Desserts - Double-Post Thursday

Yes, here it is, Double-Post Thursday. Here are six yummy dessert recipes to help you through the rest of the day. Enjoy!

WARM BROWNIE WEDGES WITH JAVA CREAM

This recipe begins, “Dense wedges of chewy chocolate are paired with a sweet coffee-flavored cream and fresh berries.”

Yield 8 servings

Serving size 1/8 brownie, 2 tablespoons cream and 1/4 cup berries

Source: "The Heart-Smart Diabetes Kitchen" by Chef Nancy Hughes

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=1263

View recipe with photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1263.shtml

Watch video on how to make it: http://diabeticgourmet.com/media/67.shtml

Ingredients

Wedges

Canola oil cooking spray

2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1/3 cup white whole-wheat flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar substitute blend

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

4 ounces fat-free whipped topping

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup blackberries or blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F.

Coat 9-inch, nonstick springform pan or cake pan with canola oil cooking spray.

Combine flours, cocoa and baking powders, 1 tablespoon coffee granules and salt in medium bowl.

Combine sugar, canola oil, egg substitute and vanilla in another medium bowl; mix well. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, and stir until just blended. Batter will be very thick.

Spoon into bottom of pan; spread evenly by coating the back of a spoon with cooking spray. Bake for 11 minutes or until slightly puffed. (Mixture will not be completely cooked at this point, but it will continue to cook while standing without overcooking and drying out.)

Place pan on a wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove sides of the pan and gently remove from bottom or leave on bottom and place on a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. When cooled completely, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

To make cream, combine water with 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules in a medium bowl, and stir until dissolved. Add whipped topping; whisk until a sauce consistency is reached. For thinner sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk.

Refrigerate until needed. To serve, cut into wedges, spoon mocha cream on top, and sprinkle with berries.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 260; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 10 g; Sodium: 145 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 36 g

PEAR CRANBERRY CLAFOUTIS

This is from the fall issue of UnitedHealthCare's magazine, Renew. It begins, “A Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert — a cross between a flan and a German pancake. Whole grain flour adds a nice nutty flavor and blends well with the pear, cranberry and almonds.”

1 teaspoon softened butter

3 medium pears (any kind)

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen (drained) cranberries, divided

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon sugar substitute

1⁄2 cup whole grain flour

1⁄2 cup sliced almonds, divided

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Peel, core and slice pears into 12 slices each and toss with the lemon juice and zest. Arrange pears in the buttered dish. Sprinkle pears with 1⁄4 cup of the cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Add almond extract, sugar substitute and whole grain flour. Finely chop 1⁄4 cup of the sliced almonds and stir into the batter.

Pour batter over the pears and sprinkle with the remaining cranberries and almonds. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown on the edges and set in the center.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Serves 8.

Calories: 142, Total Fat: 6.2g, Saturated Fat: 1.3g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 52mg, Carbs: 19g, Dietary Fiber: 3.7g, Sugar: 8.4g, Protein: 5.6g

ROASTED APPLE AND RAISIN PIE WITH ORANGE YOGURT CUSTARD

This is from the fall issue of UnitedHealthCare's magazine, Renew. This recipe begins, “Many pie recipes rely on sugar and starch to thicken up a pie filling. Roasting the fruit before filling the pie reduces excess moisture and concentrates the natural sugars in the fruit so adding sugar isn’t necessary. A light, creamy yogurt custard balances the fruit and spice. The oatmeal crust holds up well with the addition of ground flax seed, which acts as a binder and adds fiber and crunch.”

Filling:

6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

zest and juice of one orange, zest used for custard topping

2 tablespoons raisins

Oatmeal Pie Crust:

1 cup quick oats

4 tablespoons ground golden flax seed

1⁄2 cup walnuts

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce

Custard:

3⁄4 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt

2 eggs, beaten

reserved orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sugar substitute

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cubed apples with cinnamon, salt and orange juice in a 9-by-9-inch baking pan and roast until tender, about 35– 40 minutes. While apples are roasting, prepare crust by blending the oats, flax seed, walnuts and salt together in a food processor (or blender) until crumbly. Stir in applesauce and mix until oats are evenly moistened.

