In its infinite wisdom, my daughter’s school scheduled the Daddy Daughter Dance on Valentine’s Day. So Paul and I won’t be going out on Thursday, but may take in a dinner and a movie at The National in Athens, GA if the movie at The Ciné is something I actually want to see. (All the moviesI do want to see are done after the 14th, darn it!)

However for many of us, going out to eat for Valentine’s Day is a total pain. First of all, this year it’s on a Thursday and who can stay out late when you have to get kids ready for school and head out to work early in the morning? Second, depending on where you like to eat, you may have to make reservations weeks in advance. Third, between babysitters, drinks and a nice meal, and a Valentine's Day present for your sweetie, it’s expensive!

Why not stay home and fix a nice Valentine's Day meal instead? Afterwards, put the kids to bed – early if possible. Then start a romantic movie on Netflix, open a bottle of sparkling wine, and have a delicious but healthy snack that won’t spoil your diet too badly, like Peanut Butter Caramel Corn from Cooking Light's The New Way to Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today's Home Cook. Leftovers will make a nice after school snack the next day, too!

I bet this would be good with almond butter, as well. If you have nut allergies or sensitivities, try sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter and pine nuts (which are seeds) for the sliced almonds.

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Serves 20 (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
• kernels
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 2. tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper; coat paper with cooking spray.
3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add popcorn; cover and cook 4 minutes, shaking pan frequently. When popping slows, remove pan from heat. Let stand until popping stops. Uncover; add almonds.
4. Combine sugar, syrup, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
5. Add peanut butter and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Drizzle over popcorn; toss well.
6. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
7. Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Nutritional information

• Calories 155
• Fat 7.4 g (sat 1.8 g, mono 3.5 g, poly 1.6 g)
• Protein 2.6 g
• Carb 21.3 g
• Fiber 1.4 g
• Cholesterol 4 mg
• Iron 0.4mg Sodium 108 mg
• Calcium 17 mg

Recipe and photo used with permission of Cooking Light.

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Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Dinner, a movie, and some healthy Peanut Butter Caramel Corn for Valentine’s Day is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

When Holly Clegg sent over this month’s guest post, I nearly fell off my chair. I mean, Red Velvet Cheesecake, and one that is healthy? She’s a miracle worker!

You can find  more of Holly’s trim& TERRIFIC® recipes at hollyclegg.com and The Healthy Cooking Blog. Don’t forget that Holly’s new cookbook, KITCHEN 101: Secrets to Cooking Confidence, makes a terrific holiday gift, too!

Holiday menus – no thinking required

The holidays are a magical time of fun and festivities, but before you know it, they can turn into one of the busiest, most stressful seasons making your “to do” list longer than ever! And there’s no need to stress about hosting a holiday meal when my new cookbook, Kitchen 101: Secrets to Cooking Confidence, takes the guess work out of meal planning with complete dinner and party menus, no crazy ingredients, just healthy, mouth watering food– no thinking required!

From the “Holiday Heroes” menu of the Ready-Made Menus chapter, the Red Velvet Cheesecake is a luscious combination of American’s favorite dessert with a holiday twist, and best of all you can make ahead and keep in the freezer to pull out before the meal. And, if you want an affordable gift for your neighbor, teacher, or friend, purchase commercially prepared chocolate crusts in foil disposable pans, fill, freeze and give out for the ultimate holiday gift – that’s what I am doing!

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Two popular desserts, red velvet cake and cheesecake create the ultimate indulgence.

Makes 2 (9-inch round) cheesecake pies — 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 cup nonfat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 2 (9-inch) round commercially bought chocolate pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350° F. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
2. Add eggs, egg white, cornstarch, cocoa, sour cream, vanilla, buttermilk, vinegar and red food coloring, mixing well.
3. Pour into crust. Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is firm. Turn off oven and remain in oven 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Terrific Tidbit: For chocolate crust: 1 1/4 cups chocolate, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons butter melted, combine all, press into bottom of spring form pan, and bake 350°F 10 minutes.

