Strawberry Buttermilk Ice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups quartered strawberries (about 3 cups whole strawberries)
• 1 cup buttermilk

Makes 4 Servings

In a large bowl, combine the sugar substitute and water. In a blender or food processor, blend the strawberries until smooth. Add the strawberries and buttermilk to the sugar substitute mixture and stir until well-combined. Pour into a freezer-safe container. Freeze overnight. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is such a refreshing dessert after dinner. The buttermilk and strawberries give this dish a nice taste and it's  so good you won't go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt anymore. you can use any kind of berry or fruit with this recipe and it will taste just as delicious. 

Spanish Monkfish

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp powdered saffron
• 1 1/2 lbs. monkfish or halibut filets
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat oven to 425 F.
2. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, saffron and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. While sauce is cooking, brush fish with remaining oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake until just opaque in the center, 12-15 minutes.
4. Add parslet to sauce, seaon to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon over fish and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This is a deliciously easy dish that can be enjoyed any day of the week. It's also a flavorful way to  kick-start your weight loss. Garlic, tomatoes, parsley and saffron are the basic flavors for a traditional Spanish dish. You can also use haddock with this dish and it will taste delicious. I had this dish last night and the fish was cooked beautifully along with the tomato sauce with a side of green beans and dinner was delicious.

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Cooking Spray
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped, green and white parts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, regular or instant, kept hot
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Makes 6 Servings

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add egg whites and cook, until scrambled, stirring frequently, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.
2. Offheat, recoat skillet with cooking spray and place back over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chicken and carrots; sauté until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in reserved cooked egg whites, cooked brown rice, peas and soy sauce; cook until heated through, stirring once or twice, about 1 minute. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This is a classic Chinese dish that is on every Chinese menu and is a favorite. You can make this dish in 30 minutes or less so forget take out. You can also add other vegetables such as bell peppers, snow peas, broccoli and even mushrooms to make this dish more filling.



South Beach Diet Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 6 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 6 tbsp whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fat-free or light whipped topping
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed decaffeinated espresso
• 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Mint sprigs for garnish

Makes 4 Servings

1. Heat  the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, with and electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat to combine. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar substitute and beat until stiff peaks form. Sift 2 tablespoons of the flour over beaten egg whites and gently fold to incorporate. Repeat twice with remaining flour until all of the flour is incorporated.
3. Pour batter into the pan and gently smooth the top. Bake, turning once halfway through, until cake is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, whipped topping, remaining 2 teaspoon sugar substitute and remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla. Cut cake in half vertically down the middle to make two 4 X 8-inch pieces. Place the halves on a flat work surface. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of espresso onto each half. Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto one of the halves and dust with half of the cocoa powder. Top with remaining cake half; spread the top with the remaining ricotta mixture and dust with remaining cocoa powder. Using a serrated knife, gently cut cake crosswise into 4 slices and serve with mint leaves for garnish, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Tiramisu literally means 'pick me up' and what some would say is official dessert of Italy. Tiramisu is usually made of lady fingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and marscapone and flavored with liquor and cocoa. I never had Tiramisu before and this was my first attempt at making this Italian dessert. My first was was a total success! It was light, fluffy and flavorful. I highly recommend making this dessert for company. Who doesn't love coffee and cake for dessert? I also recommend making this dessert early in the day so the flavors can blend during the day while refrigerated. Tiramisu should be on your list of desserts to master. Every pastry chef, celebrity chef and Iron Chef will agree as well. Yes, the photo of that piece of Tiramisu you see is 3 points. can you believe it?!



Seafood Caesar

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. large shrimp (about 16), peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp +2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 anchovy fillets, minced, or 2 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 (1 lb.)  head romaine lettuce, chopped (8 cups)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb lump crabmeat (about 1 cup)

Makes 4 (2-cup) Servings

1. In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the oil, half of the garlic, lemon zest and pepper.
2. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill shrimp until they turn pink, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, anchovies, Dijon mustard and remaining garlic. Slowly whisk in Add lettuce and cheese and toss well. Divide lettuce among 4 plates, top with shrimp and crab and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Who doesn't love a crisp and refreshing Caesar Salad every now and then? South Beach has done it again with a new twist on a classic twist. The flavors of lemon, olive oil and garlic make your taste buds pop along with the grilled shrimp and crabmeat. You don't need to add salt to this dish because the anchovies are already salty and add salt to the dish. This salad will also fill you up and leave you satisfied. This salad can be enjoyed anytime of the year but it's great on a warm evening if you don't want to cook. 

