeat process for additional three layers of phyllo dough and six additional muffin cups.

Blend peaches, sugars, and cinnamon in a food processor until it has an applesauce-like consistency.

Place ~2 Tbsp peach mixture into each cup. Bake for ~20-25 minutes or until phyllo edges brown slightly.

Serve with 1 Tbsp whipped cream if desired.

20--- Apple Pie Panna Cotta

I promise I will only post good, healthy items for the next week. But I had to attempt another Thanksgiving dessert this weekend.

This is Apple Pie Panna Cotta. Tastes just like apple pie with vanilla ice cream, just without the crust! The panna cotta has a consistency much like my Russian Cream, and the apple compote topping adds lovely flavor and texture. KEEPER!

Apple Pie Panna Cotta

Serves 6

PANNA COTTA

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 package unflavored gelatin (~2 1/2 tsp)

1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

APPLE COMPOTE

4 apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2" pieces (I used Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp)

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 oz spiced rum

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

PANNA COTTA

Pour whipping cream into a medium saucepan and lightly sprinkle gelatin over the top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat (do not boil). Whisk until brown sugar and gelatin have dissolved.

Whisk in sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth. Pour 1 cup of mixture into each glass or bowl. Note: panna cotta is traditionally served free-standing, and therefore if you have small molds you can use those. I used glasses for ease.

Refrigerate panna cotta for at least 4 hours, but up to overnight is fine.

APPLE COMPOTE

In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture slightly thickens, ~ 5 minutes. Add apple cubes and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until apples are tender and mixture thickens, ~20 minutes.

Remove from heat and place in a bowl in the refrigerator until panna cotta is ready to serve.

*Add ~1/2 cup compote mixture to the top of each panna cotta and serve!

20--- Punkin Puddin

I am in charge of dessert on Thanksgiving at my in-laws this year. They do a beautiful job with everything at the meal, so my goal is to make it special. I also am trying to get away from PIE.

Pie is good and all, but after you've eaten a heavy meal, it can be a little much. I am trying to make dessert a lighter experience, not necessarily healthier. But I also want to hold onto those classic Thanksgiving flavors.

My first attempt happened last night when my dad came to town. 2nd attempt will be tonight. More to come in the next couple of weeks.

This recipe is also magically gluten-free! THIS is a keeper.

Punkin Puddin (aka: Pumpkin Pudding)

Serves 6

2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin puree)

3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you do not have some, use 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger)

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1 cup table cream (found next to heavy cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix with a hand mixer. Pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish or casserole dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve. Place 1/2 cup pudding in individual glasses and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional).

20(ish)--- Coconut Macaroons

I've always loved macaroons, but I guess I figured they were difficult to make. Not so much. AND they contain NO butter or oil. Coconut is naturally high in saturated fat however. One macaroon still contains only 70 calories.

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Coconut Macaroons

Serves 3 dozen

14oz flake coconut

2/3 cup sugar

6 Tbsp flour

4 egg whites

1 tsp pure almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix coconut, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites and extract until well blended. Drop tablespoons of batter onto greased and floured baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove immediately from sheet onto wire racks. Cool completely.

20(ish)--- Chocolate Shorty Souffles

We had ANOTHER birthday dinner for my hubby this weekend, this time with my in-laws. We had a superb Italian feast at their home, and I was in charge of dessert. My husband likes chocolate, but nothing too sweet or too dense and preferably involving berries. So..... individual (hence shorty) chocolate souffles!

I have never made a souffle before. What's the big deal?? Yep, that's what I thought before I read up. After reading the many many many tips on "how to get your souffle to not fall", I got scared. AND-- I'm at high altitude. According to my internet sources, that's a big challenge to overcome. But, I pressed on.

After successfully getting my egg whites and sugar to form stiff peaks, I thought I had this dessert beat.

Then I baked one. Actually, only 1/2 of one. And... I broke the number one rule: I opened the oven door during baking (insert Halloween scream here). AND-- yes, it fell.

THEN as my next six souffles quietly sit in my refrigerator in their own little ramekins, I Google "fallen souffle" to look for even MORE tips. And GUESS what I find? A Fallen Souffle is actually a dessert-- Emeril says so!!

As it turns out, my second attempt was better than my first. Very little falling. But, if they had fallen, and if yours do-- simply present them as a Fallen Souffle and you will be the hit of the party!

This recipe is only 20(ish) because as most chocolate souffles use milk chocolate, this uses unsweetened cocoa powder. Therefore, less milk fat, less butter, same amount of YUM.

Chocolate Shorty Souffles

Makes 6

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp hot water

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp Canola oil

3 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp ground almonds

3 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp honey

3/4 cup 1% low fat milk

4 egg whites

3 Tbsp sugar

Berries of choice to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder and hot water. Stir until smooth and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and stir to mix. Add flour and ground almonds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in brown sugar and honey. Add milk gradually and stir constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the cocoa mixture. Allow to cool.