Nutritional information

Per serving:

• Calories 270
• Calories from Fat 39%
• Fat 12g
• Saturated Fat 5g
• Cholesterol 46mg
• Sodium 262mg
• Carbohydrates 34g
• Dietary Fiber 1g
• Total Sugars 23g
• Protein 7g
• Dietary Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 1/2 fat

Recipe and photo used with permission of the author.

_________________
Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Healthy holiday desserts: Holly Clegg’s Red Velvet Cheesecake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

It’s always a challenge to cook up healthy desserts for the holidays. That’s why I’m sharing this recipe for Chocolate Ginger Mousse from Chef Anthony Stewart, Executive Chef of the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa. Regular chocolate mousse can tally up 8 grams of artery-clogging saturated fat, which is more saturated fat than many cheeseburgers! There’s zero saturated fat in Pritikin’s Chocolate Ginger Mousse.

Chef Anthony has worked with thousands of guests to create healthier versions of their favorite, tasty foods. He’s won accolades worldwide, including five gold medals in top culinary competitions, for his masterful use of foodstuffs like fresh seafood and tropical fruit from his native Jamaica. When not in the kitchen, he’s in the classroom, and has inspired thousands of Pritikin guests “to have some fun!”

For more information about Pritikin, please visit pritikin.com.

Chocolate Ginger Mousse

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Splenda
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 12 ounces firm or extra firm silken tofu
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice (Slice off skin of ginger root, then grate the root and squeeze to extract juice.)
• Optional garnish: 4 fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. In a small stainless steel bowl, combine cocoa powder, Splenda and hot water. Stir till mixture has a smooth, thick, fudge-like consistency, adding more water as you stir, if needed.
2. In a food processor, blend tofu till completely smooth, about 10 seconds. Then add fudge, vanilla extract, and ginger juice, and blend until smooth.
3. Place mixture in parfait glasses. If desired, garnish each glass with a raspberry, and serve cold.

This Mama’s tips

• Party serving idea: place the mousse in a mini dessert glass and garnish with a single raspberry and mint leaf.
• For variation, add mint leaves or mint extract, or sugar-free orange marmalade.
• You can also garnish with a few shavings of dark or white chocolate.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Pritikin.

Healthy holiday desserts: Chocolate Ginger Mousse is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As a community leader at the Udi’s Gluten Free Community I’m always on the lookout for terrific gluten free recipes to share with our members. One of the biggest challenges people with celiacs or gluten food sensitivities have is finding delicious treats and desserts. Sure Udi’s Gluten Free has wonderful cookies (my favorites are the Snicker Doodles), muffins and even cinnamon roles, but sometimes you want something different. That’s where macaroons fit the bill.

Homemade macaroons are naturally gluten free and were the first GF dessert I ever made for my mother-in-law who has celiacs. This recipe from the National Mango Board is a fun twist on the classic coconut treat.  A batch of these would also make a wonderful homemade holiday gift for anyone!

Note: double check to make sure the sweetened flaked coconut you’re baking with doesn’t contain any flour. According to this post Kraft’s Baker’s Coconut – Angel Flake Sweetened does not contain gluten. You also may prefer using a “natural” unsweetened flaked coconut product, like the kind made by Bob’s Red Mill.

How to pick and prepare a mango

Great tips on how to shop for and cut up your mango:

Gluten Free Mango Coconut Macaroons

Recipe from Mango.org

Makes 30 macaroons

• 
  1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened flaked coconut
• 
  1 large mango, peeled, seeded and diced
• 
  1 cup mango jam (see recipe below)
• 
  2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 
  2 eggs, separated
• 
  1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Mango Jam

• 
  2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
• 
  1 cup mango nectar
• 
  1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 
  2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For Mango Coconut Macaroons

1. 
   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. 
   In a large bowl, combine coconut, diced mango, mango jam, corn syrup, vanilla and ginger, egg whites and salt, until fully incorporated.
3. 
   Drop heaping tablespoonful of batter onto prepared baking sheets.
4. 
   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

For the Mango Jam

• 
  In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low.
• 
  Gently mash mango mixture with back of wooden spoon or potato masher to create smooth jam.
• 
  Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

Nutritional information

Each serving (1 cookie) contains:

• 
  90 calories
• 
  12g carbohydrate
• 
  1g fiber
• 
  1g protein
• 
  5g fat
• 
  4g saturated fat
• 
  0mg cholesterol
• 
  59mg sodium
• 
  80mg potassium

Recipe and picture courtesy of the National Mango Board.

