Rich Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Makes 16 Servings (2 tbsp. per serving)

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 inches of water and set over medium-low heat; bring to gentle simmer. Put chocolate and water in medium bowl and set over simmering water. Cook, stirring, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
2. Remove bowl from saucepan; whisk in vanilla. Use immediately or cool to room temperature. Transfer sauce to covered container; refrigerate up to 1 month. Stir well and serve chilled or gently reheat.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This sauce is quick, easy and delicious. Plus, it goes great on or with any sweet treat. It's so thick and creamy you won't get enough of it. You can use it on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt, pancakes, waffles or even use it as a dipping sauce for fruit and pretzels. I highly recommend using dark chocolate in this recipe because dark chocolate tastes better. You can also use almond, coconut, mint and peppermint extract in place of the vanilla extract and the sauce will be just as tasty.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 2 tbsp. dark corn syrup
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Make 12 Servings (2 tbsp. per serving, 1 1/2 cups total)

1. Combine half-and-half and corn syrup in a heavy medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Remove saucepan from heat. Add chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.
2. Bring chocolate mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Use or cool to room temperature. Transfer to covered container; refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Here's a sauce to put on your ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato , or any other sweet treat to enjoy. The great thing about this hot fudge is it's homemade and there's no granulated sugar. You can use any kind of chocolate in this recipe such as bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate and your hot fudge will be delicious no matter what. You ca also use almond, mint, coconut or peppermint extract in place of the vanilla to make this sauce different. This recipe also has less than 5 ingredients so 5-ingredient chef Claire Robinson will enjoy this sauce. 

Coconut Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
• 3 large eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups skim milk
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups (3/4-inch-square) French bread cubes
• 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the coconut in a baking pan and broil, 5 inches from the heat, until lightly browned, 1 minute. Transfer the coconut toa plate to cool. Place the pineapple chunks in the baking pan in a single layer and broil until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, sugar and salt until combined. Blend in 2 cups of the milk, the coconut milk and vanilla. Stir in the bread cubes and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the toasted coconut and pineapple; pour into a 7 X 11-inch glass baking dish. Bake until the pudding is puffed and lightly browned, 40-50 minutes. let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, in a 1-cup glass measure, combine the remaining milk, the chocolate and cocoa. Microwave on high 45 seconds, then stir until well blended. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the pudding and serve.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts (1/8 pudding per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Bread pudding is a classic comfort food in the USA. This was my first attempt at making bread pudding and it  was a success. The combination of pineapple, coconut and chocolate  was a taste of paradise-like a pina colada dipped in chocolate. This dessert was even better the second day because the more the flavors blend the better the dessert tastes. Winter is still here but ifyou want a taste of paradise, make this bread pudding to make you feel warm inside.

 



Chocolate-Cinnamon Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp semisweet chocolate, grated or chopped
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar  
• 2 large wheat flour tortillas, (6 inches)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon        
• 1 tsp confectioners' sugar                                               

Makes 2 Servings

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chocolate, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon over half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half to cover ingredients.
2. Set quesadillas in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat until speckled with brown spots on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar; serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (1 quesadilla per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. As always, I was having a sweet tooth craving and this recipe looked too good to pass up. This dessert reminded me of this wonderful chocolate shop in Playa del Carmen, Mexico called La Casa de Chocolate because the owner was Belgian and knew how to make the best chocolate desserts in the Yucatan Peninsula. I always think of Mexico whenever I combine cinnamon and chocolate because they are some of the guiltiest pleasures on Earth. Even though the directions say cook the quesadillas in a dry skillet, I highly recommend spraying the pan with butter or margarine for a more melt-in-your-mouth bite. I also highly recommend serving vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to even make it guiltier but it could effect the point value. I would highly recommend serving this dessert if your dinner guests include Claire Robinson (because it's an easy 5-Ingredient fix), Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Jose Garces, Aron Sanchez and Rick Bayless (because they are some of the MASTERS of Latin Cooking). Iron Chef Flay, I still want to challenge you to a Tailgating Throwdown at Boston College. I know you have a busy schedule but I guess you're too much of a coward to even show up at BC.

