Chocolate Valentino (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

I am no Daring Baker (it was their February baking challenge) but with three ingredients, how could I not try this recipe? I'm not a huge dessert person, nor am I a baker, so really the only appeal of this recipe was the fact that it only had three ingredients. Fortunately, this was a very successful recipe for this non-baker.

Notes: I halved the recipe and filled three 5" ramekins (the kind you would use for creme brulee). Only half of each cake could be eaten at a time. These are SO RICH! Since I couldn't halve an egg, I used 2 eggs separated, and added 1/8 cup of Egg Beaters to the egg yolk bowl. I also didn't line the sides of my ramekins with parchment (they were scalloped...I can't be bothered with the time it would have taken), so I sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and the cakes unmolded perfectly. Tasted perfect too, fake egg and all.

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan (an 8" or 9" spring form pan works best, or six 5 ramekins) and line with parchment, then butter the parchment.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry). With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate. Fold (don't stir!) in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. (Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.) Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Hooray for Hamentaschen!

My fondest memory of Purim is being at a Purim party at my synagogue when I was about 9 or 10, and my best friend's dad got sooo drunk when we were reading the Megillah (the story of Purim). My friend's dad was a very quiet, reserved man (and was also slightly more religious than I was familiar with) and to see him drunk was the shock of shockers.

The reason he was drunk was because when you are reading the Megillah, you are supposed to drink and make lots of noise every time the name "Hamen" is read (he's the villian in the story). And the reason we eat hamentaschen (translation: Hamen's pockets), is to symbolically destroy his memory. And they are triangles is because it seems Hamen wore a triangular-shaped hat (how fashionable!).

Anywho, unfortunately I don't really have a personal story behind hamentashen other than that are yummy, and I'm sick of spending $5 for 6 of them at Whole Foods. Guess what? I like mine better, though the ones at Whole Foods are definitely prettier (the picture at the top is of one of the good ones that I made...scroll down for a glimpse at how most of the rest of the gang came out).

Note: I found this dough really, really sticky and it was hard to work quickly with it, which is why I think my cookies were so sad looking in the end. If they were colder when they went into the oven, maybe they wouldn't have collapsed as much.

Apricot Hamentaschen
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold butter
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup apricot preserves

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and baking powder. Then, using a pastry blender (or 2 knives in a criss-crossing motion), cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles a crumb consistency.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in to larger bowl and mix until the dough creates a ball. Add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out 1/4 of the dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter or drinking glass (I used a 4" drinking glass). Spoon 1 teaspoon of apricot preserves into the center of each round. Bring up the edges to create 3 sides, and pinch corners together (wet your fingers if the dough won't stay closed). Places formed cookies 2" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is used.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown the bottom and on corners. Transfer to a wire rack immediately.

Yields 24 cookies (using a 3"round cookie cutter; I got 20 with a 4" glass)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

If you are a loyal reader of my blog, you'll know that I am no good at making cookies. So I give up. I'm throwing in the towel. But that doesn't mean I've given up on baking all together. I've made a successful brownie in the past, so why not try a cookie in a brownie form.

More commonly known as a blondie, these chocolate chips bars are the real deal. I'm not calling them blondies though. since traditionally blondies have nuts in them, and I am not a nut person. I might be nutty sometimes, but I like to keep the nuts out of my brownies and blondies.

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp) butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8x8 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and vanilla. Slowly pour in the butter and sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Mix in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Yields 9 bars.

WW info:
Click here

Chocolate Chip Italian-Style Cheesecake

My mother-in-law asked me to bring a dessert for Passover next weekend. Seeing as how I am not a dessert person (I mean in cooking, not eating), this was a whole new challenge for me and required a practice run this weekend. Cheesecake seemed to be a very scary attempt but a safe one for the holiday since it can easily be adjusted to accomodate, as the only thing that needs to be altered is the crust.

Cara from Cara's Cravings suggested a crust of ground up macaroons, which proved to be tasty on the final outcome, but I think it needs some work. It came out a little soggy and not quite deep enough, as the lip on the base of the springform pan prevented me from removing the cake from the base. I also think some water from the water bath seeped in, but thats easily prevented next time by better sealing the pan. I think that when I make this for next weekend, I will add more macaroons, not use the butter (as the macaroons are extremely moist as is), and brush some egg white over it when I pre-bake the crust. I will post again if I am successful with that attempt!


Crust
10 Passover chocolate macaroons (about 1" in diameter)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
cooking spray

Filling
1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
1 (8-ounce) block light (50% less fat) cream cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (cake meal for Passover)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache
1/2 cup Splenda
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 (4 oz) bar of semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place macaroons and cold butter in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Spray a 9" spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray and press macaroom crumbs into base to create an even crust. Place in center of oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven ad set aside.

