dessert Archives - Page 14 of 14

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

September 28, 2011 ·

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghirardelli, I was given the opportunity to sample several of Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates, including Midnight Reverie, which is 86% cacao. I thought, what better way to highlight this deliciously dark chocolate than to make it into mousse!

I love the elegance of chocolate mousse, but have a hard time eating or serving it due to the amount of cream or half and half, etc. it typically contains. As a healthier alternative, I have had my eye on a recipe for Chocolate Ricotta Mousse for quite a while.

We enjoyed Chocolate Ricotta Mousse, but found that it is very important to approach this mousse as “mousse.” It is made with ricotta cheese, so accordingly expect the texture to be a little grainy (like ricotta). In return, you get a delicious, light, chocolaty dessert that is higher in protein and lower in calories and fat than its traditional counterpart.

The original recipe calls for cocoa powder, which I substituted for an equivalent amount of Ghirardelli’s Midnight Reverie chocolate. Since this chocolate already contains some sugar, I reduced the amount of sugar in the mousse by half. The result was a perfect balance of sweetness.

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

Yields 6 servings

15 oz low fat ricotta cheese (room temperature)

1 ounce dark chocolate (melted and cooled), such as Ghirardelli Midnight Reverie

OR 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 egg whites (room temperature)

1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Coarse salt

Cocoa powder, for serving (optional)

Whipped topping, for serving (optional)

In a food processor, process ricotta and chocolate until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Place egg whites, sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium heat proof bowl set over simmering water. Whisk constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and beat mixture (using an electric mixer) on high until stiff glossy peaks form (about 5 minutes).
With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg mixture into ricotta mixture until combined.
Divide mousse among 6 glasses or bowls. Refrigerate 3 hours (or up to 1 day). Serve dusted with cocoa powder or with a dollop of whipped topping, if desired.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Disclaimer: While this is not my formal write up of my experience with Ghirardelli chocolate, I feel obligated to disclose the following: “As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with Ghirardelli chocolate for free. The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.” I will be sharing a full write up of my experience later this week.

Filed Under: dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: chocolate, ghirardelli, light, mousse

Brown Sugar Brownies

September 26, 2011 ·

Back in college, I had a recipe for Brown Sugar Brownies. They were honestly the best brownies I’ve ever had (aside from my grandmother’s of course). I still remember them, but that was ages ago, and sadly my dear recipe is long gone. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was in the middle of baking and ran out of brown sugar. Mike went on an emergency brown sugar run for me. When he set the bag down on the counter, it happened to be recipe-side up (hmm…do you think that was intentional?). What did I see? Brown Sugar Brownies!

Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe makes a delicious brownie that is more fudgy than cakey. In fact, they are light and airy and almost melt in your mouth. Now, I used dark chocolate that I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Ghiardelli. This would be delicious using unsweetened per the original recipe, but I was pleasantly susprised at the results with what I used. I also used light butter, which has half the fat and calories of regular butter. I like using light butter when I can, because if it works why not, right?

Now for the best part. If I told you these brownies were under 115 calories each, would you believe it? I hardly believed it myself! I did the calculation a few days after making them (and after I had already eaten a few bars). I was eating half a brownie each time because I expected they would come in a lot higher. I did the calculation once, checked it again. It’s true. These babies clock in around 112!

Brown Sugar Brownies
Yields 16 brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened OR dark chocolate (such as Ghirardelli Twilight Delight), melted, cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until combined.
Beat in eggs, adding one at at time.
Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Gently fold in flour, until combined.
Pour mixture into pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Adapted from back of sugar bag (recipe found here here)

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: bars, brown sugar, brownies, chocolate, light, snack, tastemaker

Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies

September 6, 2011 ·

The baby was asleep. The husband was out to dinner. What’s a girl to do? Make Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies, of course!

I haven’t made cookies in ages, and these just happen to be one of Mike’s favorites. Actually, after one bite, they quickly become everybody’s favorite. These cookies are soft, chewy, and chocolaty with a hint of malted milk flavor.

The dough is quite sticky, but becomes much more managable after chilling it in the refrigerator. It is also key to either line your cookie sheet, or spray it with cooking spray. Otherwise the cookies have a tendency to stick.