Butter a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Press all but 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into the dish, evenly along the bottom and up the sides. Reserve remaining 2 tablespoons of crust for the streusel topping.

Bake crust at 375 for 10–12 minutes, until lightly browned. When the roasting apples have softened, remove from the oven and stir in the raisins. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before spooning into the pre-baked pie crust.

Whisk yogurt, eggs, orange zest, vanilla, sugar substitute and cornstarch together in a small bowl and pour over the apple filling. Bake until custard is set, about 20–25 minutes. Allow pie to cool for at least an hour before cutting.

Serves 8.

Calories: 229, Total Fat: 8.2g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 175mg, Carbs: 36g, Dietary Fiber: 6.5g, Sugar: 19g, Protein: 7.5g

SWEET POTATO PIE WITH CASHEW CREAM

This is from the fall issue of UnitedHealthCare's magazine, Renew. This recipe begins, “When roasted, the “sweet” in sweet potatoes intensifies. Dates add more natural sweetness, with a low glycemic index. The “silken”-style tofu is usually found in the Asian section of most grocery stores and generally doesn’t need to be stored in the refrigerator.”

1 prepared pie crust

Pie Filling:

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

4 dates, pitted and chopped

1 (12.5 ounce) package extra firm silken tofu

pinch sea salt

Cashew Cream:

1⁄2 cup raw cashews

2 dates, pitted

1⁄4 cup water

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a baking pan. Roast the sweet potatoes until tender, about 45–50 minutes. Remove peels when cool enough to handle.

Place sweet potatoes in the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and add the remaining filling ingredients. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally.

Pour filling mixture into the prepared pie crust. Bake pie in the oven at 375 degrees for 45–50 minutes, until it no longer jiggles.

While the pie is baking, soak cashews and dates in 1⁄4 cup water for at least an hour. Blend in a blender or food processor with the vanilla extract and sea salt until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The pie will slice best when cooled at least two hours at room temperature and then refrigerated for at least another hour. Serve each slice of pie with a dollop of the cashew cream.

Serves 8.

Calories: 284, Total Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 0g, Sodium: 383mg, Carbs: 35g, Dietary Fiber: 5.2g, Sugar: 17g, Protein: 7.6g

TIP: If you are using a frozen pie crust that comes in an aluminum tin, but still want to bake your pie in a pretty ceramic pie plate, just transfer the crust over while it’s still frozen.

MEYER LEMON TART

This is from Amanda Hesser at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, “The Meyer lemon has always been something of a California secret, and every year when its brief growing season begins there, eager cooks sigh with relief. The Meyer is not as assertive as the common supermarket varieties, but it offers so much more in nuanced flavor that it is unforgettable. And these days, the Meyer's secret is finally out. A Meyer lemon contains about four times the sugar of a regular lemon, but it can be used almost interchangeably with the traditional varieties, adding a rounder edge to both sweet and savory dishes. And you can use the whole thing – from pulp to peel. This gorgeous tart is the ideal way to showcase its seductive fragrance and flavor. (Regular lemons will work well in this recipe too, but you'll likely want to add a bit more sugar.)”

Yield: One 10-inch tart; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “All Perfume, No Pucker” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Crust

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 tablespoon milk

12 ounces (about 2 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Lemon Curd

1 1/4 pound (5 or 6) Meyer lemons

1 cup sugar

5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan

7 large egg yolks

5 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.

Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.

While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.

In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.

PEACH AND RASPBERRY CRUMBLE

This is from Diabetes Self-Management

Yield: 6 servings.

Prep time: 15 minutes. Baking time: 30-35 minutes.

Butter-flavor cooking spray

1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in juice, drained

1 package (12 oz) unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed

1 C quick-cooking oats, uncooked

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted

2 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8”X8” baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange peach slices evenly in bottom of the pan. Sprinkle raspberries evenly over peaches. Set aside. In bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon and mix with fork, breaking up brown sugar clumps. Add margarine & honey; stir to combine. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake uncovered for 30 – 35 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly. Portion into 6 equal servings. Serve alone or over low-fat, no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream.