To prepare filling, place cheeses in a bowl, and beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Add cake meal, sugar, vanilla, and yogurt to cheese mixture; beat until smooth. Add eggs and egg whites and beat in until just mixed (careful not to overbeat).

Wrap the base of the spring form pan tightly with tinfoil. Place in a large roasting pan. Pour filling over crust; gently stir in chocolate chips ensuring they are evenly distributed top to bottom. Fill roasting pan with hot water just enough to cover half the tin foil. Place roasting pan in oven and bake for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes, turn oven up to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes until set. Remove from water bath and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely until removing the springform pan.

To make the ganache, mix the Splenda, cocoa, and milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a light boil. Remove from heat and stir the entire chocolate bar, broken into pieces. If necessary, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed to keep the consistency (I had to add about 3). Spread evenly over the cake and chill until serving.

Yields 12 servings.

WW info: To come later

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Mr. Goodbar Cookies)

I yelled at my cookies. It's mean but they deserved it. This is about the umpteenth time that I have baked cookies AND THEY DIDN'T SPREAD! Is it because I used parchment paper? It was my first time ever using it, and I'm confused because I thought it served the same purpose as a Silpat, right? Which you can use with any cookie recipe, right? Is it my cookie sheets? Argh.

But they did come out miiiighty tasty. I think the old "smush with the bottom of a glass" technique will be employed the next time I make this recipe. Which I will.

Adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter together with an electric mixer on a high speed. Add in the egg and vanilla; beat until fluffy. With the mixer on a low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheets, forming 24 cookies total. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, press down on each dough ball. Then using a fork, create criss-cross marks across the top of each cookie. Bake for 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Yields 24 cookies.

WW info: 2 points per cookie.

BFCCCC

I finally made a successful cookie. The Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. But do I see all the hype over these allegedly heavenly cookies? Unfortunately, not really. Don't get me wrong...they were a delicious treat after all the diet treats I've been stomaching lately, but I don't think they tasted any different or looked any different than cookies from the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, which I made many times in years gone by before I went healthy. They were better than these healthy chocolate chip cookies, but I don't know that they are worth the time. Although, licking the bowl was the highlight of my day. And I definitely ate more than my fair share.


WW info:
2 points per cookie*
*The recipe as is on allrecipes.com is supposed to yield 18 HUGE cookies. You can easily get 36 good-sized cookies (that are still very large....one will be a very nice snack).

Snickerdoodle....Munchkins?

Another cookie attempt failed...or did it? I'm really trying here. I love snickerdoodles. Love them almost as much as warm chocolate chip cookies. So I finally decided to try to make them. I found a recipe that seemed simple and painless. I made one substitution (Splenda for sugar) and I wound up with treats just like Dunkin Donuts munchkins, not cookies.


Damn it....all I want is to make a successful cookie. Not that these were bad, but where did I go wrong? Was it the sugar substitution? The only other thing that may have caused my non-spreading was that I chilled the cookie sheets and dough separately before rolling out the dough, rather than doing it after as the recipe said. I didn't do that on purpose. I just misread the directions. If anyone has an insight, please share.

This is the recipe I used from Recipezaar.com, making the single substitution of Splenda for sugar. I halved it and got 16 cookies, but I think they were too big. I could have easily gotten 20-24.

WW info:
2 points per cookie.

Fudgy Brownies!

I found this recipe on Recipezaar.com accidentally. I wasn't even looking for snacks but it magically appeared on the screen. I figured I'd give them a try. For low-fat, I think they came out pretty damn good! I'll definitely make them again. Who can argue with a 2 point regular-size brownie? Since Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker are a no-no on Weight Watchers, a girl got to find some way to get a brownie into her diet, right? Because a life lived without brownie is no life at all.

2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup Splenda
1 egg
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Dust with cocoa, shaking out excess.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt margarine. Stir in cocoa, sugar, egg, applesauce and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gently stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 25 minutes or until set.

Cool completely and cut in 9 squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Yields 9 servings.

WW info: 2 points per brownie

Double Chocolate Cookies

I'm sad. I have been on a baking kick and I finally found the cookie that I really wanted to make in the Technicolor Kitchen. It's the same Martha Stewart recipe that several bloggers have been making and everyone seems to have pulled it off without fail. But alas, not I. Don't get me wrong....the end result was very, very tasty. Just not what I had a hankering for when I set out to make them.

