Plan Some Healthy Recipes for your Holiday Gatherings!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

8 sheets honey graham crackers

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

12-ounces one-third less fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup low-fat 2-percent Greek-style plain yogurt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Position the oven racks in the center and lower third of your oven. Fill a roasting pan about half full with water and place on the lower rack. This will create a moist environment for the cheesecake and help prevent cracking. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Put the graham crackers and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until fine. Add the butter and 2 tablespoons water and pulse until moistened. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until set and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the yogurt, eggs and egg whites, reduce the mixer speed to low and continue to beat until blended. Add the pumpkin, flour, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat until just combined. Stir with a spatula a few times to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated and to release any air bubbles in the batter that could cause the cheesecake to crack.
4. Pour the batter over the crust and rap the pan against the countertop a few times to bring any trapped air bubbles to the surface. Place the cheesecake on the center rack in the oven. Bake until just set and the center wiggles slightly, 50 to 60 minutes. Turn the oven off and crack the door open. Let sit in the oven for 15 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Run a thin sharp knife between the cheesecake and the pan to release the sides. Cool completely, and then chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Before serving, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and release the sides of the pan. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature, 30 to 60 minutes. If the top of the cake appears wet, blot with a paper towel to dry. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar.

Author: Food Network Kitchens

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• ½ cup natural peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• ¾ cup crispy rice cereal
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)

Directions

• Step 1

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Combine peanut butter, cereal and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Roll the mixture into 12 balls, using about 2 teaspoons for each. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze the balls until firm, about 15 minutes.

• Step 2

Roll the balls in melted chocolate. Return to the freezer until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.

Author: Cooking Light

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Icing

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice • •

Directions

• Step 1

For cookies, whisk together first 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a medium bowl.

• Step 2

Beat butter and sugars together in a separate medium bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, and add the egg white and vanilla and almond extracts; beat until just combined.

• Step 3

Add flour mixture, and stir until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours.

• Step 4

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Step 5

Dust a work surface with flour. Turn out chilled dough directly onto work surface. Roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes in dough, and gently transfer them to baking sheets. (You can reroll the scraps, just be sure to chill in between.)

• Step 6

Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until set but not browned. Remove cookies from oven, and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Step 7

For the icing, whisk together all the icing ingredients in a large bowl until completely smooth. Mixture should have consistency of a glaze. (If it’s too thin, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice.)

• Step 8

Transfer icing to a pastry bag (or a zip-top plastic bag with a small hole in one of the bottom corners). First, outline the cookie or desired design, then fill it in. Let icing harden before serving. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Author: Cooking Light

Chocolate Oat Cakes

Ingredients

1/4 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup rolled old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

Directions

1. t oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 mini muffin tins with mini muffin liners, or set out 20 mini muffin liners on a baking sheet. Lightly spray liners with nonstick spray and sprinkle the hazelnuts into the bottom of each muffin liner.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, wheat germ, oats, spices and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in another bowl until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat together. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Scoop a tablespoon of dough (about 3/4 ounce) into the mini muffin tins or liners, on top of the nuts. (Alternatively, drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and top with chopped nuts.) Bake until the cookies are cooked through and nuts are toasty, about 15 minutes (drop cookies will bake slightly faster). Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Serve.

Author: Food Network Kitchens