This month’s issue of Cooking Light magazine is very special. They’re celebrating their 15th anniversary. And to help kickoff the festivities, they’ve lightened up some of their favorite desserts. Registered dietitian Ellen Carroll, a senior editor at Cooking Light magazine, talks about the magazine and the diversity of American food on “Today.” Check out the recipes below.
TRIPLE-BERRY CRISPS WITH MERINGUE STREUSEL Ellen Carroll
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. To prepare streusel, place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy (about 30 seconds). Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (about 2 minutes). Gently fold in almonds, coconut, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Spread as evenly as possible onto a parchment-lined 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.
Bake 2 1/2 hours. Turn oven off; cool meringue in closed oven at least 12 hours or until completely dry. Remove meringue from paper. Crumble meringue into 1/4-inch pieces. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon) in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in meringue pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling, combine blueberries and next 7 ingredients (blueberries through orange rind) in a bowl; toss well. Spoon 1/2 cup filling into each of 12 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 1/3 cup meringue streusel mixture. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 ramekin).
You can also make this dessert in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. (Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.) Or use small skillets like the one above, which we found at Williams-Sonoma. (Bake for 25 minutes.) The recipe makes enough to fill 6 skillets, 2 servings per skillet.
91236996049182743egg whites33 large egg whitessugar6tablespoon6 tablespoons sugarsliced almonds0.25cup1/4 cup sliced almondscoconut0.25cup1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconutground cinnamon0.25teaspoon1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamonall-purpose flour0.3333333333333333cup1/3 cup all-purpose flour brown sugar0.25cup1/4 cup packed brown sugarlemon rind1tablespoon1 tablespoon grated lemon rind nutmeg0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmegcinnamon0.25teaspoon1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon butter1.5tablespoon1 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small piecesblueberries4cup4 cups blueberriesblackberries2cup2 cups blackberriesraspberries2cup2 cups raspberriescornstarch0.25cup1/4 cup cornstarchpacked brown sugar0.25cup1/4 cup packed brown sugarorange juice0.5cup1/2 cup orange juiceginger3tablespoon3 tablespoons chopped crystallized gingerorange rind2tablespoon2 tablespoons finely grated orange rindsprayCooking spray
VARIATION: TRIPLE-BERRY CRISPS WITH ALMOND STREUSEL Ellen Carroll
To prepare streusel, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add oats and almonds; pulse 2 times. Sprinkle over berry filling; bake according to recipe directions at left.
91236996049182743all-purpose flour0.75cup3/4 cup all-purpose floursugar0.5cup1/2 cup packed brown sugarsalt0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon saltbutter4.5tablespoon4 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small piecesregular oats0.75cup3/4 cup regular oatsalmonds0.3333333333333333cup1/3 cup sliced almonds
NEW YORK CHEESECAKE Ellen Carroll
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare crust, lightly spoon 2/3 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place 2/3 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly pour ice water through food chute, processing just until blended (do not allow dough to form a ball).
Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9 x 3-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
To prepare filling, strain the cottage cheese through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 10 minutes; discard liquid. Place cottage cheese in food processor; process until smooth.
Place 2 cups sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add 1/4 cup flour, sour cream, and remaining ingredients to cream cheese mixture; beat well. Add cottage cheese, stirring until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared crust.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake in closed oven 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge).
You can also make the cheesecake in a 10 x 21/2-inch springform pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake in closed oven 30 minutes.
9123699604912693531902all-purpose flour0.6666666666666666cup2/3 cup all-purpose floursugar3tablespoon3 tablespoons sugar butter2tablespoon2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small piecesice water1tablespoon1 tablespoon ice watersprayCooking spraycottage cheese4cup4 cups fat-free cottage cheesesugar2cup2 cups sugarcream cheese22 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softenedall-purpose flour0.25cup1/4 cup all-purpose flour sour cream0.5cup1/2 cup fat-free sour cream lemon rind1tablespoon1 tablespoon grated lemon rindvanilla extract1tablespoon1 tablespoon vanilla extractsalt0.25teaspoon1/4 teaspoon salteggs55 large eggs
APPLE PIE Ellen Carroll
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. To prepare crust, lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour, ice water, and vinegar, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry; toss with a fork until flour mixture is moist. Divide dough in half. Gently press each half into a 4-inch circle on 2 sheets of overlapping heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll 1 dough half, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Roll other dough half, still covered, into an 1 1-inch circle. Chill dough 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
To prepare filling, combine the apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples; toss well to coat.
