Dessert

Quinoa for dessert? Oh yes. Just wait’ll you try this amazing quinoa blondie recipe

Nifer — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:49:36 +0000

Confession time: I’m a brownie snob. For years I’ve turned up my nose at “blondies.” (OK, maybe there’s a little “brunettes vs. blondes” thing going on too.) Given the choice, I’d always pick a fudgy brownie over a wan beige blondie more defined by its lack of chocolate than the presence of any particular identity of its own.

Don’t Miss: Rocky Road Brownies and Skinny Dessert Bar Recipes

EatingWell makeover: how to make a healthy banoffee pie recipe

Nifer — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:20:14 +0000

Love bananas? Toffee? How about whipped cream? Then you’ve got to try banoffee pie, one of Great Britain’s sweetest contributions to the confectionary world.

No denying that it’s irresistibly creamy, caramelly and sugary. But it’s also usually quite a calorie bomb, so we’ve taken the classic and given it a little nip-’n’-tuck.

DIY easy slice & bake cookies (skip the processed refrigerator tubes)

Nifer — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:34:11 +0000

To me, cookies aren’t just for special occasions; I can find a reason for a cookie (or two) anytime. Before I had children, my cookie jar was always stocked with a fresh, homemade batch. Fast-forward 10 years: my time is limited and my cookie jar often bare. Some might resort to packaged cookies or store-bought dough, but being a baker and health-conscious mom, I try to steer clear of processed treats in favor of homemade.

DIY chocolate-dipped strawberries (and more chocolate-covered treats)

Nifer — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:26:26 +0000

If you want to melt hearts this Valentine’s Day, dark chocolate-dipped strawberries are one of the most romantic foods to serve. They seem fancy and decadent, but they couldn't be easier to make. Just use your microwave to melt chocolate (no double boiler on the stovetop required!). Whip up a batch before dinner and they’ll be ready by the time you hit dessert. (For a gift, let the treats cool, wrap in wax paper and place them in a pretty box.)

Are “natural” sweeteners really any healthier than sugar?

Nifer — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:29:22 +0000

People often look to me, as a registered dietitian, for my seal of approval as they douse yogurt with agave or flood their coffee with turbinado sugar because “it’s natural.” But you won’t find me giving a nutrition green light to use copious amounts of sugar, regardless of where it comes from. (How much sugar should you be eating?

5 tasty recipes to use up your ripe bananas

Nifer — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:53:36 +0000

Bananas are one of the most commonly eaten fresh fruits: the average American consumes about 30 pounds of bananas per year! However, if you’re like me, the enjoyment that comes from eating a perfectly ripe banana is rare—it seems that as soon as I get them home from the grocery store, they are already turning brown. If Americans are eating that many bananas a year, I don’t even want to imagine how many pounds are being thrown away because we’ve let them go pass their prime.

Get-skinny summer desserts (under 200 calories)

Nifer — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:01:53 +0000

In the summer I like to eat light, fresh meals, which means I have more than enough room for a tasty dessert. But I don’t want to pile on a bunch of calories at the end of a meal. So I like to turn to my repertoire of super-easy low-calorie desserts. As long as they’re not loaded with tons of cream, it’s easy to make them delicious but still relatively slim. Here are some of my favorites.

4 secrets to the best homemade ice cream (without the heavy cream)

Nifer — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:47:56 +0000

I love making ice cream at home, but have to say it’s been a real wake-up call. Somehow mixing egg yolks with more heavy cream than I would ever fathom using in any other circumstance makes me acutely aware of how much fat and calories are in each tasty bite. So instead of packing away my ice cream maker for good, I’ve decided to start making lighter ice cream at home. There are a few tricks to making it taste good, including an unexpected secret ingredient that makes it taste almost as rich as the full-fat stuff.

5 summer health myths busted

Nifer — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:52:39 +0000

This summer, don’t let the smoke from the backyard grill cloud your good judgment when considering health advice from friends and family. When it comes to health and natural remedies it’s enticing to grab onto juicy half-truths and hearsay. Don’t get me wrong—as with any good story, a nutrition myth can offer a valuable lesson. The most persistent nutrition myths are those that contain at least some truth. Here are 5 common summer health myths to watch out for—as reported in EatingWell Magazine:

15-minute no-bake chocolate pie

Nifer — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:06:29 +0000

A 15-minute no-bake chocolate pie? Yes, it is possible! We cut down on time by using a food processor to mix everything together. All you need to do is melt some chocolate chips, whiz them together with the secret ingredient, add a splash of maple syrup and a capful of vanilla, stir in raspberries and just 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and dump it all (decoratively, of course) in a graham cracker crust. (See below for the recipe.)

Don’t Miss: No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake and More of Our Best Picnic Desserts

6 tips for perfect summer pies

Nifer — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:43:30 +0000

I love eating a perfectly tart slice of fruit pie on a warm summer evening. If there’s a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it, all the better. Fresh fruit pies are a delicious way to make use of the season’s newly picked strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, blueberries or nectarines, but the crust needs to shine just as much as that amazing summer fruit.

Best & worst frozen yogurt toppings

Nifer — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:09:32 +0000

When the weather got steamy this week, you can bet I made friends with an old summer standby: soft-serve frozen yogurt. Among the creamy frozen dessert choices, from frozen yogurt to super-premium ice cream, frozen yogurt is the healthiest option—5 ounces of frozen yogurt “costs” 120 calories, while the same amount of soft-serve ice cream has 220 calories. But if I pile on the wrong toppings I could nearly double the calorie total of my “healthy treat.”

4 ingredients of a get-skinny dinner

Nifer — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:42:54 +0000

When you’re trying to slim down, every meal—and calorie—counts. But that doesn’t mean that dinner has to be a skimpy salad. You can build a filling, diet-friendly dinner (that includes dessert) around these four slimming ingredients.

10-minute "soft-serve" you can make in your food processor

Nifer — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:30:56 +0000

Ever heard of yonanas? It’s a one-ingredient frozen dessert made with ripe bananas that has the texture of soft serve ice cream without any added fat or sugar. Sounds pretty good to me, except that I’d have to purchase a $50 machine to make it and I’ve made a commitment not to buy single use appliances. But I am curious to try this wonder dessert.

The only picnic dessert you’ll ever need: No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake

Erin McCormick — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:26:00 +0000

This Memorial Day I'm hosting a picnic and each of my friends is going to bring a dish. I am in charge of dessert. Lucky for me it is cherry time—the few wonderful weeks in between spring and summer when fresh cherries are available at my farmers' market. (Sweet and tart cherries are also available year-round canned or frozen.)

Recipes to Try: Delicious Cherry Recipes including Dark Cherry Bundt Cake