In a large, thoroughly cleaned bowl, beat egg whites until foamy with an electric mixer on high speed. Add sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat until stiff peaks form (note: this may take a while). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites unto the cocoa mixture to lighten it. Fold remaining egg whites into cocoa mixture until no white streaks remain.

Gently scoop mixture into individual ramekins, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until souffle rises above the rim and is set in the center. Cool souffles on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with berries of your choice.

20--- Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Bananas foster is a dessert that is typically served to you on fire. What fun!

This version is a little bit more tame. The angelfood cake makes this lighter than a typical bread pudding, with the flavor of bananas foster.

Dessert CAN be eaten in moderation! Stick with the suggested servings size (1 cup)!

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Serves 8

10oz angelfood cake (homemade or store-bought), cut into cubes

3 medium bananas, sliced into 1/2" slices

2 1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

4oz spiced rum

Powdered sugar (optional as garnish)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread out angel cake cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, tossing three times, until lightly toasted and dry.

2. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, rum and vanilla in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Gently stir in cake cubes and banana slices; pour into an 8-in. square baking dish. Cover dish with foil. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature for cake cubes to absorb most of the milk mixture.

3. Bake, covered, 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil; continue to bake 25 minutes.

4. Let stand 15 minutes. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar (as desired)

20--- Mexican Wedding Cookies

Today-- in honor of my friend Rachelle's wedding. She is not Latino-- I believe she is Filipino. But, you get the point.

These sweet little cookies are perfect for bridal showers and baby showers (yes, you can shape them to look like babies). They are so simple to make!



Mexican Wedding Cookies
Makes ~3 dozen small cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup slivered almonds
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp water
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended.


Shape dough into balls. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. Combine confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners' sugar mixture. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

20--- Russian Cream

AHHHHHH. 20! We meet again! This is one of my hubby's favorite desserts (no, he's not into chocolate-- not sure why). It is such a light dessert and so easy to make! But, yes, combining sugar, sour cream, and whipping cream does equal a 20% dessert!

Russian Cream

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 cup water

2 cups whipping cream

3 cups sour cream

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups raspberries (or berry of choice)

In a medium saucepan, blend sugar and gelatin. Add water and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, bring to full boil.

Remove from heat and whisk in whipping cream. In a larger mixing bowl, mix sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add sugar-cream mixture and whisk to mix.

Place in individual serving dishes (martini glasses are pretty) and place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until solid.

Add fresh seasonal berries of your choice on top.

80(ish)--- Brown Rice Pudding

Confession: I LOVE rice pudding. Not sure how many people do. No one else in my family likes it.... my friend's six year old likes it (Marshal, this one's for you). I'm not sure how I acquired a taste for it, but I did, and I had to find some way to make it healthier (cause that's what I do).

So...... I traded out the traditional white rice for brown rice. Brown rice is milled to a lesser extent than white rice, and only the outermost hull is removed, thereby retaining more valuable nurition than white rice. Therefore, brown rice contains many valuable nutrients such as vitamins B1, B3, and B6, manganese, iron, FIBER, and essential fatty acids.

Okay, so maybe just adding brown rice and using lowfat milk doesn't make this recipe a complete and total 80. There is sugar AND butter in it. Maybe it's more like a 50. So there you go-- this should only be eaten for 50% of your life. It's good for breakfast, warm or cold, or for dessert. Top if off with a little bit of milk and some fresh cut fruit.

Brown Rice Pudding

Serves 8

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Minute Brown Rice, not quite the nutrition of traditional)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used raw, just because)

2 Tbsp butter (I used Brummel & Brown)

2 cups 1% lowfat milk

1 egg

1 egg white

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup raisins (I used a combination of golden and regular)

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine rice, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. Mix well.

Pour into baking dish. Bake in oven until top is golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Serve warm or chill and serve (with milk and fruit if desired).

Nutrition info per 1/2 cup serving: 187 calories, 38g carbohydrates, 4.5g fiber, 4g protein, 3g fat, 2g saturated fat

80--- Nectarine Blackberry Crumble

For those of us who like dessert more than just 20% of the time! This is a lovely transition from summer into fall.

I used nectarines that I needed to use up and blackberries that I had in the freezer. However, you can use peaches, blueberries, raspberries, etc. Berries are FULL of antioxidants!

Flax meal and crushed walnuts are a great way to add omega-3s to your diet!

Nectarine Blackberry Crumble
Serves 8

4-5 ripe nectarines (or peaches), sliced
1 1/2 cup blackberries (or blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 Tbsp nutmeg, 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp flax meal
1/4 cup chopped walnuts