Disclosure: As an Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leader I’m compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Glutenfree desserts: Mango Coconut Macaroons #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Most of us consider avocados a summer food to be eaten with carne asada or fish tacos. Since Avocados from Mexico are available at the grocery store year round, there’s no excuse not to use them in fall and winter cooking.

Believe it or not, you can also use avocadoes in desserts like in this pound cake recipe from Chef Pati Jinich of Pati’s Mexican Table on PBS. I like how the wholesomeness of avocados are combined with ricotta cheese. You can further health up this recipe by using a buttery spread instead of butter, a low fat ricotta cheese, stevia for the sugar, and substituting 3/4 cup whole wheat flour for 3/4 (of the 1 3/4 cups) of white flour.

Though I haven’t tried this myself, but I bet you can use an all purpose gluten free baking mix instead of the white flour, too. You may have to adjust the baking time, however.

You can find more avocado recipes on the Avocados from Mexico website.

Avocado Ricotta Pound Cake

Yield: 1 loaf – 10 slices

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed pulp of a ripe avocado from Mexico
• 1/2 cup requesón or ricotta cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• Confectioners’ sugar, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan and cover the bottom with parchment paper cut to size.
2. In a mixer at medium speed, beat the avocado until smooth and buttery.
3. Add ricotta and butter; mix until fluffy. Add the sugar; beat until incorporated.
4. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition; add lime juice and mix well.
5. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; add 1/2-cup at a time, to the avocado mixture, stirring just to mix after each addition. Stir in lime zest.
6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top; sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
7. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes.
8. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

Picture and recipe used with permission of Avocados of Mexico.

Avocado Ricotta Pound Cake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Christmas can be a real downer for those who are gluten free, especially kids who look forward to treats at holiday parties at school and at home. Even if you’re a mom who’s made the effort to make gluten free treats, you know how expensive many health food brands can be. That’s why I’m sharing this recipe from Gluten Free Rice Krispies.

Not too long ago, Kellogg’s came out with a gluten free version of their classic cereal made from brown rice. Even though I’m pretty loyal to my favorite GF brown rice cereal, I gave Gluten Free Rice Krispies a try and was surprised how tasty they were. While they’re not organic like my other favorite brand, the ingredient list is pretty straightforward – just brown rice, sugar and some salt.

Better yet, you have to love the price, especially if you can stock up during a Kellogg’s sale (and use coupons!) at your favorite discount grocery chain. With the price of groceries increasing, it’s nice to know that gluten free families can afford something like Gluten Free Rice Krispies on a regular basis.

Gluten Free Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats^TM

I ADORE homemade Rice Krispies treats. They truly are one of my favorite indulgences. This recipe for Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats is sure to be a hit with your kids, whether they’re gluten free or not!

Since licorice (as shown above) is NOT gluten free, you could try using strips of fruit leather instead. Or you can forego the loops entirely and “glue” the mini marshmallow on top with a dollop of icing. Also, according to this article, Kraft’s Jet Puffed marshmallows do not contain gluten.

Ingredients:

• 12 (6-inch lengths) red, gluten free fruit leather, cut into thin strips
• 12 miniature marshmallows
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 ounces, about 40) regular marshmallows

AND

• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg’s Gluten Free Rice Krispies cereal
• Gluten free cooking spray
• Gluten free frosting
• M&M’S brand chocolate candies

Directions:

1. Fold each fruit leather strip in half and push ends through centers of 12 miniature marshmallows. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add 10 ounces marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add Kellogg’s Gluten Free Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
4. Using 1/2-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into 12 portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into ornament shape around licorice ends. Cool. Decorate with frosting and M&M’S brand chocolate candies. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 through 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Recipe and photo used with permission of Kellogg’s.

