Healthier Desserts - Friday's Edition - 3-7-2008

With trying to eat healthier, we need to make this a lifelong commitment and not just something we do for a month. In doing this, that means we need to have a healthy version of all things we eat. This includes desserts. If you are used to having a dessert, have it, just make it healthier.

We want our cake and eat it too. And we want it to taste good. Below are some recipes that I have changed over the years, as trying to eat better.

Mom's Fresh Apple Cake (easy) ...

4 cups sliced apples
½ cup canola oil
2 well beaten eggs or egg substitute
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Wash apples, core and slice. Do not have to peel. In a large bowl, mix in the order given. Put into a 9x13 greased cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Carrot Cake ...

1 ½ cups safflower oil
1 ½ cups honey
3 eggs or egg substitute
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2tsp. allspice
3 cups grated carrots

Wash and grate carrots. With an electric mixer, mix together oil, honey and eggs and beat until blended well. Mix in dry ingredients and beat. Add carrots and stir by hand until mixed well. Put in a 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. You can top with sugar free or fat free cool whip.

Pumpkin Pie ...

Shell-
1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup canola oil
4 Tbsp. soy milk

Filling

3 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. sea salt
15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 ¼ cups soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, salt, oil and milk in to a medium size bowl. Mix until mixture forms together. Take dough out and form ball. Press in to a greased 9 inch pie plate.
Next, beat egg whites slightly and add the remaining ingredients of the filling. Pour in to pie shell and place on oven rake. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40-45 minutes.