Chocolate that keeps you slim: go ahead, indulge! These delicious desserts won’t pack on the pounds
With many chocolate desserts coming in at 800 calories or more, it’s no wonder many women feel they should shun these treats. But it may surprise you that the chocolate itself isn’t usually to blame for their high calorie and fat count. The real culprits are the copious amounts of butter, egg yolks, and cream in many recipes. “Dark chocolate and cocoa have a complex flavor, so it’s possible to use less of them, as well as to cut down on fattening ingredients, without compromising taste,” says Alice Medrich, author of Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate. The following recipes are all low in calories–two of them have fewer than 200–yet they’re rich enough to satisfy even the most discriminating sweet tooth. Still need a reason to indulge? Consider chocolate’s health benefits: Recent studies show that the type of antioxidants (flavonols) in cocoa help cut your risk of heart disease by improving blood flow and may also protect against cancer. Armed with all this good-for-you detail, we hope you’ll serve and enjoy these desserts regularly.
VANILLA POACHED PEARS WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
Poached pears make an elegant dessert and are easy to prepare.
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 22 to 27 minutes
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine (such as pinot
grigio or sauvignon blanc)
1/4 cup sugar
Fine zest of two lemons
1 vanilla bean
4 Bartlett or Bosc pears (medium
ripe), peeled, cored, and quartered
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
coarsely chopped
In a medium-large saucepan, add wine, sugar, and lemon zest. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the pod. Mash the seeds into the liquid. Over medium heat, cook the liquid for 2 minutes.
Add the pears to the syrup and continue to cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Baste the pears several times as they cook.
Once pears are done, make the chocolate sauce. In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate (or use the bowl-and-sauce-pan method described on the next page). Place 4 pieces of pear in a bowl and spoon 2 tablespoons of the liquid over the fruit, then lightly drizzle the pears with chocolate. Repeat for each serving. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition score per serving
(1 pear, 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce): 391 calories, 13 g fat (26% of calories), 7 g saturated fat, 59 g carbs, 3 g protein, 8 g fiber, 30 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 4 mg sodium
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
This souffle gets its rich flavor from cocoa powder, which is fat-free.
Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 17 minutes
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup powdered unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup cold water
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Cooking spray
RASPBERRY SAUCE
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350[degrees]F.
Sift the powdered sugar, cocoa, and flour into a double boiler (or use the bowl-and-saucepan method on the next page). Add the milk and cold water to the pan and whisk until creamy. Continue to gently whisk the mixture without stopping for about 8 to 10 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks begin to form. Add the sugar slowly and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Blend the egg yolks and almond extract into the chocolate mixture. Fold in half the egg-white mixture, and then fold in the rest. Spoon the batter into eight 10-ounce ramekins (souffle dishes) spritzed with cooking spray, leaving about a 1/2-inch space from the top. (You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.)
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 17 minutes or until the souffles are puffy but still jiggle a little in the center.
Meanwhile, blend the raspberries in a food processor. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each souffle and serve.
Nutrition score per serving (1 souffle, 1 teaspoon sauce): 142 calories, 3 g fat (17% of calories), 1 g saturated fat, 27 g carbs, 5 g protein, 4 g fiber, 41 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 43 mg sodium
MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SORBET
Clove and cinnamon enhance the chocolate flavor of this icy treat.
Serves 6
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 5 minutes
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup raw almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Canola-oil spray
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar. When sugar dissolves, whisk in the cocoa, then add the cloves and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and refrigerate chocolate mixture for at least 2 hours.
Use a mesh colander to strain the chocolate mixture into a bowl, then pour it into an ice-cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.