Like many people, Gina Homolka started gaining weight in her twenties—even though she felt like she was eating the same things she always had been. Joining Weight Watchers helped, but she still struggled to find healthy foods that she actually enjoyed eating. "Sure, there were plenty of so-called 'diet' recipes out there, but many of them used processed foods or they tated, well, diet-y," she says.
So Homolka decided to experiment with slimming down some of her favorite recipes on her own—and created the blog Skinnytaste to document her creations. "I was thrilled when I discovered that many of my favorite dishes could easily be tweaked to lower the fat and calorie content," she says. Now, six years after launching Skinnytaste, Homolka has a cookbook of some of her favorite recipes coming out called The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor. Check out how she approaches slimming down baked good recipes, then try some of her delicious and light creations:
Maple–Raisin Bread Pudding
I've always found bread pudding pretty hard to resist, especially when it's still warm from the oven and topped with a touch of whipped cream. But how do you make a dessert that’s based on bread and eggs a little better or you? I swapped the white bread for whole wheat French bread, swapped the cream for fat-free milk, and cut back on the eggs. To sweeten it, I like to go natural, using pure maple syrup and raisins instead of refined sugar. But most important, I keep portions in check by baking them in individual ramekins so I don't "accidentally" have more than my share.
2 cups (2 1⁄2 oz) whole-wheat French bread, crusts removed, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 cup fat-free milk
1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup
2 1⁄2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1⁄3 cup raisins
Cooking spray or oil mister
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, 3 Tbsp of the maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the raisins. Fold in the toasted bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 4 (5-oz) ramekins with oil. Divide the bread mixture equally among the prepared ramekins. Put the ramekins in an 8 × 8-inch baking pan, and add 1 inch hot water to the pan.
5. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of maple syrup. Serve warm.
Makes 4 ramekins. Per ramekin: 172 calories, 0.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 35 g carbs, 143 mg sodium, 23 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein
MORE: 3 Delicious Sugar-Free Desserts
Double Chocolate Chunk Walnut Cookies
I've done some crazy, unconventional things in baking, but using avocados in place of butter may just be the craziest. Believe it or not, it works! For these chewy cookies made with chunks of chocolate and walnuts in every bite, I use absolutely no butter. They taste too good to be light—and you can't detect the taste of avocados at all. I tested these out on many unsuspecting adults, children, and teens, and everyone loved them. Karina, my college-age daughter, was the ultimate test—she's a true chocoholic. She thinks they're pretty awesome!
Cooking spray or oil mister (optional)
1⁄2 cup raw sugar
1⁄3 cup unpacked dark brown sugar
1⁄4 cup mashed avocado
1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg white
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1⁄2 cup (65 grams) white whole-wheat unbleached flour (I recommend King Arthur)
1⁄3 cup (50 grams) all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's)
1⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄8 tsp kosher salt
1⁄3 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1⁄2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 regular baking sheets with silicone baking mats (such as Silpats) or lightly spray nonstick baking sheets with oil.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the sugars, avocado, applesauce, egg white, and vanilla until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula in two additions. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts. The dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets, and smooth the tops. Bake until almost set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 24 cookies. Per 2-cookie serving: 152 calories, 5.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 25 g carbs, 48 mg sodium, 15 g sugar, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein
MORE: How to Make Your Own Ice Cream—Without an Ice Cream Maker!
Pumpkin-Obsessed Vanilla-Glazed Scones
These light and fluffy buttermilk scones—made with pumpkin puree, fall spices, and a vanilla bean glaze—will warm up your home and fill it with an intoxicating scent that no fancy candle can come close to replicating. I've lightened these up substantially by using low-fat buttermilk instead of cream and replacing some butter with pumpkin puree. They taste just as good as any scone you would buy in a fancy coffee shop—with half the calories.
For the scones:
Cooking spray or oil mister
1⁄2 cup cold low-fat 1% buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 Tbsp canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1⁄4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 cup white whole-wheat flour (I recommend King Arthur)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp very cold butter, cut into small pieces
For the glaze:
2 Tbsp cold fat-free milk
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
2. For the scones: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut along the length of the vanilla bean to split it open. Scrape half of the seeds into the bowl and whisk well; reserve the remaining seeds for the glaze.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk mixture, and stir until just moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, and shape it into a 9-inch round about 3⁄4 inch thick. Using a knife, cut the dough all the way through into 12 wedges.
4. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.
5. For the glaze: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining seeds from the vanilla bean and the milk. In another medium bowl, add the powdered sugar. Using a spatula, mix in the milk and combine well until it is mixed through and forms a thick glaze.
6. Put the scones on parchment or wax paper, and drizzle the vanilla glaze over the scones using a spoon. Alternatively, you can dip the tops of the scones into the glaze and then let them sit on the paper to harden.
7. Serve warm. Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers for up to 2 days.
Tip: For perfect scones, be careful not to overwork the dough, and be sure your butter is well chilled. I always keep a stick of butter in the freezer just for making scones.
Makes 12 scones. Per scone: 172 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 32 g carbs, 214 mg sodium, 15 g sugar, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein
MORE: 5 Tasty Desserts With 150 Calories…or Less
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