Double Delicious (23 page)

FILLING

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
  
• 2 cups marshmallow cream
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl or shake in a zipper-lock plastic bag until combined.
  
• 2.
  In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat the oil and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until well combined. Add the egg whites and mix on low until well blended. Blend in the spinach puree and vanilla.
  
• 3.
  Alternately add in the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing until smooth and just combined.
  
• 4.
  Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray. Place tablespoonfuls of batter about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake until the cakes are cooked through and spring back to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  
• 5.
  Make the filling. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together all the ingredients until smooth, about 3 minutes. Spread a rounded tablespoonful of filling on the flat sides of half of the cakes and top with the remaining cakes.
  

1 serving = 1 pie Calories: 345, Carbohydrate: 55 g, Protein: 3 g, Total Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Sodium: 165 mg, Fiber: 2 g

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I love this cake with a nice hot cup of tea. My kids enjoy it with a glass of cold low-fat milk.

QUICK!

Prep:
20 minutes

Total:
1 hour 10 minutes

Yield:
16 slices

• Nonstick cooking spray
  
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
  
• ¼ cup reduced-fat cream cheese
  
• ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup light olive oil
  
• 2 large egg whites
  
• ½ cup
  carrot puree
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  
• ¼ cup lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
  
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  
• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour
  
• ¼ cup flaxseed meal
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  

• 1.
  Coat a 1-pound loaf pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
• 2.
  In a large bowl, mash the sugar and cream cheese with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in the olive oil, egg whites, carrot puree, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Mix well until smooth.
  
• 3.
  Add the flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined—the batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour the dough into loaf pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  
• 4.
  Bake until the cake begins to brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for five minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  

Sascha:
I love lemon cake, lemon sorbet, lemonade, lemon cookies, lemon bars, lemon EVERYTHING!

1 serving = 1 slice

Calories: 158, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Protein: 3 g, Total Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 170 mg, Fiber: 3 g

Cherries Jubilee Brownies

My husband is powerless to resist the chocolate-cherry combination and the cream cheese topping.

QUICK!

Prep:
20 minutes

Total:
1 hour

Yield:
Makes 12 brownies

• Nonstick cooking spray
  
• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• ²
  /
  ₃
  cup bittersweet chocolate chips (4 ounces), melted
  
• ½ cup granulated sugar
  
• ½ cup
  spinach puree
  
• 2 large egg whites
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• ²
  /
  ₃
  cup all-purpose flour
  
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
  
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 (10-ounce) bag “no sugar added” frozen cherries, defrosted, liquid drained (about 1½ cups cherries)
  

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
  
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
  
• 1 large egg white
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the oil, chocolate chips, sugar, spinach puree, egg whites, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend on low speed, 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the cherries. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth with a rubber spatula.
  
• 2.
  Make the topping. In a separate bowl, blend the cream cheese, flour, and confectioners’ sugar. Add the egg white and vanilla, and mix until creamy.
  
• 3.
  Dot the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter. Run a toothpick through the cream cheese mixture to make swirls. Bake until the edges of the brownie are firm but the center is still soft, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and then cut into 12 squares.
  

1 serving = 1 brownie Calories: 184, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Protein: 3.5 g, Total Fat: 8.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Sodium: 110 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g

Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies

This combination of flavors is so delicious, so fragrant, just perfect.

QUICK!

Prep:

10 minutes

Total:

30 minutes

Yield:

Makes 48 cookies

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy)
  
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup
  
• ½ cup
  carrot puree
  
• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• ½ cup raisins
  
• Nonstick cooking spray
  

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  
• 2.
  In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, carrot puree, canola oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  
• 3.
  Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture. Turn the batter over with a spatula about 7 times. Do not overmix! There will be dry spots. Stir in raisins.
  
• 4.
  While the batter is resting, spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheets 1 inch apart. Fill a small bowl with water and, using a fork, press down on the dough, making a crisscross on each cookie. Wet the fork each time.
  
• 5.
  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool before packing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  

Jerry:

If these are left out at night, it is highly unlikely there will be any left in the morning.

1 serving = 2 cookies

Calories: 166, Carbohydrate: 20 g, Protein: 4 g, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 135 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g

Chocolate Chip Cookies