Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat After Forty (41 page)

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SQUARES

Healthy Fats, Carbohydrates, Insulin Triggers
Level 2

Serves 12

I fell in love with this dessert at an Asian restaurant. I was able to sweet-talk the pastry chef into giving me the ingredient list. These squares are a good option for Level 2 since they contain no flour, and they are sinfully good! Just don’t talk yourself into more than one!

Butter a 9-by-9-inch pan.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from the heat. Transfer the melted chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the peanut butter and briefly set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk and salt to a boil. Add half of the milk to the peanut butter mixture and blend on low until incorporated, then add the remaining milk and blend until smooth. Increase the speed to high and whip for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and cooled to room temperature.
In a clean bowl, whip the cream just until soft mounds form. Do not overwhip. Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, cover, and let set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

To serve, run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the sides and cut into squares. Place the squares onto serving plates and garnish with chopped peanuts and shaved chocolate pieces. It’s best to soften these for about 10 minutes before serving.

PEPITA AND CACAO NIB BRITTLE

Healthy Fats, Carbohydrates
Level 1, Level 2

Makes 1½ cups

This is a great treat and made with good carbohydrates. You may have small amounts of this on Level 1, counting toward your Carbohydrates. This yummy chewy brittle helps keep you away from the sugary treats. Cacao is the unsweetened nib used to make chocolate. It’s available in most specialty shops and some grocery stores. It’s worth the hunt because when you want a treat, you will love having this brittle to nibble on to satiate that craving. There is quite a bit of SomerSweet in the recipe, so watch out for the fiber effect!

Coarsely chop the cacao nibs and transfer them to a small strainer. Save the powdery pieces for another dessert. Use the slightly larger pieces to make a clearer brittle.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until they begin to pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the seeds from heat and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment with a little butter.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sweetener, water, and cream of tartar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sweetener dissolves. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan lid and brush crystals from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Continue simmering for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the syrup begins to color. Watch closely because the caramel can burn quickly. Test the color of the caramel by drizzling a few drops on a white plate. When the color is medium to dark amber, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nibs, pepitas, and optional cayenne.

Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it as thinly as possible with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon.

Allow the brittle to cool completely, then break it into small pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE PECAN CAKES

Carbohydrates, Healthy Fats, Insulin Triggers
Level 2

Makes 12

These delicious individual cakes are made with ground pecans instead of flour. For you chocolate lovers, a great Level 2 dessert!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease twelve 4-ounce heatproof custard cups (or muffin tins).

Place the chocolate, butter, and sweetener into the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted.

In a separate bowl, combine the ground pecans and cocoa powder. Add the melted chocolate and whisk together. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined.

Spoon the batter into the cups or tins. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just slightly moist. Remove from the oven, and cool in the cups for at least 15 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Protein, Healthy Fats, Carbohydrates, Insulin Triggers
Level 2

Serves 6

Yummy, soft, chocolatey, and very low in sugar! You will never know the difference between this and a sugary dessert. This is just what chocolate mousse should be. For a Level 1 option, try my SUZANNE Chocolate Mousse Mix.

Place the chocolate in a large bowl, with a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl.

In a medium bowl, stir together the egg yolks. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and 2 tablespoons of the sweetener to a simmer, stirring until it has dissolved. Slowly pour the milk into the eggs, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the custard into the chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate has melted completely. Let cool to room temperature.