10 Minute Frosting

I used this frosting recipe for the Angel Food cake.  I tested the recipe once, before using it on the cake, because I had never made 7 minute frosting.  All the recipes say to beat the frosting for 7 minutes, but this frosting actually took 10 minutes.  I timed it. :-)

2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cold water
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together all ingredients, except for the vanilla, in medium sized pot.  Place over boiling water, and beat on high for 10 minutes, or until the frosting has marshmallow creme consistency.  Remove from boiling water,  and mix in vanilla.  

To make this frosting a double boiler is needed, and I do not have one.  So I just used two pots, one that kind of fit on the top of the other.  It worked okay, but it would have been much easier with a double boiler.

I doubled the recipe for the Angel Food cake, and that way we had a lot left over to just eat plain. :-)

22 calories - 1 tbsp

~ Olivia

High Altitude Angel Food Cake

My Mother-in-law's birthday was the other day, and she really wanted an Angel Food cake with 7 minute frosting.  I told her I would make it for her, but I had never made either one of those things.  So I had to do a little experimenting.  Angel Food cake can be a little tricky to make, because you are dealing with a lot of egg whites.  Egg whites can be finicky, you have to be careful in order to get them to make the cake rise correctly.

I looked around on the internet for a recipe, and I tried making my first Angel Food Cake.  It turned out a little funny.  It tasted really good, but it was not a light and fluffy cake.  It was more like an Angel Food brick.

I did several things wrong.  First of all, I didn't take in to account that we are at a very high altitude.  I also did not let the egg whites warm up to room temperature.  Finally,  I greased the cake pan, which effects eggs' ability to rise.

So I looked around for a high altitude recipe, and found several.  However, I ended up changing up a bunch of things, and I came up with my own recipe.

It actually turned out delicious, and I made another one for my mom a few days later.

I will add the recipe for the frosting a little later.

~ Olivia

High Altitude Angel Food Cake:

2 cups egg whites (room temp) - 268 cal
1/4 tsp salt - 0 cal
2 tsp cream of tarter - 15 cal
1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour - 450 cal
1 1/2 cup sugar - 1080 cal
1 tsp vanilla extract - 12 cal
1 1/2 tsp almond extract - 0 cal

Put egg whites, salt and cream of tarter in to large stainless steal mixing bowl.  Beat on high until it forms soft peaks.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and almond, and beat on high until it forms very stiff peaks.

Sift together flour and 1 cup sugar.  Add to egg mixture by carefully folding in with spatula, add about 1/2 cup at a time.  Beat on low for about 10 seconds.  The batter should look light and a little bubbly.

Pour batter into ungreased cake pan.  Bake at 400, for 20 to 23 minutes.

Low calorie red velvet muffins

These Muffins tasted more like a treat, but they are pretty low in calories :)

~Alaina

Ingredients

• ****Cake****
• 1 box Moist Red Velvet Cake Mix: 2160 Calories
• 6 oz Vanilla low-fat Yogurt: 110 Calories
• 1 egg(liquid eggs): 25 Calories
• 1 cup water: 0 Calories
• ****Cheesecake****
• 1 block of 8 oz  Fat free Cream Cheese (Philly): 240 Calories
• 1/4 cup Vanilla (2 oz) low-fat Yogurt: 30 Calories
• 1/4 cup Light Sour Cream: 80 Calories
• 2 Large Egg Whites: 50 Calories
• 1/4 cup Sugar: 180 Calories
• 1 Tbsp Flour: 25 Calories
• 1 tsp Vanilla: 0 Calories

Each muffin is 80 Calories, if you make 36.

Instructions

1. Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare muffin/cupcake tins with foil liners (36); set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl: beat all the Cake Ingredients on medium speed until all well combined; set aside
4. In a medium mixing bowl: beat all the Cheesecake Ingredients on med/low until all well combined
5. Add Red Velvet Cake Mix to the all the cupcake liners, approx 1/2 full
6. Add an ice cream scoop size of the cheesecake mixture on top of the cake mix
7. Swirl with a fork to combine slightly and get a swirled design (look at picture below)
8. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheesecake is set.
9. Cook and cool until they come to room temp
10. then refrigerate in a covered container for minimum of 1 hour.

Cookie dough, cheesecake cups

This is another recipe we found on Pinterest, we made them for a party and everybody loved them so enjoy! :)

~Alaina

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Cheesecake

• 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cookie Dough

• 5 tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray mini-cheesecake pan with cooking spray (you can also use a muffin pan with cupcake liners or a rubber muffin tin). Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and going up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour a little bit at a time, on low-speed, and mix until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and blend in with a spoon. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low-speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust.
5. Using your hand, form round teaspoon-sized clumps, and distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top (cookie dough) feels dry. Since cooking times vary with different ovens, I’d recommend checking them at 20 minutes.
7. Move pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
8. Remove mini-cheesecakes by pushing up on the bottom of pan. *
9. The original recipe said to chill in the refrigerator overnight, but we didn't do that and they were still very tasty :)

Coconut Cream Pie Balls

This is a really easy frozen dessert recipe, that requires only a few ingredients.  I love coconut, so I am always trying to think of dessert ideas that include coconut.  It is also low calorie, which is also a big plus.

1 pkg coconut cream instant pudding mix
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup cool whip
4 tbsp shredded coconut
1 serving (29 grams) Nilla Wafers

First of all combine the instant pudding mix and almond milk.  I didn't use the whole package of pudding, I had a lot extra left over.  That was okay though, I just ate the rest of the pudding plain.  Coconut cream pudding is so yummy. :-D  Next combine the cool whip, coconut, and 57 grams (about 1/8) of the pudding.  Then freeze for about 2 hours.

Place the Nilla Wafers in a Ziploc bag, and crunch until they are a crumb consistency.  

Once the pudding mixture is frozen scoop in to tablespoon sized balls, and roll in Nilla Wafer crumbs.  Serve frozen.

Makes about 10 balls.
Calories: 49 calories per ball.

~Olivia

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Here is another recipe that I tested from Pinterest.  It tastes just like cookie dough, but without the raw eggs.  If I make these again I would probably use less chocolate chips, probably only a half of a cup instead of a full cup.

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. water
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls.  Keep refrigerated and serve cold.

Makes about 20 balls.
Calories: 141 per ball.

~ Olivia

Pumpkin Bread

This is a family recipe, that we always make for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
2 cup pumpkin
3 cup sugar
1 bag (11 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together all ingredients.  Stir in semi-sweet chips.  Pour batter in to 3 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour.

1 slice (50 grams) - 196 calories