Despite the minor challenges presesented by a sticky dough, these cookies are worth every effort. They are delicious and the perfect accompaniment to a cold glass of milk!

Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies
Yields approximately 30 cookies

1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons chocolate malted milk powder
5 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine sugar, malted milk powder, butter, syrup, vanilla and egg; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring (or beating at low speed) until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Chill dough for 30 minutes to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. [Cookies will appear puffy when first taken out of the oven] Cool on pan for 2 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: brown sugar, chewy, chocolate, cookie, cookies, cooking light, malt, malted, snack

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

August 26, 2011 ·

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes are perfect for chocolate lovers and picky eaters, and a delicious way to use up some of that zucchini taking over your garden!

I was asked to make cupcakes for a very special birthday party. Mike’s grandmother turned 90! How cool is that! She is an amazing lady, who loves chocolate. This request came shortly after I made Zucchini, Banana and Flaxseed Muffins, and I had zucchini on the brain. Then it hit me – Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes. Perfect!

I knew this birthday crowd would appreciate the use of zucchini in these delectable goodies, though you would never guess that’s the secret ingredient simply by taste. (Score if you’re serving a picky eater!) The zucchini creates a moist cake, makes it slightly healthier, and is the perfect complement to this delicious chocolate cupcake!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

These are a delicious way to use up some of that zucchini taking over your garden. Perfect for chocolate lovers and picky eaters. You would never guess there's zucchini in there!

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

1½ cups brown sugar
¼ cup melted butter
¾ cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini (squeeze out excess moisture)
¾ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dutch processed cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
⅔ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and cinnamon.
In a separate medium bowl, cream the brown sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.
Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined (do not over mix).
Spoon batter into muffin pans, filling them until about ¾ full. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in pan and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and decorate as desired. Store cupcakes at room temperature in an air tight container.
FROSTING: Melt the butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder, whisking until smooth.
Stir in vanilla and alternately add powdered sugar and milk, using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to beat to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: cake, chocolate, cupcakes, zucchini

Lime Tart

August 15, 2011 ·

While I’m a peanut butter and chocolate lover by trade, I would happily eat this Lime Tart for dessert every night. Truth be told, Mike and I may have enjoyed this tart for 4 nights in a row. I am still dreaming about it. It is refreshing, the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, creamy and just plain good!

Bonus – it’s very easy to make! The crust can be quickly mixed together and the filling can be made while the crust bakes. Next pour the filling in the crust (warm or cool), bake again and then chill. The hardest part is the wait!

Another bonus – this Lime Tart is done light! I used fat free sweetened condensed milk, and I used light butter. As a result, fat and calories were reduced by approximately 45% and 12% respectively, when compared to their full far counterparts. Even with these adjustments, this tart definitely tastes like an indulgence!

Since this dessert uses 4 egg yolks, naturally you will have 4 egg whites leftover. Stay tuned later this week, as I have an incredible and healthy veggie-filled use for those egg whites!

Lime Tart
Yields 8 servings

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted light butter, melted

1 can (14 ounces) fat free sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 5 limes)

4 large egg yolks

Pinch salt

Grated lime zest, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add butter and mix until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pat into bottom and up sides. Place on baking sheet, and bake until crust is fragrant and slightly colored (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar – whisk until smooth.
Pour lime mixture into crust (warm or cool is fine). Return to oven, on baking sheet. Bake until filling is set around edge but slightly loose in center (20 to 25 minutes).
Cool completely at room temperature; then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Garnish with zest, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1/8 of tart)

Calories = 321 ~ Fat = 7.4g ~ Carbohydrates = 58.3g ~ Protein = 6.2g

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: easy, lime, pie, tart

Banana Split Cupcakes

July 5, 2011 ·

For my husband’s birthday, I asked what he wanted for his treat. He said ‘whatever you want to make for the blog.’ Aww shucks… Well I was not about to choose his birthday treat. So after some pressing (and dropping subtle hints that we had nice overripe bananas to use) he asked for Banana Split Cupcakes. I was very excited about his choice because they are fun to make and just so gosh darn cute!

These are a family favorite, and we just happened to be visiting both of our families for a birthday celebration. When my mom saw them, she exclaimed ‘Are those Banana Split Cupcakes? Oh my! Those are my favorite!’ I’m sure Mike knew that…scoring points with the mother-in-law again.