Black & White Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tsp raspberry liqueur (framboise)
• 1 1/2 tsp water
• 8 large strawberries, with stems
• 1/2 oz white chocolate, chopped, or 2 tbsp white chocolate chips

Makes 4 Servings

1. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In a small microwavable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, liqueur, and water; microwave on High, stirring twice, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Holding a berry by the hull, dip the berry halfway into the chocolate; set on the wax paper. Repeat with the remaining berries and chocolate.
2. In another small microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave on High, stirring once, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. Serve chilled.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts (2 dipped strawberries per serving)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. If you ever saw the photo for this recipe, you would want to make these yummy treats. You've probably seen these devilish treats in fancy restaurants or upscale bakeries. They are very easy to make at home and just as delicious. The key, I believe, to making them so good is the raspberry liqueur. Even though the directions say to melt the chocolate in the microwave, I recommend melting the chocolate in a double broiler or in a saucepan for a more gooey taste. Trust me on this one. 

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 8 oz. angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
• 24 strawberries, stemmed

Makes 12 Servings

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the skim milk, evaoprated milk and cocoa powder until the cocoa dissolves. Add the chocolate and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth, 4-6 minutes. Transfer mixture to a fondue pot and set over moderate heat. Serve at once, with the angel food cake cubes and the strawberries for dipping.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts (3 tbsp fondue with 3/4 cup cake and 2 strawberries)

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. This is an easy and elegant dessert that features fresh fruit and fat-free angel food cake. The orginal recipe in the cookbook called for whole milk but skim milk will work just as well. You can also substitute bittersweet chocolate for the semisweet chocolate as well. I added the ground cinnamon for a pinch of Mexican flavor and it is delicious. You can serve other fruits with this fondue such as apples, bananas, pitted cherries, grapes, orange slices, etc. This fondue will also give you your chocolate fix when you need it.

Ganache Sauce-My way

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
• 3 tbsp Godiva Liqueur

Makes 2 Cups

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, nutter and sugar just to a simmer.
2. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for 5 seconds.
3. Gently whisk  the ingredients together. When chocolate is melted, whisk in the liqueur.
4. Pour the sauce into a squeeze bottle and keep warm until ready to use.
5. Serve with Ice cream or your favorite dessert.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who knows?

Note: This recipe appears in the Calphalon Cookbook. I don't know what the nutritional value is nor do I care. This ganache sauce is a guilty pleasure that should be savored for a special occasion it's that good. I substituted skim milk for heavy cream or half-and-half. I also used Kahlua Liqueur instead of Godiva Liqueur; you can use any Liqueur for this recipe and the sauce will be just as heavenly.

Buche de Noel

Ingredients:

CAKE:

• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup skim milk, at room temperature
• 3-4 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups fat-free nondairy whipped topping

FROSTING:

• 8 oz. light tub cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

 Makes 18 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a 15x10x1 jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper; spray again with nonstick spray, them lightly flour.
2. To prepare the cake, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; mix well. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine th eggs, sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour mixture and milk in 2 alternating additions each until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 8-10 minutes. Spread a kitchen towel on a work surface and cover with a piece of wax paper. Sprinkle the wax paper with the confectioners' sugar. runa knife around the edge of the pan to loosen  the cake and invert the pan and warm cake onto the wax paper. Remove the parchment paper. Starting at the long side closest to you, using  the towel to help, carefully roll up the cake jelly-roll style. Allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile to prepare the frosting, in the bowl of the electric mixer, place the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the melted chocolate; increase the speed to high and beat until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
5. Unroll the cooled cake and remove the wax paper. Spread the whipped topping over the cake and again roll up jelly-roll style. Place the cake seam side down on a derving platter. From one end of the cake, with a knife on a sharp angle, cut a wedge. Spread the cut side of the wedge with 3 tbsp of frosting and attach it, frosted side, near one end of the top of the cake and on top of the attached wedge. Run the tines along the length of the cake to make bark lines. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight, then cut into 18 slices.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 Pts. per slice

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. If you ever saw the picture of this dessert in the cookbook, you would want to make it too. It's the Christmas season and I wanted to make somehting sweet and festive and I've always wanted to make a Buche de Noel. A buche de noel is a traditional French holiday cake when translated means Yule log. This recipe looks complicated but it's not as bad as it looks; it just takes patience and practice. My first attempt at a buche de noel  was kind of messy because I added a little too much cool whip for the filling and I didn't roll the log up as tight as I should have. However, the cake and frosting were delicious. I also learned another thing: I have a newfound respect for pastry chefs. Whether it's making a jelly-roll cake, brownies or cookies, baking is an acquired skill that takes time and PATIENCE! If you want proof, here's a clip from Season 3 of The Next Iron Chef:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Somebody7100#p/c/3C812877999AFCC7/17/_JuOwFsvE0U

Chef Forgione, I hope you gave your pastry chef a raise like you promised!

