Dessert

Bob’s Farm to Table: I have always grown strawberries and picked someone’s raspberry patch. Now that fresh berries are available year-round, I always add them to my favorite cobbler. We offset these bright, lightly sweetened berries with a hearty, oat-studded cake-y topping. The combinations of flavors and textures is out of this world! Serve the cobbler as is or with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (see page 307).

Fresh Berry Cobbler

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 8 dessert portions

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• Topping:

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, ⅓ cup sugar, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl, and toss until sugar has dissolved and coated the fruit. Transfer fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish.
3. In a clean mixing bowl, use a large fork to whisk all of the topping ingredients together, just until a batter has formed (do not overmix).
4. Drop large dollops of the batter over the berries in the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the berries are bubbly in the center of the dish and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. For 100 calorie portions, slice into 16 sections by cutting 4 rows by 4 rows.

HELPFUL TIP: Four cups of any combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries can be used in this recipe.

Serving size: 1/16 cobbler Calories: 100

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Mona’s Family Favorites: Easy is often the most delicious! This is my go-to dessert whenever I throw a party for family or friends. The simple combination of fresh berries, cinnamon-scented
Greek yogurt, and chocolate makes an elegant, guilt-free finish to any meal. You always have to add a little chocolate, right? While this combination of fruit is our favorite, the variations are nearly endless. Serve in martini glasses for a festive presentation.

Fantastic Fruit Parfaits

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 2 Parfaits

Ingredients

• ½ cup sliced strawberries
• ½ cup vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
• Ground cinnamon
• ½ cup blueberries
• 2 teaspoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Set out 2 (5-ounce) parfait glasses.
2. Divide the sliced strawberries evenly between the 2 glasses.
3. Place a large dollop of the yogurt into each of the 2 glasses, and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.
4. Top the yogurt in each glass with an equal amount of the blueberries.
5. Top the blueberries in each glass with another large dollop of yogurt, and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Top each parfait with 1 teaspoon of miniature chocolate chips before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: Any flavor of nonfat Greek yogurt can be used in place of the vanilla, with berry flavors being obviously good choices. Topping each parfait with 2 rounded tablespoons of Homemade Granola (see page 272) in place of the chocolate chips will make for great 150-calorie breakfast parfaits.

Serving size: 1 parfait Calories: 100

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There’s nothing more quintessentially American than Mom’s apple pie. Inspired by the iconic cinnamon-scented apples encased in buttery crust, we created “perfectly portioned” turnovers in a quarter of the calories by swapping the traditional double crust for puff pastry sheets.

Apple Pie Turnovers

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

14 mins

Total time

44 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 24 Mini turnovers

Ingredients

• 1 green apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 red apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (may use ground cinnamon)
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons coarse sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Position the oven racks 3 slots apart, and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Place apples, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon juice, and salt in a sauce pot over medium-high heat.
3. Whisk the cornstarch into the water, and stir into the pot. Bring up to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and let cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove cover, and simmer for an additional 4 minutes to thicken the apple mixture further. Let cool.
5. Unroll 1 sheet of puff pastry, and use a pastry cutter to cut 3 lines vertically by 4 lines horizontally to create 12 rectangles. Use a floured rolling pin to roll these rectangles about ⅓ larger, pushing the rolling pin away from you to roll the rectangles into more of a square shape. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
6. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple filling in the center of each pastry square. Brush the edges of the pastry with water, fold over, and press hard to fully seal. Use a pastry cutter to trim any uneven excess to make perfectly folded triangles.
7. Transfer the filled turnovers to the prepared baking sheets, and brush the tops with the beaten egg. Make a ¼-inch-thick cut in the center of each to vent. Sprinkle coarse sugar over each, if desired.
8. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serving size: 1 turnover Calories: 100

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Is there any better pairing than chocolate and peanut butter? These Peanut Butter Truffles make a strong case that there isn’t! With only a handful of ingredients, you can easily make your own homemade candies that look and taste as good as the local chocolate shop.

Peanut Butter Truffles

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

2 hours 30 mins

Total time

3 hours

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 24 Truffles

Ingredients

• ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and combined. Fold in the confectioners’ sugar to form a peanut butter dough.
3. Roll the peanut butter dough into 24 equal balls (using about 1 ½ teaspoons of dough each), and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Create a double boiler by placing a stainless steel or tempered glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
5. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl of the double boiler, and heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
6. Using a fork, place one of the chilled peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate, and roll until fully coated. Gently lift the truffle out of the chocolate, and tap the bowl to remove any excess coating. Transfer back to the sheet pan.
7. Repeat this process until all 24 truffles are coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Serving size: 1 truffle Calories: 100

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Anson’s American Treasures: When I was directing the Steven Spielberg television series Seaquest in Orlando, a few of us decided to take a day trip down to Key West. We spent most of our day trying to hunt down the “best” slice of Key lime pie. This fun memory has made this dessert one of my favorites! By making them into mini pies, my team and I have been able to deliver this tangy treat for only 100 calories.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Key Lime Pie Tarts

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 18 Mini Tarts

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup Key lime juice
• 3 large egg whites, beaten
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray standard-size muffin pans (enough to make 18 tarts) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1 egg white, butter, and sugar, folding together to create a crumbly crust.
3. Press 1 rounded tablespoon of the crust into the bottom of each of the 18 muffin cups. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup of evaporated milk, and place in a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, lime juice, 3 egg whites, lime zest, and the cooled cornstarch mixture to create the filling.
6. Pour 2 tablespoons of the filling over each of the baked crusts.
7. Bake for 10–12 minutes, just until the edges of the tarts come away from the pan and bubbles begin to form at the top.
8. Let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 additional hour before serving.

HELPFUL TIP: Key lime juice can be purchased in a bottle and is usually found in the baking aisle. Regular lime juice can be substituted in a pinch.

Serving size: 1 tart Calories: 100

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Our Lemon Bars are not only 100 calories each, they also outshine other recipes because of their lemon zing. We top the rich, buttery crust with a very generous amount of custard made from both lemon juice and zest. The perfect marriage of sweetness and citrus tang, we’re smitten.

Lemon Bars

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 20 Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold water

  Filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the ⅔ cup of flour, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water to create a thick dough. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown, and then let cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the filling ingredients until well combined.
5. Pour the filling over the crust, and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch.
6. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 4 rows by 5 rows to create 20 bars.

HELPFUL TIP: Lemon bars are traditionally served garnished with powdered confectioners’ sugar sprinkled over the top (as it helps hide any bubbles in the custard). A light sprinkling adds a negligible 1 or 2 calories per serving.

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 100

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We gave classic vanilla ice cream a slim-down and a huge boost of flavor. We add a small amount of cornstarch to the ice cream base for ultra creamy texture without the use of heavy cream, and we add both vanilla extract and a freshly scraped vanilla bean for a winning punch of flavor. Divine! Please note that a 1½-quart (or larger) ice cream maker is required for this recipe.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 10 mins

 

Author: The Perfect Portion

Recipe type: Desserts

Makes: 1 quart ice cream or 12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups 2% milk
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

Directions

1. Add the milk, half-and-half, sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Cook the ice cream base, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
3. In a mixing bowl, quickly whisk 1 large ladle of the hot ice cream base into the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth and combined.
4. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pot with the remainder of the ice cream base.
5. Add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds to the ice cream base, and stir until the seeds are incorporated throughout. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating until ice cold, at least 8 hours.
6. Churn the ice cream base, and chill according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your brand of ice cream maker.

Serving size: ⅓ cup Calories: 100

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