Now of course, its my own fault for slightly altering the ingredients to accommodate my Weight Watchers lifestyle. But I really didn't think I changed it enough to completely alter the final product. I subbed Egg Beaters for egg, half the sugar for Splenda, and the white flour for wheat flour. And since it was an impulse baking event for me, I had to sub Nestle mini chocolate chips for the chocolate. I also didn't have parchment paper or a Silpat, but was advised that as long as my cookie sheets were greased properly, I'd be fine. Maybe that was where I went wrong. Or maybe I made them too small. Who knows.

The end story is that my cookies didn't really spread. The final result was very cake-y. Almost like brownie bites. Yummy, but not what I set out to make. My altered recipe is below. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a chewy, cakey cookie.


(half the original recipe)
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
100 grams (about 2 ounces) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt half the chocolate chips with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, Splenda, egg, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in remaining chocolate chips.

Using a rounded teaspoon, drop dough onto greased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes cookies. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.


WW info:
1 point per cookie

A Taste of NYC: Soft Pretzels

I did it.....I faced one of my biggest baking fears: yeast. How silly was I to be afraid of such a tiny little packet of powder? There has been a huge boom of soft pretzels in the blog circles I travel in and I picked I Shot the Chef's to follow. My dough didn't come out sticky or as smooth as she describes (I probably would follow her advice next time and not add the last 1/4 cup of flour)and I forgot to let the dough rise after dividing it up into balls AND after I shaped them into pretzels, but they came out great! I divided the dough up into 2 different size portions: 1 and 2 ounce balls for small and large pretzels. Of course, the end, I was sick of forming the pretzels so I starting making knots (like garlic knots) which I kind of like better.

WW info:
1 point per small pretzel/knot (one ounce of dough)
2 points per large pretzel (2 ounces of dough)

Chewy Chocolate Mint Bites

I recently had the pleasure of indulging in Dancing Deer's Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Oh my. I'm not a big mint person, but these cookies took the cake. Or took the cookie. Whatev. So I set out to try to replicate it as best as possible.

These little bites are inspired by a recipe from weightwatchers.com are close, but I guess since I'm not a baker, I can't expect myself to be able to replicate a professionally made cookie. Nonetheless, these came out nice a cris outside and chewy inside. The addition of the mint (which was part of my altering the original recipe) is really refreshing. I ate 2 bites about 30 minutes ago and my breath still feels minty fresh.

What kills me is that this is a "Weight Watchers" recipe. They are 1 point per BALL. They are only 1 inch each in diameter, which means you have to eat at least 3-4 for a real snack. Which means its really 3-4 points per serving, which defeats the WW purpose. At any rate, I've added the WW tag to this entry, but WW readers be advised that I wouldn't recommend it as a really great WW choice.

non-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3/4 cup Splenda
4 oz unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat two nonstick cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place cocoa, margarine and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer. Add applesauce, vanilla and peppermint; beat to blend. In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into cocoa batter with a wooden spoon. (Mixture will be on the dry side.) Shape batter into 48 marble-sized balls. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. (Note: cookies will cook in marble-shapes. They won't spread.)Remove from oven and allow cookies to stand for 1 minute. Remove to wire rack and cool; sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Note: Store extra cookies in freezer-safe containers or plastic bags to maintain their freshness.)

Yields 1 cookie per serving.

WW info: 1 point per cookie

WC Recipe Exchange Challenge: Oatmeal Cake!

This is my first time participating in any kind of "blog" event. A cooking chat board that I frequent decided to do an exchange of dessert recipes. The rules were simple: submit a recipe, and get a recipe that you have to cook and post in your blog. I was extremely nervous about this given that I am NOT a baker, so I did make one teeny, tiny request when submitting mine: that I don't get assigned a recipe that requires a Kitchen Aid mixer. Granted, you could technically make anything without one of these highly coveted small appliances, but I was hoping for something that might not involve a terribly complicated dough (since like I said, I am not a baker).

I was psyched for this recipe since I LOVE LOVE LOVE oatmeal. And pecans. And brown sugar. When I first read the recipe, for some reason it sounded like an ideal cake for a bundt. I don't know why, but it did. It was a little denser than your typical bundt cake (it didn't rise very much and kinf of jsut hung out in the bottom half of the bundt pan, but it worked (because you could drizzle all the topping gooey-ness over the outside AND inside edges). I had to increase the cooking time ALOT, but it was worth it.

I've posted the original recipe with my changes red. I did make a significant number of changes to accommodate the Weight Watchers fans out there.

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup quick or old fashioned oats (I used quick for a finer texture)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (I used light butter since thats what I always have on hand)
1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend...you use 1/2 cup to every cup of brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix boiling water and oats together and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs to creamed mixture. Add oatmeal mixture and mix well.

