Chocolate and The Art of Low Fat Desserts

Posted on 27 July 2010

Before I lose your attention to this incredible cookbook and dessert I just have to tell you that my mind is going full speed ahead with so many post ideas!

I have several drafts in the works and there is so much I want to write about that I have a little fight with myself every morning about which idea to go with first! I was going to post today about goal setting but then I decided to go with this awesome sharing of my love of chocolate desserts in a healthier way of course!

I am also thinking about changing my blog and having a different set up for posting my recipes so that I can post a recipe and a different type of post on the same day. I don’t have the expertise to figure that out for myself, so right now it is just an idea. I floated it past my son and he didn’t think it was necessary to have two separate blogs one for recipes and one for chatting. There must be a way to have both contained with in one blog perhaps a separate page for recipes or something like that. If anyone has any ideas in this regard please share them.

I have a back log of recipe reviews, product reviews, a give away I won on another blog, thoughts on goal setting, a weight loss update and my thoughts on the real meaning of deprivation and the mindset of a yo yo dieter! I think I will be posting more often this week as I just have too much I want to share and I can’t get it all into 3 little posts!

Enough of that and now let’s get going with the post that won todays little mind battle!

This is my favorite low fat dessert cook book.  Dessert chef and chocolatier Alice Medrich is a genius when it comes to developing low fat desserts that taste anything but light! The recipes are sensational and use high quality ingredients no fake stuff allowed, resulting in rich full flavored decadent desserts.

Alice Medrich said “Today I know that the health conscious changes we have made in our diets – even – subtly – over the last decade have also changed our palates. Even those of us who love food have begun to taste things differently, to have less tolerance for fat and rich foods, and to derive more pleasure from good tasting, well made lighter food.”

Alic did such an outstanding job with her lighter recipes that this cook book did receive the James Beard 1995 cook book of the year award!  If you like to bake, love chocolate but still want to keep the fat and calories at a reasonable level then this cook book is for you. The author also included some non chocolate recipes but honestly I have yet to try any of them. I don’t often bake any more but when I do have the desire to bake for a special occasion this is the first place I look for inspiration.

Since this cook book is no longer in print when I learned about it I had to search for a used copy on line. I found it for around $7 a few years ago. The copy I have has an inscription inside from Alice Medrich to a couple thanking them for a lovely evening. Well their loss in giving up this book was definitely my gain!

Katy made the Fallen Chocolate Souffle Torte for me. It is one of our favorite chocolate recipes. Don’t tell anyone it is a lighter recipe, they will never know. It is a full rich deep chocolate flavor, moist and decadent. You will have a hard time eating a whole serving in one sitting, okay maybe not! Sometimes though, just half a serving is satisfying for me. One serving is under 200 calories and just 6.4 g of fat. We have made this recipe many times over and it is plate of pleasure for a chocolate lover. Remember, this is not an every day food for me but I can enjoy it for special occasions!

This recipe calls for Dutch process cocoa and the more common supermarket brand is Droste. Do look for it as Hershey brand just won’t result in the same rich chocolate flavor. In her book Medrich explains all about the high quality ingredients she has chosen and why they work so well.

Dutch Process Cocoa                                                                    Line the spring form pan with parchment paper.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture.               All puffed up right out of the oven.

Torte starts to fall.                                                                                   Remove the spring form, turn onto a pan.

Transfer to a serving dish.                                                         The top is fallen and all cracked and rustic looking.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Cut into 10 generous servings.                                                                 Bon appetit!

Wil July 27, 2010 at 10:21 pm

If you’re a fan of the classic Italian dessert Tiramisu, try this quick, lower-calorie variation the next time you need a dessert in a hurry. Both types of ladyfingers—spongy and crunchy—work well.

Makes 6 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes
Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese, (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 ladyfingers, (about 1 3/4 ounces)
4 tablespoons brewed espresso, or strong coffee, divided
2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)

Preparation

Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Place 6 ladyfingers in a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Spread the ricotta mixture over the ladyfingers. Place another layer of ladyfingers over the ricotta and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Tip: To melt chocolate: Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Or place in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Nutrition

Per serving: 107 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 125 mg sodium; 29 mg potassium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

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