Tag Archives: vanilla

Strawberry Shortcake

Where do I begin? Sweet angel food cake? No, that was good, but that’s not the start. Luscious homemade whipped cream? No, as decadent as that was, it’s not the start of the story. The best, best part of this was the strawberry mix – – combing the balsamic and sugar along with the berries enhanced the flavor so much that it was like eating strawberries to the 10th power. It was just wonderful ! When you combined that flavor with the whipped cream and cake, this was just the most perfect dessert. I think it was way better than regular Strawberry Shortcake !

At only 160 calories, there is plenty of room to add some chocolate sauce – I’ll have to try that next time 🙂

Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake

4 servings
160 calories per serving

4 2 ½ inch thick slices Angel Food Cake (prepared)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
½ T balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
¼ c heavy cream
¼ t vanilla

Mix berries with vinegar and ½ T sugar and let sit. Combine cream, vanilla and ½ T sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Top each slice of cake with cream and strawberries.

Coconut Candy Bars

Delightful !! It’s basically a homemade Mound’s Bar but even more delicious ! Add a few nuts if you prefer Almond Joys 🙂 You don’t even miss the chocolate on the bottom – there is more than enough here ! Each bar is a GOOD size.

Coconut Candy Bars
Coconut Candy Bars

8 servings
203 calories per serving

1 ¼ c unsweetened coconut
½ c skim milk
2 t unflavored gelatin
1 t cornstarch
1 t vanilla
1/2 c Melted Semisweet Chocolate for drizzling

Combine ¼ c coconut, milk, gelatin and cornstarch in a blender until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened then remove from heat and stir in vanilla and the rest of the coconut. Form into 8 bars and cool completely then drizzle with melted chocolate.

Neopolitan Pops (from the Zoku recipe book)

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.

Neopolitan Pops
Neopolitan Pops

6 servings
113 calories per serving

Strawberry Layer
3 ½ oz. hulled and quartered strawberries
3 T skim milk
1 T light sour cream
1 T + 1 t sugar
1 ½ t vanilla extract
½ t heavy cream

Combine the strawberries and milk in a blender until smooth and then press through a fine mesh sieve so you strain out the seeds – I usually run a spoon back and forth over the berries and that pushes the mix through the sieve pretty good. You should end up with ¼ c plus 3 T of seedless puree. Whisk in the sour cream, sugar, vanilla and cream.

Vanilla Layer
¼ c + 2 T skim milk
2 ½ T heavy cream
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ t vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.

Chocolate Layer
1/3 c skim milk
2 ½ T chocolate syrup
1 T heavy cream
1 ½ t water
¼ t vanilla extract

Whisk all the ingredients together.

To make the pops in a Zoku, pour the strawberry layer 1/3 of the way up the mold and let freeze all the way. Then repeat with the vanilla and chocolate layers.

In traditional molds, freeze each layer at least an hour before adding the next and then freeze the whole thing 6 hours.

Toast the pecans in a skillet with the butter and sugar. Cook about 3 minutes stirring often. Let nuts cool completely.

In a saucepan over low heat whisk water and butterscotch morsels and cook until melted, but don’t boil. Cool 10 minutes then stir in the half and half and vanilla and then refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk occasionally so that a skin does not form on top of the mixture.

Working in 2 batches – place approximately 6 pecan halves in each mold and then pour in the butterscotch mixture up to the fill line. In 7-9 minutes you’ll have rich, flavorful pops that rival the experience of butter pecan ice cream 

If you are using traditional molds, freeze 6 hours.

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Sweet Potato Pie Deluxe

The creamy, decadent topping is what makes this pie super special. This one is just a little sweet and a lot yummy 🙂

Sweet Potato Pie Deluxe
Sweet Potato Pie Deluxe

12 servings
287 calories per serving

1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/3 c skim milk
145 oz can fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided
3 T brown sugar
2 T butter, melted
3/4 t ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 frozen pie crust bottom, thawed (or you can use refrigerated dough)
1/2 c low fat cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap potatoes in foil and bake 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until very tender (you can also jump start these by piercing and microwaving for 5 minutes). Let cool a bit and then scoop out flash and mash. Add milk, 1/4 c condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, 1/2 t cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix well then add eggs 1 at a time. Pour into thawed pie crust and bake 45 minutes or until set. Mix the rest of the cinnamon with the cream cheese and beat with a mixer then add 1/2 c plus 2T of the condensed milk and beat on medium. Pour over the pie and let stand 15 minutes then serve.

Pumpkin Dessert Bars

Rustic and homey – these pumpkin bars with pepitas are a great dessert for those who like desserts a little less sweet.

Pumpkin Dessert Bars
Pumpkin Dessert Bars

8 servings
264 calories per serving

½ c whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats
½ t baking soda
½ t cinnamon
½ t allspice
¼ t salt
½ c canned pure pumpkin
1 egg
¼ c canola oil
1 t vanilla
¼ c sugar
¼ c raw,. shelled pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 square baking pan with Pam. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Whisk together pumpkin. egg, oil, vanilla and sugar then stir pumpkin mix into the flour mix and stir in pumpkin seeds. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and then cut into 8 bars. Wrap bars individually and store in the refrigerator.