Stir flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together and add slowly to wet mixture. Pour into a 13" x 9" pan sprayed with non-stck cooking spray and bake for 30-40 minutes till toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out dry. (To bake in bundt pan, increae cooking time to 65-75 minutes.)

Topping
1 cup brown sugar (I only used 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (I used only 1/4 cup light butter)
2 tbsp evaporated milk (I used 3 to compensate for the left out butter)
1 c coconut (I didn't use this...I hate coconut!)
1/2 c diced pecans

Melt brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk on medium heat in sauce pot until bubbly. Add coconut and pecans and pour over baked cake.

Put back in oven under the broiler until golden brown & bubbly. Cool and serve. (I didn't return the cake to the oven ... it was just fine at room temperature.)

Yields 24 slices.

WW info: 3 points per slice.

Pecan Chocolate Tart

Oh. My. God. This desert was amazing! I saw it on the cover of November's Cooking Light and thought it looked delicious. And my luck...it was the easiest recipe ever! I am NOT a baker so this was right up my alley. Everyone raved about it and I think this is my new "it" dessert.

Here is a link to original recipe. Here's a list of my changes:

• the original recipe called for bourbon - i used chocolate liquor.
• the original recipe called for molasses - I used honey (I didn't need to buy whole bottle for 2 Tbsp worth, plus the brown sugar provided plenty of molasses flavor)
• the original recipe called for bittersweet chocolate - i used hot fudge ( i DID buy Ghiradelli chocolate, but it didnt melt properly at first and then it burned...thank god i had hot fudge in the fridge)
  

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons chocolate liquor
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 1/4 cup pecan halves
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury) cooking spray
1 ounce hot fudge sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in pecans. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Trim excess crust using a sharp knife. Spoon sugar mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over tart.

Yields 12 servings.

Oh yeah....

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cute cookies, but they taste just OK. The recipe was from WeightWatchers.com, so how much could I expect? The entire problem could have also been that I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar like the recipe called for. And I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. So maybe I'll try them again and follow the recipe exactly and give them another chance. But for 1 point per cookie, I'd rather eat a reduced-fat Oreo.

WW info: 1 point per cookie.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

OK, there's 5 minutes of baking involved. But other than that, its really easy and I guarantee that won't be a crumb left. I brought this to work today for a pot-luck luncheon and it DISAPPEARED. Save yourself a piece before you serve.

1 egg white
1 premade Oreo pie crust
1 cup + 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
12 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (12 ounce) jar of hot fudge

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat the egg white in a small bowl and brush pie crust with egg white and bake for 5 minutes. Allow crust to cool completely before adding filling.

Using an electric hand mixer, beat 1 cup peanut butter, sugar, and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Gently fold in 3 cups of whipped topping. Spoon mixture into pie crust and smooth to edges.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of hot fudge in a plastic sandwich baggie and set aside. Heat the rest of the hot fudge in microwave for one minute (remove metal cap from jar!). Stir and spread to cover peanut butter mixture evenly to the edges. Refrigerate until serving (at least one hour).

Just before serving, spread remaining whipped topping over hot fudge layer. Knead hot fudge in the baggie until soft. Snip a corner off the bag and drizzle in parallel lines over whipped topping. Follow same instructions for the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and drizzle in opposite direction of fudge.

Topping Alternatives:
Skip the fudge and PB drizzle and sprinkle Reeses Pieces over top (as shown above) OR smash Reese's PB cups or Oreos and sprinkle crumbs over top.

Yields 8-12 servings.

Apple-Cinnamon Wontons

This recipe comes from Weight Watchers. I used 1 Mac apple and ! Golden Delish instead of 2 Macs. I also didn't "mince" the apples, which made for difficult assembly as triangles, but came out just as delicious as rectangles. Its really hard to fold triangles anyway when the wrappers don't come as perfect squares!!!! The original recipe also called for serving light vanilla ice cream, but since I have to willpower to not eat the whole tub of ice cream, I opted for a scoop of frozen Cool Whip.

butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray
1 medium McIntosh apple, peeled, cored and minced
1 medium Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and minced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
24 wonton wrappers
powdered sugar for garnish


In a medium bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon; toss to coat apples.

Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop a litle less than one tablespoon of the apple mixture into the center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surfaces with cooking spray.

Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sift powdered sugar on top and serve with ice cream or cool whip on the side.

Yields 6 servings (4 wontons per serving)

WW info:
2 points per serving (does not include ice cream or cool whip).

Diet Coke Cupcakes!!!!

WOW! No, seriously. Whoever came up with this ingenious concoction is brilliant. I used Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix and plain old Diet Coke. The frosting is light Cool Whip and sugar free/fat free instant vanilla pudding. I topped them with semi-sweet mini chips for fun.

WW info: 3 points per cupcake.