Saturday, December 05, 2009

Cherry-Almond Biscotti

Snacks
POINTS Value: 2
Servings: 22
Preparation Time: 11 min
Cooking Time: 50 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Store extra biscotti in an airtight container for up to five days.

Ingredients
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup(s) dried cherries, chopped
1/3 cup(s) slivered almonds, toasted
1 spray(s) cooking spray

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next four ingredients in a large bowl. Combine egg, egg whites, almond extract and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in cherries and almonds (dough will be dry and crumbly). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead five to six times. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 to 5 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; flatten each roll to 1-inch thickness.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Cut each roll diagonally into 1⁄2-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray; bake 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 22 servings (serving size: 1 cookie).

Friday, December 04, 2009

Vanilla Fudge Truffles

Desserts
POINTS Value: 1

Servings: 24

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 90 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Try this tasty treat.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
1 cup(s) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup(s) light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
Reserve 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder on a sheet of wax paper. In a food processor or in a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, blend remaining ½ cup of cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla extract.

Drop cream cheese mixture by rounded teaspoons into reserved cocoa powder, making 24 truffles; roll into balls, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Yields 1 truffle per serving.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Cranberry Cookie Kisses

Desserts
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 20
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 120 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

These bite-size sweet morsels are sure to please all of your Christmas guests.

Ingredients
3 large egg white(s), at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup(s) sugar
1/4 cup(s) canned cranberry sauce, whole berry
1/3 cup(s) dried cranberries, about 80 cranberries

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°F. Coat 2 large sheet pans with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form; gradually beat in sugar until mixture is very stiff and shiny. Gradually fold in cranberry sauce (you can add a few drops of red food coloring at this point, if desired) while beating for 1 minute.

Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheet pans; press 1 dried cranberry into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 2 hours. Cool completely before removing from pans. Store in airtight containers. Yields about 4 cookies per serving.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Holiday Brussels Sprouts

Side Dishes
POINTS Value: 2

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

This red and green side dish is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner.

Ingredients
1 pound(s) Brussels sprouts, steamed
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup(s) dried cranberries

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8 X 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place Brussels sprouts in bottom of prepared pan. (Note: If you can't find fresh Brussels sprouts, use frozen ones that have been thawed; just decrease the cooking time below by about 10 to 15 minutes.)

Combine maple syrup, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl; pour over Brussels sprouts. Stir in cranberries and bake, covered, until tender and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Frozen Two-Mousse Terrine

Desserts
POINTS Value: 3
Servings: 10
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Nothing says Christmas like this luscious pink and white mousse cake. Keep one in your freezer for last minute guests.

Ingredients
24 oz fat-free whipped topping, defrosted if frozen
1/2 cup(s) sweetened frozen whole strawberries
3/4 cup(s) Egg Beaters Refrigerated Egg Whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 medium strawberries, sliced

Instructions
Line a large loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure to leave extra wrap hanging over edges. (Note: To get the wrap completely into the edges, place the plastic wrap into the pan and fill the pan with water. Press the wrap into the corners and then pour out the water.)

Puree frozen, sweetened berries in a food processor or blender.

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly add in sugar and beat to soft peaks; set aside. (Note: Since this dessert is not cooked, please make sure you only use pasteurized egg whites as recommended above.)

Place half of whipped topping in a medium bowl. Fold in berry puree and then fold in half of meringue (egg mixture). Pour strawberry mixture into loaf pan and place in freezer for 5 minutes.

Place remaining whipped topping into a medium bowl. Fold in vanilla and then fold in remaining meringue (egg mixture).

Remove loaf pan from freezer. Top strawberry mousse with sliced fresh berries and then top berries with vanilla mousse. Smooth with back of a spoon, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm. Keep frozen for up to 1 month.

To serve, remove mousse from pan by grabbing onto plastic wrap. Flip onto a chilled plate and remove plastic wrap completely. Slice into 10 pieces and serve immediately.