Day 3: Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups (12 ounces) Nestlé® Tollhouse® Semi-Sweet Morsels
• 
  
  
• FROSTING:
• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
• 
  
• Directions

• In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and food coloring. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
• In another bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until blended. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Crumble eight cookies and set aside. Frost remaining cookies; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Store in an airtight container or freeze for up to 1 month. Yield: 7-1/2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 124 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 71 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Day 2: Almond Cookies

A crisp cookie with a great almond flavoring. And at serving size being 2 and only 100 calories per serving it's a great low cal cookie to make.

Almond Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream the shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in remaining sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with the bottom of a glass. Press three almond slices into the center of each.
• Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 each) equals 100 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 6 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Day 1: Mocha Truffle Cookies

Welcome to the 3rd annual 25 days of cookies! I needed to start slowly, so an easy recipe, that is also easy to please.

Crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. Exactly how a cookie should be!

Mocha Truffle Cookies
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips
• 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

Directions

• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in coffee granules until dissolved; cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the sugars, egg and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to chocolate mixture and mix well. Stir in toffee bits.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Yield: 15 cookies.

Nutritional Facts: 1 cookie equals 152 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 94 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

One-Pan Oven Roasted Chicken Feast

Holy Moly!
those are really the only words i have after this meal.

Once again from Teresa Giudice's Skinny Italian book. If you don't have this thing, GET IT!
I don't even have a picture of this because we dug in and i totally forgot!! I will take one the next time i make it.

One-pan Oven Roasted Chicken Feast

For chicken
6 boneless and skinless chicken breast
1/2c dry white wine
1/4c extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

For vegetables
9 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch long rounds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
2 medium onions, sliced into 1/4 inch thick half moons
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. For the chicken, position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. lightly oil a roasting pan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer

2. lightly pound each chicken breast with the flat side of a meat pounder until it's 1/2 inch thick. whisk wine, oil, oregano, garlic, salt and hot pepper in a dish. add the chicken and cover. refridgerate and marinate for about 1 1/4hr, but not longer than 1 1/2 hrs. Turning occasionally, while roasting the potatoes and carrots

3. Toss the potatoes and carrots with the oil in a large bowl. Place them in the roasting pan. cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 min. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

4. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. scatter the tomatoes and onions over the vegetables in the pain. add salt and pepper, and toss together. remove the chicken from the marinate and arrange them in the pan. Pour the marinate over the chicken and the vegetables. Return to the oven, bake until the chicken is cooked. about 25 minutes. (chicken will be white-ish not a toasty brown, it's from all the liquid)

Nutrition Information-Servings 6
510 calories; 49g carbs; 16g fat; 7g fiber; 45g protein
Weight Watcher Points-11 (for chicken and vegetables!! how awesome is THAT!?)

Sicilian Steak

This recipe comes from the super fabulous Teresa Giudice's new book "Skinny Italian"
This was REALLY good.

Sicilian Steak

2 (1lb each) shell steaks (also known as strip steak) 1" thick
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



1. Trim excess fat from the steaks. combine oil and garlic and marinate steaks on each side for 15 min each side.
2. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper together and put in shallow bowl. remove steaks from oil, letting the oil cling, and dip each steak into the bread crumb mixture, patting the bread crumbs to make sure they stick. let stand for 10 minutes to set the crumbs.
3. Position a broiler rack 6 to 8 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler. (if the crust starts to burn move rack down)
4. Place steak on the rack and broil until the crust is lightly browned, and flip and do the same for the other side. cook until done to your liking.
transfer to a platter and let stand for 3 minutes, cut across the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices and serve.

Nutrition Information (servings-4)
490 Calories; 7g carbs; 29g fat; 10 g saturated fat; 1 g fiber; 37g protein; 343mg sodium

New books means new recipes!

I just got 3 new books. Cook Yourself Thin, Cook Yourself Thin Faster, and Skinny Italian. All of our dinners this week come from one of them. and these little muffins are breakfast for the week.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Serves 12
Calories per serving: 200


1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.

Love.

Simple enough title for what my feelings are towards these little pieces of heaven. have these for dessert, breakfast, snack, whatever!

Chilly Chocolate Mousse Crepes

Ingredients:

2 Ready to Use 9 Inch Crepes
1 Jell-O Sugar Free Reduced Calorie Pudding Snack; Chocolate Vanilla
1/2 cup Cool Whip Free

Directions:

Fold Cool Whip into pudding and stir until blended. Gently tear or cut each crepe in half. Into the center of each crepe half, spoon 1/4 of pudding mixture. Fold crepes envelope-style, ensuring that there is nowhere for mixture to seep out. Place crepes in freezer for at least 1 hour. Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and set on medium heat. Beginning with the thinner crepe side down, heat for 1 minute. Carefully turn crepe and heat for an additional minute or two. Crepes will be slightly browned ‘n toasty on outside but cool ‘n creamy on the inside!

Nutrition Info
1 crepe: 55 calories, 1g fat, 90mg sodium, 8g carbs, 0g fiber, 5g sugars, 1g protein
Weight Watcher Points=1