The holidays are coming, which means cookie exchanges, gift-giving, and delicious deserts! These decadent and healthy “low-cal” recipes are simple to make, and will leave you and your friends craving more.
Light and Fluffy Pizzelle Cookies:
Calorie Count: 50 (for one large cookie)
Makes: 2 dozen
*45 min. recipe*
Ingredients/Things you’ll need:
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cups white sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup of flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pizzelle Iron
- Cooking Spray
Directions:
- Stir the eggs and sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder. Blend into the batter until smooth.
- Heat the pizzelle iron and mist with cooking spray. Put approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each circle on the iron. Bake for 20 to 40 seconds depending on the iron, or until the iron stops steaming. Remove the cookies from iron; allow them to cool and harden before touching.
*For chocolate pizzelles add ¼ cup of cocoa mixed with the flour and baking powder, ¼ extra sugar and ¼ extra teaspoon of baking powder*
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (All Natural and Gluten Free):
Calorie Count: 114 calories for 9 mini muffins (per mini muffin)
*25 Minute Recipe*
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Picture: http://teamleatherman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/pumpkinmuffin.jpg
Ingredients:
- Cooking Spray
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup +1 tablespoon oat flour (you can use regular flour for non-gluten free muffins)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Then spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Combine: pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oat flour Note: The less stirring the better, this will make the muffins lighter.
- Add the dry to the wet mixing until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Separate the mixture evenly among the 9 muffin molds in the tray. (You can also add a few chocolate chips).
- Bake for 16-18 minutes.
- Allow to cool, muffins are better softer than overcooked.
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark:
Calorie Count: 90 calories (per serving)
Makes: 20-30 pieces
*35 Minute Recipe*
Peppermint Bark Photo: http://www.thepinkapronblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/peppermint-bark.jpg
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
- 4 candy canes (6 inches long)
- 2 drops peppermint oil or extract
- 13×17 inch non-stick cookie sheet or lined with parchment paper
Directions:
- Melt chocolate in the microwave, heating it for 20 seconds.
- Place candy canes in a large locked plastic bag and crush with rolling pin until they have a consistency of crushed ice
- Once chocolate is melted, stir in peppermint oil
- Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of crushed peppermint pieces and spread the mixture evenly on cookie sheet ¼ inches thick. It is not supposed to fill the sheet completely.
- Sprinkle the candy cane over the top
- Let it set at room temperature until hardened for 2 hours or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Use your hands to break the chocolate into pieces, creating the bark