Pumpkin Pie Truffles

I love the traditional Oreo truffles, but also can't have chocolate. So here's a lovely fall favorite a co-worker of mine made a few years back. I've had the recipe on a post-it note in my kitchen cabinet, and figured I should finally type it up. These things were delicious.

PUMPKIN PIE TRUFFLES

Servings: 40+ truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 oz) Golden Oreos
• 6 oz. cream cheese (could also use the whole package - 8 oz)
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 packages (8 oz/each) vanilla almond bark
• (Wax paper for baking sheet)

Directions:

1. Combine Oreos, pumpkin, cream cheese and cinnamon.
2. Refrigerate mix for 30 minutes.
3. Roll in balls and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Dip into melted almond bark and place on wax paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour.
6. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Just in time for Halloween or Thanksgiving... Pumpkin Pie Dip!

Pair with some apples, graham crackers, or just eat it by the spoonful... either way, it's FRIGHTFULLY good!

PUMPKIN PIE DIP

Servings: LOTS.

Ingredients:

• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (can use sugar free, fat free)
• 1/2 cup milk (optional)
• 1 can (15 oz) of Libby's canned pumpkin
• 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip (can use fat-free)
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients and store in the refrigerator.
2. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, ginger snaps, or apples.
3. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake

This used to be one of my Papa's favorite desserts. I'm not really a huge fan of the whole Angel Food cake thing (for the sugar value, I'd rather just have a Rice Krispie Treat instead), but this does make for a pretty tasty treat on a hot summer day. And for only 3+ WW points, why not? Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Servings: 1 shortcake

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+

Ingredients:

• 1 shortcake
• 2 TBSP Fat Free Whipped Cream
• 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

Directions:

1. Top shortcake with whipped cream and strawberries... enjoy!

Rainbow Cupcakes

Only want 2 cupcakes and not 24? Check out my recipe Almond Cupcakes for Two. But if you want a real treat to feed a party (or if you're just really in the mood for some dessert), read on!

I was going to make these for my mom's birthday until she said she wanted Strawberries & Cream Pie. Since I still wanted to try the recipe, I paired them the other night with my Parmesan Baked Tilapia (since I knew it would be really low in points). 

Believe it or not, these cupcakes come in at only 67 calories (still less than 80 even with cheesecake cream frosting) and are only 2 POINTS+ on Weight Watchers.

But wait... there's more! These things are rainbow inside! And are topped with cheesecake cream frosting and fresh fruit! And they're wonderfully DELICIOUS!

Need I say more? I think I've made my point.

RAINBOW CUPCAKES

Servings: About 24 cupcakes

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: Only 2+ per cupcake!

Ingredients:

• Cupcake Mixture:
• Box of Cake Mix
• Can/Bottle of Sprite Zero
• Gel Food Coloring
• Icing/Toppings:
• Cool Whip
• Sugar Free/Fat Free Cheesecake Jello
• Fresh Fruit

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl and gradually add Sprite Zero (I actually only used about 3/4 bottle), mixing throughly (yes, there will be lots of carbonation at first... this does subside). Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. When there are no more lumps, spoon mixture into 3-6 different small bowls/cups.
4. Add gel food coloring and stir (I chose red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple... you know, ROYGBIV without the indigo).
5. Place baking cups into a muffin tin and spoon small amounts of each color into each cup.
6. Bake in oven for about 20-23 minutes or until center of cupcake is fully cooked.
7. While cooking, combine 1/2 tub of cool whip (I happened to have fat free) and 1/2 box of sugar-free, fat-free cheesecake jello and stir. Add water until the mixture has a frosting-like consistency.
8. Allow the cupcakes to cool and top with icing (and whatever other toppings you would like... maybe even sprinkles to go with the rainbow theme).
9. Enjoy!

Protein-Packed Strawberry Cheesecake Bowl

I've been trying to avoid the whole "pour myself a bowl of cereal" thing in the morning and trying to come up with some more creative options for breakfast-type foods. In my attempt to put some more protein into my diet, I created this wonderful dish... my protein-packed strawberry cheesecake bowl. Although it's still no dessert from Cheesecake Factory, I will say this is a pretty tasty treat and a wonderful start to the day. I usually pair my bowl with a cranberry almond protein bar to help bulk-up the meal, but that part isn't really necessary if you just want a small, filling snack. And with 24 g of protein (34 g with the protein bar) and a quarter of your daily value of calcium, who could go wrong?

PROTEIN-PACKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BOWL

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 4+ (no protein bar included), 7+ (protein bar included)
* Note: Protein bar pictured above is not included in the nutrition facts below.

Ingredients:

• 1 container Dannon Light & Fit Greek strawberry yogurt
• 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
• Optional: fresh strawberries, cranberry almond protein bar

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.
2. Enjoy!

