Discover how delicious healthy food can taste!
DESSERTS
This cheesecake is creamy and rich tasting, but significantly lower in saturated fat and calories than most recipes because pureed low-fat cottage cheese is substituted for much of the cream cheese. It is hard to believe that you can “bake” a cheesecake in a pressure cooker in just 20 minutes, but remember that cheesecake is essentially a custard and is traditionally cooked in the moist environment of a water bath. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can bake the cheesecake conventionally in the oven.
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Lots more recipes coming soon!
The perfect treat for summer when fresh berries are at their peak! Frozen berries can be substituted for fresh, but baking time will be a little longer. The secret to this free-form tart is the layer of ground almonds under the berries. It thickens the juices, preventing a soggy crust, and delivers an exquisite background flavor to the berries.
I can think of no better way to celebrate sweet summer cherries than by baking them into a clafouti, which is a French country dessert. This fruity pudding is a cross between a custard and baked pancake. It is easy to make and ever-so-comforting. You will need to allow time to pit the cherries–consider enlisting the help of your family and friends.
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Many fruit desserts are enhanced by an accompaniment of vanilla ice cream. This lower-fat ice cream is so fast and easy to make you can serve it as an impromptu dessert. The magic ingredient is buttermilk, which has a creamy consistency and refreshing tart flavor but is very low in fat.
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A tarte tatin is a classic French apple tart showcasing a topping of glistening caramelized apples. I have adapted the concept to Vermont by substituting maple syrup for sugar and using local apples—to produce stunning results. As long as you have a good heavy ovenproof skillet (old-fashioned cast iron is perfect), this is an easy dessert to make. It is important to use Jonagold or Golden Delicious apples because they hold their shape well during baking.
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Fruity Pizza Tart. I developed this recipe for a story on April Fool's Day joke desserts for EatingWell in 1996. I continue to make this tart frequently because, not only is it fun, it is a delicious and colorful fruit dessert. To emulate a savory pizza, raspberry sauce stands in for tomato sauce, white chocolate subs for mozzarella and dried strawberries (available in the bulk sections of natural foods stores) have an uncanny resemblance to pepperoni (they are probably healthier too!). This is a great dessert to take to a potluck or party because it is easy to eat without a plate or utensils.
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Pear-Raspberry Clafouti. A clafouti is a simple French country dessert that is best described as a custardy baked pancake with fruit. It is typically made with cherries, but clafouti can be made with just about any fruit. Delicate pears, accented with late-season tart raspberries (frozen are just fine too), are an excellent choice for fall. I have been trying to use less processed sweeteners like honey and maple syrup in my recipes, and I have found that honey works well in this recipe. A little granulated sugar sprinkled on the baking dish and on top of the custard gives the clafouti it nice crust.
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It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie! This lower-fat version is distinguished by a seasoning of crystallized ginger and an attractive swirl of sour cream, which provides a creamy contrast to the spicy pumpkin filling. The mellow and floral sweetness of honey pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