Strawberry Blancmange

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light or fat-free whipped topping
• 1 cup diced strawberries
• 2 small perfect strawberries for garnish (optional)

Makes 2 Servings

1. Lightly coat 2 (1/2 cup) ramekins or heart-shaped molds with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a cup and let stand for 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat almond milk in a small saucepan over low heat, until it comes to a bare simmer. Add gelatin mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Transfer to a small bowl of ice water and stir until mixture is thickened slightly. Add the whipped topping and diced strawberries; stir to combine. Divide mixture between ramekins and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, run a knife around the blancmange and, using your finger to help coax it from the ramekin, gently turn each out onto a plate. Top each blancmange with a whole  strawberry, if desired, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This is, literally, a heavenly cool dessert that can be enjoyed after dinner on a hot summer evening or even as a cool refreshing snack during a very hot day. Blancmange is French for white (blanc)  manger (to eat). Blancmange is an almond-flavored pudding that's often thickened with gelatin; it's often similar to a Bavarian Cream or an Italian panna cotta. The blancmange can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and it will still taste delicious. Leave the blancmange in the molds, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango Lassi

Ingredients:

• 1 medium mango, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup chilled water
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• Pinch ground cardamom
• Ice cubes

Makes 4 (3/4-cup) Servings

In a blender, combine mango, yogurt, water, sugar substitute and cardamom, if using; puree until smooth. Fill 4 (8 oz.) glasses with ice cubes. Pour Mango Lassi over ice and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. It is officially the first day of Spring and the weather will be getting warmer and it's a good reason to fire up the grill and make some cool, refreshing drinks. A Lassi is a frothy and refreshing yogurt drink and what is considered the official drink of India. A Lassi is often made with fresh fruit. You can use any kind of fruit with this recipe and it will still be delicious. Don't add too much cardamom because cardamom has a strong flavor to it and a little bit of it goes a long way. This drink is perfect for a morning or afternoon snack and a savior during a heat wave.

 

Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp gelatin
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp coconut extract
• 1 Basic Crumb Crust, prebaked (see Basic Crumb Crust recipe)
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup fat-free whipped topping

Makes 8 Servings

1. In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water; let stand for 1 minute until softened. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk, coconut milk and egg yolks until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 8 minutes; cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the dissolved gelatin and vanilla and coconut extracts.Spread the filling into the crumb crust and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
4. Just before serving, carefully remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle the coconut along the edge of the pie filling. Garnish the edge with 1-tablespoon dollops of the whipped topping (or, for a prettier look, pipe the topping through a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch open star tip).

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (1/8 of pie)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I was in the mood for coconut and I've always wanted to make a fruit pie from scratch. I LOVE coconut and I was craving coconut. I thought I was doing a good job making this pie but it didn't turn out the way I was hoping it would turn out. The crumb crust was yummy and the pie filling was delicious as well but the texture was very gooey. The pie filling wasn't as thick or creamy as I would have liked it to be. It didn't have the texture of pudding even though the flavors were coconutty. I will attempt to make this cream pie again and because it was tasty and maybe do something different in the process. 

Basic Crumb Crust

Ingredients:

• 32 low-fat honey graham crakers (8 full sheets)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp water

 

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, place the graham crackers and pulse into crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the sugar , nutmeg and cinnamon; mix well. Add the butter and water and mix until the crumbs are moist and hold together in clumps when presssed. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until golden, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I wanted to make a delicious dessert and the recipe called for this recipe. This is a very simple recipe that can be used to make any pie or cheesecake recipe. I added ground cinnamon to this recipe because cinnamon goes well with nutmeg and cinnamon goes well with any pie crust recipe.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. medium asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Makes 8 Servings

1. Heat oven to 475 F.
2. Lay asparagus in a single layer in a large baking pan (you may need to use 2 pans.) Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with zest, salt and pepper. Roll asparagus around pan to coat with oil and seasonings.
3. Roat until asparagus begins to brown and is easily pierced with a paring knife, 10 -15 minutes. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. I was making a roast chicken and I needed a simple vegetable side dish to accompany my chicken. There is nothing like roasted chicken and vegetables for dinner because it warms your kitchen and soul. Roasted asparagus can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time, covered lightly and kept at room temperature. Serve it at room temperature or reheat for a few minutes in a 325 F oven. You can also serve this side dish with meat or fish or even chop up the asparagus into salads or rice dishes. 

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Makes 12 Pancakes

1. In a medium bowl, combine the oats and milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar substitute, oil and salt, mixing until evenly blended and only small lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray or butter over medium heat. Working in batches, pour the batter by 1/4 cup into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is browned. Turn and cook for 1-2 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat to make a total of 12 pancakes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts per pancake

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. As I have said before, "Who doesn't enjoy breakfast for dinner once in a while?" This meal hit the spot for dinner earlier tonight. Pancakes are a delicious treat for dinner sometimes because you can take the time to make them and enjoy them. Oatmeal as pancakes is so yummy and so dense and moist in your mouth. I highly recommend adding cinnamon, nutmeg or ground cloves for more flavor. Heck you can even add vanilla or almond extract for more flavor or your favorite fruit to these oatmeal pancakes for a flavor punch. The extra spices or fruits may add to the point value but it's worth it.