Strawberries & Cream Pie

So for my birthday, I asked that my Nana make her special Strawberry Cheesecake Pie. It was delicious, but full of not-so-good-for-you stuff, so while this recipe still includes those things, the ingredients were a bit altered for my mom's recent birthday (not too much, though). Unfortunately those slight alterations somehow resulted in this pie not having the same consistency as cheesecake, but it did still have a yummy taste. While I will still need to do some tweaking to this recipe in the future (both healthy nutrition/consistency-wise), it does make for a pretty tasty treat as is. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM PIE

Servings: 8

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 7+ per slice

(Note: Fresh strawberry topping is included in the nutritional values listed below, but not in the WW+)

Ingredients:

• Reduced Fat Keebler Graham Cracker Crust
• 8 oz 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar (I WILL try and cut this in the recipe next time)
• 1/2 tub Fat-Free Cool Whip
• Fresh fruit for topping

Directions:

1. Add 1 tsp vanilla to softened cream cheese and stir (add a splash of milk to make mixture a tad creamier if necessary).
2. Using a mixer, gradually add in 1 cup powdered sugar into the bowl.
3. Next, take a spatula and gradually fold in cool whip to the batter.
4. When mixed, pour batter into the center of the pan and coat the entire pie crust.
5. Let sit in the refrigerator before topping with fresh fruit.
6. Enjoy!

   

   Blueberry letter "C" (you know, for Cooking Cadenza... 
   or for my mom's first initial, as it was her birthday treat)

Almond-Dipped Strawberries & Homemade Crunch Bars

One of my latest creations was one that I made for my family this past Easter... Almond-Dipped Strawberries and Homemade Candy Bars. Everyone knows how much I love almond flavoring (if not, see my Almond Cupcakes for Two), and seeing as chocolate gives me migraines (no joke), I wanted to try something a little different than the cliché chocolate-covered strawberries. Enter almond bark. 

I had seen strawberries dipped in orange-colored almond bark before to imitate carrots, and figured Easter would be the ideal time to try and give this recipe a go.

I will be honest and say that although this recipe seems simple enough (melt and dip, right?), it actually is quite an art to try and keep the almond bark from crystalizing/hardening and taking the consistency of a thick icing. After a few cubes, I finally realized the trick was to heat it over the stove (not the microwave), turning the heat on low and off every few seconds while stirring. Also, don't worry about adding the food coloring until you have the consistency that you want (also, to use 3x more yellow coloring than red).

Knowing these secret tips now would really help speed up this process in the future for an easy and simple treat. But not knowing this along the way lead to the creation of my homemade candy bars (again, chocolate-free for those who are intolerant like myself... I'm literally sparing myself the headache here). Instead of a nice melting mixture, I had a whole bowl full of thick icing-like almond bark. Now when life hands you lemons, you find a friend with some sugar and vodka and have a party. When life gives you goopy almond bark, you add crunchy cereal and make your own (non-chocolate) Crunch bars.

Obviously both recipes are loaded with sugary-goodness and by no means fall under my "healthy" eating recipes, but they are both wonderful treats for a special occasion or party. Enjoy!

ALMOND-DIPPED STRAWBERRIES & HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Servings: Enough to feed a party of 20+ people!

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 0+ for the strawberries, other points depend on amount of almond bark used...

Ingredients:

• Almond bark cubes
• Food coloring
• Strawberries
• Corn Chex cereal

Directions:

Almond-Dipped Strawberries:

1. Wash strawberries and dry using paper towel to remove any excess water. Set aside.
2. In a small stovetop pan, heat a few cubes of almond bark for a few seconds on low, consistently stirring the mixture. DO NOT allow the mixture to get too hot or it will crystalize and become hard, giving chunks to the dip. To prevent this, turn off the heat after a few seconds of melting.
3. When mixture is the correct consistency, add food coloring (3x as much yellow than red).
4. Dip strawberries into almond bark and set on plate covered in wax paper.
5. Allow strawberries to cool in order for the coating to harden.
6. Enjoy!

Homemade Almond Crunch Bars:

1. In either a microwave or small stovetop pan, heat a few cubes of almond bark on low. Stir in coloring food coloring.
2. Gradually add in crumbled Corn Chex (or any other type of crispy cereal), stirring into the mixture.
3. Pour mixture into cookie cutter shapes on top of wax paper and let set in the refrigerator.
4. When cool, pop out the shapes from the cookie cutters.
5. Enjoy!

Almond Cupcakes for Two

It was my dad's birthday tonight, and I really wanted to make him a special birthday treat (cake-wise that is), but not something with a massive quantity. You see, I'm not one for putting 30 cupcakes in the house (as I know I WILL end up eating them, without a doubt), especially when my mother has given up white flour for lent and when my father still has his chocolate-chip cookies coming on the way from my Nana. We don't need all that dessert, but I did want a cupcake and for my dad to have something a little sweet for his birthday to go with his favorite dinner (of my Mom's Meatloaf).

