Dessert Tips for the Holidays

Have it all and keep off the weight

by Rose Reisman

We often think of the holidays as the time to indulge and we most often indulge in food and drink. That’s one of the reasons it is so easy to gain 3lbs to 5lbs during this time that is going to be very hard to lose once the holidays are over. Have a look at some of my tips for making your traditional desserts lighter for the holidays.

Cheesecakes:

• Ricotta cheese contains much less fat than regular cream cheese. Light cream cheese should always replace full fat cream cheese.

• For crusts use cookie crumbs and use no more than 2 tbsp oil, not butter and water to hold together.

• Use lower fat sour cream or yogurt.

Coffee cakes:

• Use oil rather than butter.

• Cut back the fat in your traditional recipes by as much as 50% by substituting ingredients, such as banana or date puree, light sour cream or yogurt, crushed pineapple or applesauce

• For chocolate cakes substitute cocoa for the melted chocolate and increase the sugar. Sprinkle in some chocolate chips for flavor

• Icings can be made with a mixture of beaten light cream cheese instead of butter, icing sugar and a little water until creamy. Instead of icing entire cake just drizzle over top

• A mixture of icing sugar and water also makes for a no fat icing. Add flavorings such as cocoa, lemon juice or mint flavoring

Fruit Crisps

• Instead of holding the crisp topping together with butter, substitute vegetable oil and water. Use equal amounts.

Pies, flans and tarts

• Instead of butter or lard crusts, substitute cookie crumbs and hold together with water and oil, using a 2:1 ratio

• Use a combination of ricotta and light cream cheese instead of full fat cream cheese

• Use low fat condensed milk instead of full fat or whipping cream

Crème caramels and Brulees

• Use lower fat milk or evaporated milk instead of whipped cream or full fat milk

• If more than 2 eggs are in recipe substitute 2 egg whites for each additional egg

Brownies

• Use cocoa instead of melted chocolate. Increase sugar

• Use oil not butter and use no more than 1/3 cup for a 9” x 9” pan. Substitute light sour cream or yogurt for excess oil or butter

Muffins and Loaves

• Use no more than 1/3 cup vegetable oil for 12 muffins or 1 loaf cake. Substitute lower fat yogourt or sour cream for the oil.

Biscotti

• Better choice than cookies since they require less fat

• Use oil rather than butter

• Cut the nuts and chocolate chips in half or substitute dried chopped fruit

Contest Winner – 50lbs (yes!) of Chocolate

We had a ludicrous contest running on Lenzr, the photo contest site, back  in the summer. Tempo Toronto does like to be a little, well, off the wall and fun seeking. We decided to give away over 50lbs of chocolate. High quality, luxury, smooth and silky Belgian chocolate – an entire food group of its own, for chocoholics.

The photo judged to be the best example of “50 going on 15″ by popular vote was selected as the lucky winner of a memorable prize. Yes, it really was 50lbs of chocolate.

The prize winner was Debbie Watson from Hamilton. The winning photo depicted Debbie at a fund-raiser all decked out in “Elton John” style glasses and looking completely silly (in a good way). She’s a critical care nurse, and had a tough time fitting in a drive to Toronto’s Chocolicks to collect her prize. We could hardly mail it! So we all – Rob Campbell from Lenzr (pictured right, holding all 50lbs), Cheryl from Chocolics, Debbie and Bill Watson from Hamilton, and Tina Rogers, Publisher of Tempo Toronto – gathered in one chocolate-y place.

Have you any idea what Over 50lbs of chocolate looks like? On the left is just one of the five 10lb bars we loaded into her car – Debbie was just fooling with us pretending to nibble off a corner. You really do need a hammer (rubber mallet) to break it.

All Tempo Toronto contests have great prizes. Lenzr helped us put together an attention-getting contest like no other – so thanks to Rob Campbell. And thanks to Debbie for being such a good sport.

What Debbie had to say when she’d recovered from the shock of seeing a mountain of chocolate …

“As a nurse I know the benefits of chocolate, but nothing could prepare me for the amazing sight of 50 pounds of chocolate. Immediately my mouth was drooling and the sweetness was filling my senses. I know all my favourite recipes will be chocolate enhanced. I’m talking about my fudge, cheesecake, cakes drizzled with chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries and candied fruits. Hey, why can’t I indulge in its decadence by itself?  I’m already pricing a chocolate fountain and I predict a chocolate party in the near future. Thank you to everyone involved in this contest. Sometimes contest prizes are described as “Sweet”, but this one is absolutely decadent!”