Gluten Free Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

This year I went a little nuts and bought a bunch of canned pumpkin purée – and then never made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving! (Though I did make Eggless Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies for my daughter, Lucie.) If you’re like me and have a few cans of pumpkin lying around you can make Healthy Slow Cooker Pumpkin and Bean Chili or this vegetarian recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread!

This recipe comes from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition, written by Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T. Julieanna is also known as “The Plant-Based Dietitian” and is the host of upcoming series What Would Julieanna Do? on the healthy living TV network Veria Living. Julieanna is a passionate advocate of the benefits and miracles associated with following a whole food, plant-based diet.

This spicy, fudgy bread is a mix between a pudding and a cake. It’s a great dessert to bring to holiday parties, to give as a homemade holiday gift, or to serve on Meatless Monday! You can cook it up as a loaf or turn the batter into muffins by adjusting the time accordingly.

You can assure that this recipe is gluten free by using only GF certified oat flour and gluten free baking powder.

Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 1 9×5 inch loaf
Serving size: 1 slice (5 ¼ x 1 ¾ x ¾ -inch)
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 cup date paste
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée                                    
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons flax eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups grain-sweetened chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. In a large bowl, combine date paste, pumpkin purée, flax eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Gently stir in oat flour, aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix until no lumps remain. Add chocolate chips, and evenly distribute throughout.
4. Pour batter into 9×5-inch loaf pan, and bake for 1 hour. Allow bread to cool before cutting and serving.

Nutritional information

Per serving:

• 312 calories
• 6g total fat
• 2.5g saturated fat
• 0g trans fat
• 0mg cholesterol
• 160mg sodium
• 62g total carbohydrates
• 4g dietary fiber
• 45g sugars
• 3g protein
• 258mg calcium
• 1mg iron

Recipe and pictures used with permission.

Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Bread from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I’m not sure why, but Banana Pudding is a staple here in Georgia. You can get it at every barbecue restaurant and it’s usually served with Nilla Wafers. Not my thing (I’m more a tapioca fan), but my husband loves it.

In this episode of Recipe Rehab, Chef Daniel Green and Chef Aida Mollenkamp compete to make the Schwartz family’s banana pudding healthier. I like that Chef Aida used coconut milk, making her dish dairy free. I also like how her recipe seemed to use real foods, not “fakey” no fat sour cream or no fat half n half like Chef Daniel. However, I wasn’t surprised that the Schwartzes like Chef Daniel’s recipe, because he used Jello banana pudding, which I felt was a big cheat. After all, that’s what people are used to – pudding mix. Blech!

You can watch Chef Daniel and Chef Aida duke it out below. Or watch them individually rehab banana pudding – Chef Daniel here and Chef Aida here.

Nutritional breakdown

Picture, video and nutritional information courtesy of Everyday Health.

Making a healthier Banana Pudding with Everyday Health’s Recipe Rehab is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

It’s been a month since we’ve moved in and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Most boxes are unpacked. I have a Georgia drivers license. And the kids are enrolled for the next school year. However, there’s still so much to do, which explains why I haven’t been posting many recipes even though I’ve been cooking.

So, that’s why my blog is a little bit neglected these days – my apologies. Luckily, I have wonderful guest posters to fill in the gaps, like Cindy Johnson who is sharing her dessert recipe for Diabetic Friendly Blueberry Cheesecake below.

Cindy’s a freelance writer with a new passion for healthy eating and healthy lifestyle that she hopes will help her overcome some health challenges. She loves to travel and is an avid fan of Dr. Oz. Read her blog for more healthy eating tips. When she’s not writing, Cindy loves to hike in the mountains of North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, son, and a small assortment of dogs.