Per serving: Calories: 185; Carbs: 33g; Fat: 4 g (sat. fat: 1 g); Sodium: 70 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 fat

Saturday Recipes

I know, I know. It's Saturday, and I'm posting on Confessions of a Foodie. I figure that since I've posted links to this blog late all week, I'd post a Saturday blog. The blog has actually updated early all week (before 8:00 a.m.), but because of a new job, the links haven't been posted online until later. (Feel free to check here before the links show up on Facebook and Twitter.)

And how, here are six diabetic recipes to help you through the rest of the weekend, including Pear Cranberry Clafoutis and Super Chili. Enjoy!

PEAR CRANBERRY CLAFOUTIS

This is from the fall issue of UnitedHealthCare's magazine, Renew. It begins, “A Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert — a cross between a flan and a German pancake. Whole grain flour adds a nice nutty flavor and blends well with the pear, cranberry and almonds.”

1 teaspoon softened butter

3 medium pears (any kind)

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen (drained) cranberries, divided

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon sugar substitute

1⁄2 cup whole grain flour

1⁄2 cup sliced almonds, divided

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Peel, core and slice pears into 12 slices each and toss with the lemon juice and zest. Arrange pears in the buttered dish. Sprinkle pears with 1⁄4 cup of the cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Add almond extract, sugar substitute and whole grain flour. Finely chop 1⁄4 cup of the sliced almonds and stir into the batter.

Pour batter over the pears and sprinkle with the remaining cranberries and almonds. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown on the edges and set in the center.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Serves 8.

Calories: 142, Total Fat: 6.2g, Saturated Fat: 1.3g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 52mg, Carbs: 19g, Dietary Fiber: 3.7g, Sugar: 8.4g, Protein: 5.6g

INSTANT POT ROAST

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen, and can be viewed online at https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/instant-pot-roast-recipe.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients

1/4cup dried porcini, rehydrated

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons olive oil

One 4-to-4 1/2-pound chuck roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

Place the dried porcini in a small heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let rehydrate while you sear the chuck roast.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper, and sear, turning as needed, until the entire roast is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the seared roast to the bowl of an Instant Pot.

To the pot that you seared the roast in, add the tomato paste, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaves and onion, and cook until the vegetables are softened and the paste begins to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the stock and red wine vinegar. Pour the contents over the chuck roast in the Instant Pot, along with the rehydrated porcini and their soaking liquid.

Seal the Instant Pot according to the manufacturer's instructions and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Let depressurize, then remove the roast and transfer to a cutting board to slice. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the vegetables onto a platter and fan slices of the pot roast over top. Drizzle the cooking liquid on top, then serve.

PICADILLO

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Picadillo is one of the great dishes of the Cuban diaspora: a soft, fragrant stew of ground beef and tomatoes, with raisins added for sweetness and olives for salt. Versions of it exist across the Caribbean and into Latin America. This one combines ground beef with intensely seasoned dried Spanish chorizo in a sofrito of onions, garlic and tomatoes, and scents it with red-wine vinegar, cinnamon and cumin, along with bay leaves and pinches of ground cloves and nutmeg. For the olives you may experiment with fancy and plain, but rigorous testing here suggests the use of pimento-stuffed green olives is the best practice. A scattering of capers would be welcome as well.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “The Ultimate Cuban Comfort Food: Picadillo”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and chopped

2 ounces dried chorizo, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped, or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 bay leaves

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of nutmeg

2/3 cup raisins

2/3 cup pitted stuffed olives

Preparation

Put the olive oil in a large, heavy pan set over a medium-high flame, and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onions, chorizo and garlic, stir to combine and cook until the onions have started to soften, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the ground beef, and allow it to brown, crumbling the meat with a fork as it does. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Add tomatoes, vinegar, cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves, cloves and nutmeg and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and let the stew simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.

