Christine Avanti: Christmas Recipes from the Skinny Chick

Chocolate Chip Christmas Balls

8 tablespoons butter, softened

¼ cup low fat cream cheese softened (2 oz)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1-12 ounce package miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt. Mix until combined. Beat in egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Bet in flours. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape dough into 1½ inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until bottoms are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, combine confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla in a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of soymilk at a time until icing reaches desired consistency. Dip each cookie into frosting presentation side head first into frosting. Lightly sprinkle with green and red sugar crystals for a more festive design. *Note, the frosting dries quickly.

Makes 36 balls, serving size 2 cookies

Skinny Facts:
Calories 106
Fat 4.5 g
Carbs 16 g
Pro 1 g

Gingerbread Spiced Nuts

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp Splenda, brown sugar

2 tbsp molasses

¼ cup egg whites

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp clove

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp espresso powder

½ tsp salt

3 cups pistachios or walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment with cooking spray. Combine egg whites, molasses and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. Combine cinnamon, ginger, clove, espresso powder and salt a small bowl and mix well. Add spice mixture to wet mixture and lightly whisk. Add nuts to gingerbread mixture and coat well. Spread evenly on to lined baking pan and bake for 25 minutes at 300. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Pack into small decorated jars tied with festive ribbon. I use old jelly jars or tea tins.

Makes 20 two ounce servings.

Skinny Facts:
Calories 105
Fat 10 g
Carbs 4g
Pro 3g

Dark Chocolate Dipped Apricots

8 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), finely chopped

18 ounces dried Turkish apricots

Melt chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over simmering water, stirring until chocolate appears smooth. Reduce heat as low as possible. Dip half of dried apricot into chocolate. Transfer to parchment –lined plate. Refrigerate until chocolate has set, about 1-2 hours, preferably over night. Wrap in recycled brown paper dessert boxes purchased from your local restaurant supply store. Tie with ribbon and recipe gift tag.

Serving size, 5 dark chocolate dipped apricots

Skinny Facts:
Calories 100
Fat 3 gm
Carb 19 gm
Protein 1 gm

Healthy Holiday Pumpkin Mini Loaves

1 cup egg whites, raw

1 ½ cups pumpkin, canned

½ cup applesauce, unsweetened

½ cup water

¾ cup sugar, white

1/2 Splenda for baking

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

¼ tsp clove, ground

¼ tsp nutmeg, ground

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

1 2/3 cup flour

1 tbsp walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 5 mini loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside. Combine first six ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl combine baking soda, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and flour. Pour liquid mixture with dry mixture and mix well. Pour mixture into mini loaf pans, filling pans half the way to allow room for bread to rise. Bake for 25 minutes or until you can poke a toothpick into center that comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, wrap loaves in colored plastic wrap and tie with a festive ribbon.

Serving size, ½ mini loaf

Skinny Facts:
Calories 162
Fat 5 g
Carbs 35 g
Pro 5 g