Vanilla Rounds

These are a delightfully plain cookie – sometimes all I want is just the flavor of a simple vanilla baked good without any pomp and circumstance. This is it ! And at only 21 calories a cookie, I can have 5 without any guilt. Dip them in coffee, serve with some yogurt of some fat free, sugar free pudding – or just indulge in their simple elegance.

Vanilla Rounds
Vanilla Rounds

24 servings
21 calories per serving (1 cookie)

2 eggs, separated
½ t baking powder
¼ t salt
¼ c sugar
2 t vanilla
¼ t grated lemon zest
½ c flour
Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat egg whites until foamy. Mix baking powder, salt, and sugar and slowly add to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Mix yolks, vanilla and zest and beat with a fork the fold into egg white mix. Sift flour over egg mix and fold until smooth. Use about 2 t of batter to make each cookie and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. Cool on sheets a few minutes and then move to racks. Cookies will crisp as they cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once completely cool.

Butter Pecan Ice Pops

I recently got a Zoku Quick Pop Maker. BEST THING EVER ! I love making pops but hate the wait time. Now I have ‘em in 7-9 minutes 🙂 This is one of the recipes I pulled from the Zoku book – of course, I’ve tweaked many of the recipes to suit my own tastes, bring down calories, and to get creative with the pops, but some are in their original goodness.

The maker gets sooo cold that sometimes the first batch come out with a crackling motif on them – looks kinda cool !

You can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂

Butter Pecan Ice Pops
Butter Pecan Ice Pops

6 servings
178 calories per serving

¾ c pecan halves
½ T salted butter
1 T brown sugar
¾ c water
2 ½ oz. butterscotch morsels
½ c half and half
½ t vanilla extract

Toast the pecans in a skillet with the butter and sugar. Cook about 3 minutes stirring often. Let nuts cool completely.

In a saucepan over low heat whisk water and butterscotch morsels and cook until melted, but don’t boil. Cool 10 minutes then stir in the half and half and vanilla and then refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk occasionally so that a skin does not form on top of the mixture.

Working in 2 batches – place approximately 6 pecan halves in each mold and then pour in the butterscotch mixture up to the fill line. In 7-9 minutes you’ll have rich, flavorful pops that rival the experience of butter pecan ice cream 🙂

If you are using traditional molds, freeze 6 hours.

Butterscotch Bars

Sweet, chewy, yummy Butterscotch Bars that the whole family will love !

Butterscotch Bars
Butterscotch Bars

36 servings
148 calories per serving

1 c packed brown sugar
5 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
9 oz. flour
2 1/2 c quick oats
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
Pam
3/4 c fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 c butterscotch morsels
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and butter with a mixer until light colored and then stir in egg and vanilla. Mix flour, oats, salt and baking soda then add this mix to the sugar mix stirring with a fork until combined. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with Pam and then take 3 c of the oat mix and press it into the pan making a crust. Heat morsels and condensed milk until morsels are all melted and then stir in nuts. Spread this mix over the crust and then sprinkle with the rest of the oat mix. Bake ½ hour or until golden brown. When it comes out of the oven, loosen the edges with a knife and then let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Mint Chip Pops

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results. Though the original recipe does not call for it, I always add a couple of drops of green food coloring – it just tastes more minty if it’s green – hehehe

Mint Chip Pops
Mint Chip Pops

6 servings
159 calories per serving

1 ½ c skim milk
3 T simple syrup (heat equal amounts sugar and water until sugar is all dissolved – cool)
1 t peppermint extract
½ t vanilla extract
Pinch salt
¼ c semi sweet chocolate chips
6 T magic shell (available in the ice cream section of your market)
A few drops of green food coloring (optional)

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients. If you want to chocolate chips in the pops (this method only pertains to pops made in a Zoku) dip the chips in the mint base then using tweezers, place the walls of the mold. Then pour in the mint base and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). If desired, add the quick shell by brushing on or watering down a bit and then dipping the pops into the shell – I usually leave mine bare 🙂

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Chocolate Drizzle Cookies

At 118 calories per cookie, these are a bit high cal, but they are so rich and so delicious that 2 definitely satisfy your sweets craving. A large portion of the calories is due to the walnuts in the recipe, but these are GREAT calories full of MUFA. So don’t feel too bad 😉 Serve with a nice Low Fat Latte for a great dessert.

Chocolate Drizzle Cookies
Chocolate Drizzle Cookies

30 servings
118 calories per serving

5 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 large egg
1 t vanilla
1 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/3 c flour
1/3 c walnuts, finely chopped
30 walnut halves
Chocolate Glaze (see below)

Beat butter on high 2 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and then stir in melted chocolate. Finally stir in flour and chopped nuts then cover and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and shape dough into 30 balls about 1 inch big and place on cookie sheets. Press a walnut half into each and bake 10-12 minutes and then cool completely. When cool, drizzle chocolate glaze on cookies and let sit until glaze is set.

Glaze:
Melt 1 oz. sweet baking chocolate and 1 T butter then add ¼ t vanilla, 1 c powdered sugar and 2 T skim milk.

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