Chocolate-Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 3/4 cup apple butter
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate baking square, melted
• 36 pieces Junior Mints, candies, chopped

Makes 24 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together egg substitute, sugar, corn syrup, apple butter, oil and melted chocolate. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just blended.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and sprinkle with candies. Bake until firm, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 24 squares. Yields 1 square per serving

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. How can you NOT love chocolate brownies? I found this recipe in the Chocolate cooking section and these brownies looked to good to pass up. These brownies are not your typical brownies with the unique ingredients. They are very chocolatey, minty and chewy and heavenly delicious. Replacing regular butter with apple butter makes these brownies much lower in fat, as well as moist and rich. These brownies are devilishly delicious you will be eating these again and again and make them you're new guilty pleasure.

Hawaiian Curried Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

• Cooking Spray
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 lb. bonelesss, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 2 1/2 cups pineapple, diced
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Makes 6 Servings

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Add oil; heat until oil starts to shimmer. Add ginger and onions; sauté until onions turn translucent and start to caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add curry powder, salt and sugar; cook, stirring, until curry becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Push vegetables to side of skillet and sauté chicken until lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and reduce heat to low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is done, about 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to make salsa, combine pineapple, shallots and cilantro; toss well to coat
4. To serve, top chicken with salsa and sprinkle with coconut; sprinkle with salt if desired. Yields about 3/4 cup chicken, rounded 1/3 cup salsa and 2 teaspoons coconut per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This dish is the perfect weekend dish that is full of tropical flavor, heat and very filling. The ginger and curry give this dish heat and the pineapple and coconut give the dish an authentic tropical flare. This dish takes a while to make but it's worth making. I enjoyed this dish and would make it again. If you want to add more heat to this dish, use a curry with more flair.



Ranger Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup 100 % bran cereal
• 1/4 cup old-fasioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup trans-fat-free margarine
• 1/4 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Makes 16 cookies

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Place pecans on another baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly toasted, 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside and cool briefly. Pulse cooled pecans, bran cereal, oats, chocolate chips and coconut in a blender or food processor until coarsely ground.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at high speed, beat margarine, sugar substitute, egg and vanilla until creamy. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in pecan mixture.
4. Drop well-rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until tops of cookies appear dry and bottoms are golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. The true origintiflavored cookie is unknown, but it is said that it was named for park and forest rangers who appreciated it's energy-boosting ingredients such as coconut flakes and rolled oats. These cookies are so delicious you will forget they're healthy for you. These cookies can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They are filled with so much flavor and chewy they can be made in 30 minutes and enjoyed by everyone.

Eggless Tex-Mex Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 plum tomato
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 (1/2-pound) head romaine lettuce, chopped (16 cups)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 avocados, pitted and cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Makes 10 (2-cup Servings)

1. Core tomato and make an X in the skin on the opposite end. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Place tomato in boiling water and cook just until skin starts to pull away from flesh, about 30 seconds. Remove from water and drain. When tomato is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard skin.
2. Puree tomato, anchovy fillets, garlic, lime juice, mustard and chili powder in a food processor or blender. With machine running, add oil in a slow and steady stream; blend until incorporated.
3. Place lettuce in a large bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss. Top with avocado, sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. This Caesar salad is not like your typical Caesar salad. As Emeril Lagasse would say, this Caesar salad has been kicked up a notch. The original recipe called for lemon juice but I used lime juice for an authentic Tex-Mex flavor. The Tex-Mex Caesar dressing adds punch to this classic dish as do the avocado and cilantro. Anchovies are preserved in salt so don't overdo it with seasoning. I don't think Iron Chefs Jose Garces and Bobby Flay have this Caesar salad on their menus but they would be very pleased if you made them this dish. 

Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats, toasted until lightly browned
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp dark raisins

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F; spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray (don't spray if sheets are nonstick).
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high spped, cream the brown sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add apple, egg, vanilla and almond extracts; beat until combined. Add the oats mixture; stir to blend, then stir in the raisins.
4. Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheets, forming 12 cookies on each sheet; flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts (2 cookies per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Say goodbye to store-bought oatmeal cookies. This recipe is like a little bite of an apple crisp or apple oatmeal in your mouth. You can also use dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries or any other dried fruit in this recipe in place of the raisins. Heck, you could use chocolate chips to make it even sweeter but it would affect the point value. This is a wonderful treat that can be enjoyed anytime of the day.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cooking spray
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 Makes 24 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 200ºF.
2. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray; coat with a light dusting of flour and shake off excess.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form; gently fold in chocolate and vanilla extract.
4. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart, making 24 cookies
5. Bake until lightly golden and no longer sticky on the surface, about 1 hour. Turn oven off and let cookies sit in oven for 1 hour. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. I 've always loved meringue desserts and this dessert looked delicious. This was also my first time making a meringue dessert so it did not go as I wanted it to. Probably because I didn't beat the egg whites and sugar long enough. My cookies tasted more like chocolate chip meringue bars than cookies but they were still delicious.They were a nice combination of vanilla and chocolate and left a delicious aftertaste in your mouth.  I would make this dessert again but I would beat the sugar ans egg white mixture a little longer.