Cindy’s diabetes story

Diabetes is a life-changing fact for millions of Americans. When my mom was diagnosed, I was determined to find recipes that would allow her to preserve her way of life and allow her to eat the foods she loves, while at the same time complying with her new diet restrictions. One of the most delicious surprises turned out to be blueberry cheesecake. With the help of my hub (who’s a chef), I adapted a recipe I found online to make a creamy, delicious treat that’s also low carb and nutritious. Call it a dessert if you like, but between the antioxidant and vitamin-rich blueberries, the omega-3 fatty acids and fiber in the nuts, and the protein in the cheese, it’s got all the nutritional elements of a healthy meal.

Diabetic Friendly Blueberry Cheesecake

Crust:

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup cut any kind of nut rushed nuts (I prefer pecans or walnuts, but any kind will do)
• 1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
• 1/3 cup light butter, melted

Filling:

• 12 ounces reduced fat neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cups Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat an 8-Inch Springform Pan with vegetable cooking spray (do not use olive oil spray, you’ll taste it) and set aside.
3. Combine graham cracker crumbs, nuts, Splenda, and melted butter. Mix well until the crumbs are moistened evenly. Press the crust mixture evenly into pan. Bake crust 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add Splenda a little at a time, beating until blended. Add eggs and beat well. Add sour cream and vanilla, stirring gently until well blended. Gently fold in blueberries.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan on top of the crust. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes until firm. Serve chilled.
6. Before serving, spoon on a small amount of warm topping.

Topping:

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
• 1/4 cup water

1. Combine blueberries, Splenda, and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Cook at a low bubble, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens to the consistency of syrup. (Note: I like the topping warm, but it also works to spread over the finished cheesecake before it’s chilled)

Photo courtesy of haydnjones from Flickr.

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Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Healthy desserts: Diabetic Friendly Blueberry Cheesecake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

If you’re looking for a Mother’s Day recipe that’s easy enough for the kids to make, try this one by Holly Clegg for Blueberry Muffin Streusel Cake. Not only is it perfect for Mother’s and Father’s Day brunch, but it’s a great dish to bring to morning breakfast meetings or play dates.

Holly’s guest post follows below. You can check out more of Holly’s trim& TERRIFIC® recipes at hollyclegg.com and The Healthy Cooking Blog.

Mother’s Day Brunch 2012

Looking for a nice way to show your mom, or mother of your children how much you care and appreciate all of the hard, tireless work she does all year? Here’s a secret to what we mom’s want….the way to the heart is not just through man’s stomach, but a woman’s stomach, too. Surprise her with a wonderful brunch, and Blueberry Muffin Streusel Cake is just the ticket! My absolute favorite brunch dish as I can eat it all day long. The kids will even have fun mixing the batter and sprinkling the topping.

In fact, you will want to keep these ingredients on hand to whip up when the cravings hit, or you just want to impress your mom…doing the dishes and wrapping up the gift of Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age cookbook won’t hurt either!

Blueberry Muffin Streusel Cake

My friend, Teresa, gave me this recipe that has been in her family for years. A cross between a muffin and cake. Here’s my version that I made, again, again, and again — that’s how good it is.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 375°F. Coat 9x9x2-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. In bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, milk and egg.
3. Stir in oil and blueberries, only until mixed.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup reserved Streusel Topping (see recipe) on bottom of pan. Carefully spread cake mixture on top. Cover with remaining reserved Streusel Pecan Topping.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry.

Streusel Topping

A perfect topping to any breakfast cake.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In small bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
2. Cut in vanilla and butter using pastry blender or fork.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup topping and add pecans to remaining topping.

Nutritional information

• Calories 231
• Calories from fat 81
• Fat 9g
• Saturated Fat 2g
• Cholesterol 25mg
• Sodium 83mg
• Carbohydrate 36g
• Dietary Fiber 1g
• Sugars 22g
• Protein 3g
• Dietary Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat
• Weight Watchers POINTS: 5

Photo and recipe courtesy of Holly Clegg.

Mother’s Day Brunch: Holly Clegg’s Blueberry Muffin Streusel Cake is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!