Remove top 2 sheets of plastic wrap from 12-inch dough circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Spoon filling into dough; brush edges of dough lightly with water.
Remove top 2 sheets of plastic wrap from 11-inch dough circle; place, plastic wrap side up, over filling. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together. Fold edges under, and flute. Cut 4 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with egg white; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (do not remove pie from oven), and bake an additional 40 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge).
91236996049127771all-purpose flour2cup2 cups all-purpose flour, dividedice water6tablespoon6 tablespoons ice watercider vinegar1teaspoon1 teaspoon cider vinegarpowdered sugar2tablespoon2 tablespoons powdered sugarsalt0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon saltvegetable shortening7tablespoon7 tablespoons vegetable shorteningapples8cup8 cups thinly sliced peeled Braeburn apples (about 8 medium) lemon juice1tablespoon1 tablespoon fresh lemon juicesugar0.6666666666666666cup2/3 cup sugarall-purpose flour3tablespoon3 tablespoons all-purpose flour cinnamon0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon nutmeg0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmegsalt0.125teaspoon1/8 teaspoon saltsprayCooking sprayegg white11 large egg white, lightly beatensugar1tablespoon1 tablespoon sugar
SWEET CORN BREAD WITH MIXED BERRIES AND BERRY COULIS Ellen Carroll
9 servings.
To prepare sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Strain berry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids. Cover and chill.
To prepare topping, combine 1 cup each raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, orange-flower water (if desired), and orange rind; toss gently to combine. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
To prepare corn bread, lightly spoon the flour and cornmeal into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk, butter, oil, and egg; stir with a whisk.
Pour batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until corn bread is lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut corn bread into 9 squares.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon sauce onto each of 9 plates, and top with 1 corn bread square. Top each corn bread square with about 1/4 cup fresh berry topping. Spoon about 1 tablespoon whipped topping over each serving.
91236996048182743 raspberries0.5cup1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries blueberries0.5cup1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberriesblackberries0.5cup1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen blackberrieswater2tablespoon2 tablespoons watersugar2.5teaspoon2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugarraspberries1cup1 cup fresh raspberries blueberries1cup1 cup fresh blueberriesblackberries1cup1 cup fresh blackberries sugar2tablespoon2 tablespoons dark brown sugar water0.25teaspoon1/4 teaspoon orange-flower water (optional) orange rind0.125teaspoon1/8 teaspoon grated orange rindall-purpose flour0.75cup3/4 cup all-purpose flouryellow cornmeal0.75cup3/4 cup yellow cornmealsugar0.3333333333333333cup1/3 cup granulated sugarbaking powder2teaspoon2 teaspoons baking powdersalt0.5teaspoon1/2 teaspoon saltmilk0.75cup3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milkbutter2tablespoon2 tablespoons butter, meltedvegetable oil1tablespoon1 tablespoon vegetable oilegg11 large eggsprayCooking spraywhipped topping0.5cup1/2 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
FUDGY BROWNIES Ellen Carroll
16 servings (serving size: 1 brownie).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until thick and pale (about 5 minutes). Combine hot water and coffee granules, stirring until coffee granules dissolve. Add coffee mixture, butter, and vanilla extract to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until combined.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring just until moist (batter will be thick).
Spread batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 23 minutes or until brownies spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Garnish brownies with powdered sugar, if desired.
91236996049126560sugar1cup1 cup sugareggs22 large eggshot water1tablespoon1 tablespoon hot waterinstant coffee granules2teaspoon2 teaspoons instant coffee granulesbutter0.25cup1/4 cup butter, meltedvanilla extract1teaspoon1 teaspoon vanilla extractall-purpose flour1cup1 cup all-purpose flourunsweetened cocoa0.6666666666666666cup2/3 cup unsweetened cocoasalt0.25teaspoon1/4 teaspoon saltsprayCooking spray sugar 1tablespoon1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
Recipes provided by Cooking Light magazine. Copyright 2002. All rights reserved For more recipes from Cooking Light, you can visit their Web site at: CookingLight.com.