Sweet, Sweet Pineapple Delight

On Friday evening, I went to a Pampered Chef party.  For this Domestic Goddess, it was a nice way to spend a Friday evening.  I spent a couple of hours chatting with friends and trying out kitchen gadgets.  Very relaxing!

We had a taste of three different foods and one of them I knew I would have to make again.  Soon!  The moment I tasted these delightful creations, I knew that they were blog material.

What is it you ask?  Pineapple dipped in lemon zest and white sugar. 

Now, I don't know if it was because the Pampered Chef consultant was talking about lime being an aphrodisiac, but my mind did drift towards a sensual place when I tried them.

My friend described them as tasting like Life Savers and I would definitely agree with that statement.  These little creations are here to stay in my recipe book!

To recreate these at home, I used:

2 tbsp white sugar
Zest of one lime
8  medium sized pineapple chunks (pre-packaged from Sobeys)
Toothpicks

Method: Stir together sugar and lime zest.  Poke toothpick though pineapple and dip into sugar mixture.

As you probably guessed, I do not own the pineapple wedger from Pampered Chef although; I did purchase a couple more products at this last party I went to.  Stay tuned for a blog entry about one of the new products.  I'm already writing the entry in my mind.

Applesauce Muffins

This recipe is from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious. 

These muffins are very moist and delicious, with a hint of carrot flavour.  Carrot and apple pair very well together so I knew that the combination would be a hit.  I made some of the muffins with the streusel topping and others without.  While the streusel is delicious, I don't think that the added sugar is needed.  The recipe also calls for pureed carrots but I left mine a little more chunkier.

 

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

Topping:

2/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp trans-fat free soft tub margarine spread, melted (I used butter)

Batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup nonfat (skim) milk

1/2 cup butternut squash or carrot puree (I had carrots on hand but I would be interested to know how the butternut squash would taste!)

1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 large egg

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

2. To make topping, stir together the oats, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Stir in margarine.

3. To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl or zipper lock bag and stir or shake to mix (shaking would be great for the little ones helping in the kitchen.)  In a second bowl, mix the applesauce, milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil and egg with a wooden spoon.  Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened.  Do not over - the batter is supposed to be lumpy.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping.  Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffins, about 18-20 minutes.  Place the muffins on a rack to cool slightly.  May be served warm or cool.

ENJOY!!  

Guilt Free Cookies

Most of you know that I am on Weight Watchers (WW).  There are a couple of reasons why I love Weight Watchers and the first is because it teaches us that loosing weight and maintaining a weight loss is a lifestyle change and NOT a diet.  The second reason that I love WW is because they encourage us not to deprive ourselves.  When we deprive ourselves, especially those who have struggled with weight issues, tend to go overboard and end up eating an entire bag of cookies.

In real life, there are cookies!  Lots of delicious, delicious cookies.  The trick is to say "yes" to the right kind of cookie because there is no cheating on WW.  WW is all about real life!  So, I present to you, two WW cookie recipes that I have baked, tested and tasted and give two thumbs up to:

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies 

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg WHITE
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cream together butter, oil and brown sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white, and mix together thoroughly.

Mix together flour and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.

Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake cookies for 4 to 6 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving.  PointsPlus Value: 2.



Caramel Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and beat thoroughly.

Scrape dough out of bowl and onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll dough into a log, about 2 1/2-inches wide; completely wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.

Cut dough into 1/8-inch-thick slices and arrange on several large ungreased cookies sheets about 1- to 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.  PointsPlus value: 1.

Note:  Add some spice to these cookies by adding a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.  It's super yummy and makes for a great Holiday cookie!