Chocolate-Swirled Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup low-fat graham-cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Makes 12 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Coat a 9" springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottome of the pan with graham craker crumbs, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cheese until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sugar, sugar substitute, vanilla and milk and beat for 4 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. Pour 2 cups of the batter into a small bowl and beat the melted chocolate into it.
3. Pout the plain batter into the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate batter. Using a knife, swirl the batters to create a marbled effect. Place the pan inside a larger one filled with 1" of water.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is nearly set. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Every now and then you have a craving for something sweet and delicious and this treat really hit the spot. I added a few ingredients to this recipe to make it more irresistable. I added the cinnamon and nutmeg to the graham cracker crust t give the crust more flavor. I also added the vanilla to the ricotta mixture to kick it up a notch. What's cheesecake without a hint of vanilla? This South Beach Cheesecake is very fluffy because it's made from ricotta cheese and not the traditional cream cheese; however, it is a heavenly delight.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb (8 oz.) semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup granular sugar
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 4 tbsp brandy
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 tbsp granular sugar

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. In a double broiler, melt the butter and the chocolate over medium heat, stirring constantly to smooth. When the mixture is completely melted, remove from the heat.
3. Add the sugar and cornstarch to the chocolate mixture and combine well.
4. Beat in the eggs and egg whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk all the ingredients together. Add the brandy and whisk again until smooth.
5. Line the bottom of each ramekin with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the parchment and the sides of the ramekin. Coat the insides of the ramekin with sugar, then fill with the chocolate batter.
6. Place the ramekins on a jelly roll pan or cooking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Carefully invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Remove the parchment circle.
8. Serve the cakes while still warm, garnished with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce or fresh berries.

WW POINTS VALUE: Who Knows?!?!

Note: This recipe is from Calphalon. I know I'm going off course for a little bit but I want to cook without borders and I want to live a little! I've always wanted to try make my own molten chocolate cake @ home instead of paying $$ for it. I altered this recipe to make it low-fat.  If you don't have brandy on hand, you can substitute different liqueurs such as Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Amaretto or Creme de Mint. I also highly recommend seving this dish with fresh fruit and a homemade raseberry sauce.

Brownies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter

Makes 16 servings

1. Prehgeat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg white, sugar and vanilla; beat well to dissolve the sugar.
3. In  the top of a double broiler (or in a small pot) over medium heat, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Cool 1 minute, then stir into the egg mixture; beat well to combine. Stir the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 20-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into 16 brownies.

WW Points per Serving: 3 (1 Brownie per serving)

Note: Thie recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I was on a roll earlier cooking lasagna and stuffed shells for dinner and this recipe looked so delicious . (Emril Lagasse and Mario Batali would be so proud of me!) I used real vanilla I got in Mexico instead of vanilla extract and the real vanilla taste just as delish as vanlla extract. Plus I used the Semisweet chocolate and unsweeted chocolate I got in Mexico as well. I highly recommend getting vanilla and chocolate products while you're in Mexico because they're just as good as the cheap immitation products here in the USA. These brownies are so good they put Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker to shame.

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• tin foil (optional)
• 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine or light butter
• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped  or 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 14 large masrhmallows

Makes 36 Servings

1. Coat an 8x8-inch pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, evaporated milk and margarine (or butter); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in chocolate and marshmallows; remove pan from heat and stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 36 1 1/3-inch squares and serve. Yields 1 square per serving.

WW Points Value: 2 pts

Notes: This recipe appears on http://www.weightwatchers.com/. I've always wanted to try this recipe and I was in the holiday spirit and made it . I love fudge and it's so much better than store bought. I even brought some samples to my meeting and the folks loved it. You can make this fudge anytime of the year and it's perfect for any bake sale!