But all those darn cake boxes at the store would yield 2 DOZEN cupcakes. Now I have friends, but I still don't know what I'd do to get rid of 24 cupcakes sitting on our kitchen counter. I had seen a recipe of cupcakes for two before, so I figured I would give it a go... but once again pull out my variation on a theme card to try and make them slightly healthier.

The result was surprisingly good, although I will sheepishly admit that I was so excited that I may have pulled them out of the oven a little too soon after only 15-20 minutes. They were slightly doughy, but if that's the only thing I would fix, I consider these a wonderful treat (I kind of liked them that way). They actually kind of came out pretty similar to my favorite almond-flavored sugar cookies from Eileen's Colossal Cookies back when I went to school at KU. Wow, were those the best. I was even able to individualize each cupcake, topping my dad's with a simple powdered sugar/water/vanilla icing with sprinkles and mine with fat-free whipped cream and strawberries. Almond strawberry shortcake? Yes, please.

ALMOND CUPCAKES FOR TWO

Servings: 2 cupcakes total

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+ per cupcake

Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 3 packets of Stevia (roughly 2 TBSP sugar)
• 2 TBSP margarine (or butter)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 1 tsp almond (I really like it)
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder*
• 1/4 tsp salt*
• 1 1/2 TBSP skim milk

* I may omit one of these two ingredients the next time I make this recipe if it doesn't affect the baking too much... the sodium count in the nutrition was a bit too high for me. 

Directions:

Update: These things were so good I had to make them again tonight (less than a week later)... I took out the salt entirely, used half of the baking powder, added some cream of tarter/1 tsp powdered sugar, only used 1 TBSP skim milk, and cooked them for 22 minutes. They were a much better consistency than the first time!

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Gently whisk and egg white in a small bowl, adding in sugar substitute, margarine, extracts, and salts. 
3. Gradually add flour until 1/4 c has been added.
4. Pour in about 1 1/2 TBSP of milk to help create more of a cake batter mixture (try not to eat the dough... I will attest to how hard of a task this is... I did lick the spoon, though).
5. Place two muffin/cupcake papers into a muffin tin and divide the batter into each tin.
6. Add water to the additional empty tins (to keep them from burning in the oven).
7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes (or until batter looks completely cooked).
8. Allow for them to cool and then top with your favorite icing/fruit/etc.
9. Enjoy!

Blueberries & Cream Oatmeal

Alright, I know I created Cooking Cadenza to post all of my delicious dinner recipes that I have been cooking for my family, but I couldn't help but share this gem of a treat I put together earlier this morning for breakfast (not only the most important meal of the day, but also my favorite). And let me tell you, this treat was basically a delicious dessert (for breakfast) in a bowl.

My trainer has been trying for the past few months to get me to alter my eating habits, and this creation was one of those (albeit small) attempts to try and follow her advice. You see, I am a carbohydrate type of girl. Love the stuff. Let me put it this way, without trying, my diet breaks down to be about 65% carbs, 15% fat, and 20% protein. But according to my trainer, this type of diet doesn't consist of the correct types of foods that I should be eating to build muscle, hold off hunger, or improve overall health. Rather, my wonderful personal trainer wants me to eat 20% carbs, 30% fat, and 50% protein. As you can see, I'm struggling.

Each day, I get closer to that 50% goal, but it's still fairly difficult. Even if I don't in fact make it to that much protein per day, I am at least making an attempt to get a little closer (right now I'm sitting on about 25-30%/day, already an improvement from where I started). But sadly, that doesn't always include having plain oatmeal on my breakfast list. You see, when oatmeal is broken down by its values, it comes out to be 70% carbs, 17% fat, and 13% protein. Not cool. I love oatmeal. It's just so filling (in the moment at least) and warm and wonderful! But I noticed that when paired with a small container of light Greek yogurt, the breakdown suddenly becomes 62% carbs, 12% fat, and 26% protein. Add some low-fat string cheese and that breakdown becomes 53% carbs, 17% fat, and 30% protein. While my trainer would still probably prefer that I choose to have a cheese omelet for breakfast instead, the alterations/additions I made to this dish do make me feel slightly less guilty for indulging in one of my favorite breakfast meals (and this dish tastes so good it's basically like me getting to splurge on a healthier-type dessert).

So here you go, my newest "accidental creation" in the kitchen... Enjoy!

BLUEBERRIES & CREAM OATMEAL

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 6+

Ingredients:

• Instant Oatmeal
• Fresh/frozen blueberries
• Dannon Light and Fit Greek vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal according to package directions.
2. If using frozen blueberries, add blueberries prior to heating.
3. Mix in one container of vanilla Greek yogurt.
4. Enjoy!