Chocolate again, YUMMY!

I think I must have this whole "chocolate is your friend" theme going on, since I've posted about chocolate a lot. I just couldn't resist this recipe though, how decedent can chocolate be?! Hey, it's a holiday weekend so why not splurge. Besides, dark chocolate is good for you! :-)





Grilled Dark Chocolate Sandwich
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
¼ cup fat-free evaporated milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons butter, softened
8 slices thin whole-wheat or white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat evaporated milk just until boiling. Add chocolate, let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let cool
slightly.

2. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Divide the chocolate mixture on the unbuttered side of 4 slices,
leaving a little border. Press chocolate chips and nuts, if using, into the chocolate. Cover with the remaining slices
of bread, buttered-side up, and press lightly.

3. Cook the sandwiches in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over, press with
a spatula, and cook until nicely browned and the chocolate is barely melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 151 calories; 7 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber;
131 mg sodium.

(Recipe from Eating Well) They sure know how to make me smile!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Chocolate chip cookies and healthy to boot, what more can a woman ask for?! These cookies are loaded with healthy ingredients, and chocolate too, so why not whip up a batch today and make someone you love (that would be you) very happy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
¾ cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup canola oil
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, 1
sheet at a time, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on
the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Information
Per cookie: 99 calories; 5 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 1 mg sodium.

Tips
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Come on now, do you really think they will last that long in your house?! "lol"

Healthy Choices

Because today was the start of my get healthy attitude, I've decided to post a healthy dessert that everyone will enjoy. It's quick and easy and oh so sweet tooth satisfying.

Caramel Apple Enchilada Sundaes

Apple wedges are poached in low-calorie butter and rolled inside flour tortillas, then baked in syrup made with non-calorie sweetener.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granular Splenda
2 large Granny Smith apples
12 tbsp low-calorie butter
1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda
1/4 cup water
4 fajita-size flour tortillas, low-fat or low-carb
Low-fat or sugar-free frozen vanilla yogurt
Caramel sundae topping, sugar-free

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8" baking dish with nonstick spray. Mix cinnamon with the 2 tbsp Splenda and set aside. Peel, core and cut apples into 8 wedges each. Heat 4 tbsp of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add apples wedges and saute until soft crisp, about 5 minutes. Place 4 apple wedges on each tortilla; sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-Splenda mixture. Fold like a burrito: fold in sides, then bring bottom flap up over apples and roll. Place in a prepared baking dish, seam down. Bring water, remaining butter and the 1/4 cup of both Splendas to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour over enchiladas and let set 30 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to set 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of yogurt and drizzle with caramel topping.

Number of Servings: 4

Great for any day or a special occasion.

In Honor of Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, here's a recipe that you can make with the kids (if you have any small ones at home, or with your husband if you choose :-)). Just be careful with the caramel sauce, when heated it can be very hot.




CARAMEL APPLE STREUSEL BARS

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
3 cups chopped peeled cooking apples (2 large)
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll dough;
press in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Sprinkle apples over dough.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat caramel topping and 1/4 cup flour to boiling over medium heat, stirring
constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. Drizzle over apples.
3. In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. With pastry blender, cut in butter, until
mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle evenly over apples.
4. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until top is golden brown and apples are tender.

Breakfast Treat

I'm back after a trip north and thought why not share a new favorite breakfast treat. This was a huge hit at a recent brunch and I know you will love them just as much as everyone else did!


EASY STICKY BUNS

Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1-1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Happy baking!