The Healthy Foodie – Sweet treats for the holidays or anytime

For the Clifton Chronicle

By Pama Mitchell

            As you read this, it’s the middle of the holiday—or should I say overeating-- season. Much of this excess comes in the form of sweet treats, which go so very well with office parties, social gatherings and family celebrations. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, right? The Healthy Foodie’s philosophy is not to give up sweets but to try to lighten them up.

            Here are a couple of easy, lower fat (but still yummy) dessert recipes to add to your holiday table. The Wine Cake has always been a hit with guests and is good to bring to a potluck party. And I’m a great fan of bread puddings; here is a basic recipe that you can jazz up by substituting pineapple chunks for the raisins, buttermilk for the skim, adding nuts or chocolate chips, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Wine Cake

Ingredients:

1 package no-trans-fat yellow cake mix

1 large package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs (or equivalent egg substitute)

2/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil

¾ cup sherry

1 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a well-greased and floured bundt pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered confectioner’s sugar and serve.

Rum-Raisin Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed day-old French bread (white and/or multigrain)

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 ½ cups skim or low-fat milk

1 cup fat-free half and half

½ cup sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

4 eggs (or egg substitute), lightly beaten

2 tablespoons rum (or rum flavoring)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in an oiled 12x8-inch baking dish and sprinkle with raisins. In a bowl, combine next 6 ingredients (milk through eggs) and beat well with a wire whisk. Stir in rum. Pour over bread mixture. Bake in center of oven for 50 minutes or until almost set in center. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes to let pudding set. Serve warm or at room temperature by spooning into dessert dishes and garnishing with a dab of fat-free Cool Whip.