Uncover the pan, and add the raisins and the olives. Allow the stew to cook for another 15 minutes or so, then serve, accompanied by white rice.

CUBAN-STYLE ARROZ CONGRI

This is from Kim Severson, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kim wrote, “The combination of white rice and black beans is a Cuban staple. Black beans served on top of or next to white rice is most commonly called Moros y Cristianos, a reference to the medieval battle between Islamic Moors and Christian Spaniards on the Iberian Peninsula. When rice and beans are mixed with sautéed aromatic vegetables and sometimes bits of pork, the result is called congrí. (In some Cuban households, it is also called Moros y Cristianos.) As a rule, congrí is a fluffier and drier dish than Moros y Cristianos. Yolanda Horruitiner, who has lived in Cuba for all of her 70 years, makes this simple version of congrí without pork or cumin, which is a staple in some versions. Feel free to add either to the sofrito base. This recipe uses a stovetop to cook both the rice and beans, although the dish can be assembled more quickly using a pressure cooker and rice cooker and making the sofrito in a separate sauté pan, then mixing it into the rice before it’s all cooked.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.

This was featured in “For Cuban Home Cooks, Ingenuity and Luck Are Key Ingredients” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon dry red wine, or vino seco. Since I don’t keep alcohol around, I would substitute 1 tablespoon water.

Ingredients

1 cup dried black beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small green pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

5 or 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

2 small bay leaves

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon dry red wine, or vino seco

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed

Preparation

Rinse the beans and pick them over for any small stones. Put the beans and 8 cups water in a medium-size pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partly cover and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours. (Time will vary depending on the bean.)

Meanwhile, make the sofrito: Put the oil in a medium-size pot (large enough to hold the rice as well) over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are limp. Stir in the oregano, dill and bay leaves and remove from heat.

Drain the beans, reserving the broth and being careful to not break the beans. In a large measuring cup, add the vinegar and wine, 1 cup of the reserved bean broth and enough water for all the liquid to measure 2 1/4 cups.

Put the sofrito back on medium heat, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the seasoned bean broth/water mixture and the salt. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and return cover to pot for 10 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and put rice mixture into a mixing bowl. Gently mix in the beans, being careful not to break them. Season well with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot.

SUPER CHILI

One of my inventions, this can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

2 C pinto beans

2 T oil or butter

4 C water

1 lb. ground beef

4 – 8 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 lb. bacon, chopped

2 – 4 onions, chopped

28 oz. can tomatoes (undrained)

2 T chili powder

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 tsp. oregano

1 T chili powder

Soak beans in water for several hours. Drain & place in 4 C water. Add 2-4 cloves garlic, 1 onion & 1 T chili powder. Bring to boil, stir, reduce heat, cover & simmer several hours, or until soft & creamy. Add tomato paste & 1 T chili powder & water as needed. Stir, cover & let simmer 30 more minutes. While beans are simmering, brown 1-3 onions, 2-4 cloves garlic & ground beef in butter. Add to beans. Cook bacon & add to beans. Add tomatoes, oregano & 1 T chili powder. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours. Great for anyone who likes good, hot chili. Better the next day.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

From Diabetic Connect

To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/2418-broccoli-cheese-soup

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 cup half & half - fat free

4 ounces cheddar cheese

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon onion

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 cups broccoli florets - bite-size

Directions

Combine chicken broth, water, half & half, cheese, flour, onion and pepper in a large saucepan. Whisk to break up any lumps of flour; turn heat to medium/high. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat to low.

Add broccoli and simmer for 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender, but not soft.

For each serving spoon one cup of soup into a bowl and garnish with a Tbsp. of shredded cheese and a pinch of parsley.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Each (app 1 1/2 cup) serving contains an estimated: Cals: 126; FatCals 42; TotFat: 5 g: SatFat: 3 g; PolyFat: 0 g; MonoFat: 2 g; Chol: 14 mg; Na: 253 mg; K: 368 mg; TotCarbs: 15 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 5 g; NetCarbs: 13 g; Protein: 9 g