These cupcakes are truly easy. The cake is quick to whip together, and using the chocolate square makes for a simple surprise filling inside the banana cake. With the smooth frosting, decorating is a cinch, and they look just like a mini sundae. You could certainly add any other sundae-inspired toppings you like (i.e. sprinkles, nuts, etc.) or stick with the classic chocolate drizzle topped with a cherry.

Banana Split Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 chocolate bars, such as Hershey’s Special Dark*, separated, broken into squares

FROSTING:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

12 maraschino cherries with stems

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine the banana, butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each paper-lined muffin cup. Top with one candy bar square. Divide remaining batter amongst the muffin cups (approximately two-thirds full).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. The frosting will be smooth – if too stiff, add more milk, if too runny, add more sugar. Frost the cupcakes.
In a microwave, melt the remaining chocolate candy and drizzle over frosting. Top each cupcake with a cherry.

Tip: In order to get the cherry to stick, it helps to drizzle a little extra chocolate in the center of the cupcake prior to topping with the cherry.

*Note: I have used both dark and milk chocolate in this recipe, and either one is delicious.

Adapted from Taste of Home: Cupcakes and Muffins

This post is linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday, Screaming Sardine: Cupcake Party, A Well-Seasoned Life’s Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: banana, cake, chocolate, cupcakes

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!

July 1, 2011 ·

Let’s just get this out in the open. Yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe. And yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe with yogurt. Every year around the Fourth of July, I look forward to making this healthy version of a strawberry pie. It just so happens to coincide my Strawberry Yogurt Muffins post from Wednesday. I promise you a break from strawberry and yogurt recipes in the coming weeks. In fact, there are even some indulgent recipes on the horizon!

There are 3 parts to making this pie. The first step is making yogurt cheese, which is draining plain yogurt through cheesecloth. This step needs to be done a day in advance, as the yogurt needs at least 16 hours to drain.

Part 2 is making the crust. This crust is a simple stir and roll crust which uses oil instead of shortening. It is nice and thin, and serves as the perfect vehicle for the rest of the pie.

The last step involves mixing the yogurt cheese with sugar, vanilla and chopped strawberries; then pouring that mixture in the crust and topping/decorating with strawberry halves. It is all very easy.

Now I do not want to mislead you into believing this pie is a replica of its sugary, fat-laden counterpart because it is not. It is, however, delicious, light and healthy! It’s a wonderful summer dessert!

Happy pre-Fourth of July and have a great weekend!

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!
Yields 8 servings

16 oz plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (adjust amount to taste and the sweetness of your berries)
1 cup diced strawberries
approximately 1/2-1 pound strawberries, halved (the amount depends on the size of your berries)
1 tablespoon strawberry preserves (optional) – amount many vary depending on size of strawberries
1 Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust (recipe below)

Make yogurt cheese: Arrange wire strainer lined with double thickness cheesecloth (or coffee filters) over bowl. Spoon yogurt into lined strainer; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until liquid has drained from yogurt and yogurt is very thick (16-24 hours). Discard liquid.
Combine yogurt cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and diced strawberries.
Pour yogurt mixture in cool pie crust, spreading evenly. Top with strawberry halves.
Optional (see note below): Microwave strawberry preserves for 5-10 seconds, just to melt it. Then with a spoon or silicone pastry brush, brush the strawberries with preserves.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until serving.

Note: If you do not plan on serving this immediately, I highly recommend using the preserves in order to seal and preserve the appearance of the berries. It gives them a little shine as well, which can be nice.

Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust
Yields 1 9″ pie crust

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons cold skim milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine flour and salt; stir in oil and milk just until blended. Form dough into a smooth ball.
Dampen counter top. Place 12 x 15 inch sheet of waxed paper on dampened counter. Place pastry on paper; cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Roll dough into a 12 inch circle, turning dough and paper over once to roll evenly.
Peel off top paper. Lift dough and paper, and place dough-side down in pie plate, fitting dough to the plate. Carefully peel off the remaining paper.
Trim edge so it fits evenly with the pie plate. Prick dough with fork, and press edges with tines of fork.
Bake until golden brown (12 to15 minutes). Remove to wire rack to cool.

Adapted from The Best of Byerly’s Cookbook