Friday, February 26, 2010
Chocolate-Covered Brownie Bites
Dip bite-size pieces of brownie into melted chocolate for an easy treat to satisfy your chocolate craving.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 8-inch-square pan chilled brownies, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)
PREPARATION
- Dip half of each brownie square in melted chocolate, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. (Reheat chocolate, as needed, to keep it melted.) Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
TIPS & NOTES
- Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Tip: To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.
NUTRITION
Per brownie bite: 38 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat); 4 mg cholesterol; 1 g protein; 6 mg sodium; 21 mg potassium.
Recipe: Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Serves 12
This recipe, from "Light & Healthy 2010: The Year's Best Recipes Lightened Up," is reprinted with permission from America's Test Kitchen.
Notes: The prep time does not include the 10- to 24-hour drain time for cottage cheese and yogurt or the 30-minute standing time for cheesecake before serving.
Be sure to use light cream cheese for this recipe, not 1/3 less fat cream cheese.
INGREDIENTS
For the crust
9 whole graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
Vegetable oil spray
For the filling
1 pound 1 percent cottage cheese, drained 10 to 24 hours (see instructions below)
1 pound plain low-fat yogurt, drained 10 to 24 hours
1 pound light cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided use
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
INSTRUCTIONS
For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Process the graham crackers in a food processor to fine crumbs. Combine the crumbs with the butter and sugar in a small bowl. Transfer the crust mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press it evenly into the pan bottom. Bake the crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Taking care not to disturb the crust, coat the inside of the springform pan with vegetable oil spray, set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside.
For the filling: Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Process the drained cottage cheese in the food processor until no visible lumps remain, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the drained yogurt and cream cheese, and process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the vanilla, and salt, and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the processor running, add the eggs, one at a time, and process until smooth.
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Stir 1 cup of the cheesecake batter and the remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla into the sugar-cocoa mixture until smooth.
Pour the plain cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Spoon and swirl the chocolate batter into the plain batter. (See instructions below.) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees (hold the oven door open until an oven thermometer reads 200 degrees) and bake until the center of the cheesecake registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack and run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 3 hours, then wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.
To unmold the cheesecake, remove the sides of the pan and blot excess moisture from the top of the cheesecake with paper towels. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Putting the marble in cheesecake
Using a tablespoon, gently spoon the chocolate batter onto the plain batter around the edge and in the center, leaving about 1/2 inch between each spoonful. (If there's extra chocolate batter, add it to previous drops.)
Using the handle end of a wooden spoon or spatula, drag the handle back and forth through the batter to make a marbled pattern.
Draining yogurt and cottage cheese
Draining away the excess liquid from the cottage cheese and the yogurt is an essential step. Don't be tempted to drain both in the same strainer – the drained cottage cheese needs to be puréed in a food processor until smooth. Use a brand of yogurt that doesn't contain modified food starch, gelatin or gums. Those prevent the yogurt from draining properly.
For the cottage cheese, line a bowl with several layers of paper towels, spoon the cottage cheese into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 10 hours and up to 24 hours.
For the yogurt, line a fine-mesh strainer with 3 or 4 coffee filters or a double layer of cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 10 hours or up to 24 hours.
Per serving: 287 cal.; 12 g pro.; 36 g carb.; 9 g fat (6 sat., 2 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 82 mg chol.; 401 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 32 g sugar; 30 percent calories from fat.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Roasted Bananas with Chocolate Yogurt Cream
4 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours (including draining yogurt)
Bananas with yogurt sounds like a simple breakfast combination, but dress the bananas up with a little butter, rum and sugar, run them under the broiler and you've got a decadent dessert.
4 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours (including draining yogurt)
NUTRITION PROFILE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
- 4 bananas, cut in half crosswise then lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon dark rum, or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
PREPARATION
- Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and set over a bowl, leaving at least 1/2 inch clearance from the bottom. Spoon in yogurt. Cover with plastic wrap and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before serving, position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place bananas, cut sides up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and rum (or lemon juice). Dot with butter. Roast in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler; broil until the bananas are golden and the sugar is bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat cream, cocoa and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until soft peaks form. Push the cream to one side; add the drained yogurt and fold into the cream with a rubber spatula until blended. Drizzle the roasted bananas with any juices accumulated in the pan and serve with a dollop of the chocolate cream.
TIPS & NOTES
- Make Ahead Tip: The yogurt can be drained overnight.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 359 calories; 16 g fat (10 g sat, 4 g mono); 53 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 76 mg sodium; 712 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium (21% daily value), Calcium & Vitamin C (20% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).
Exchanges: 1 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 low-fat milk, 3 fat
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