Today's Tip: 2 Guilt-Free V-Day Chocolate Desserts!

Try one of these for your Valentine's Day treat.

Guilt-Free Double Chocolate Brownies

  9 brownies

·          Nonstick cooking spray
·         4  tablespoons butter
·         2/3  cup granulated sugar
·         1/2  cup cold water
·         1  teaspoon vanilla
·         1  cup all-purpose flour
·         1/4  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
·         1  teaspoon baking powder
·         1/4  cup mini semisweet chocolate pieces
·         2  teaspoon powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat the bottom of a 9-x-9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. In a medium saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in sugar, water, and vanilla. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until combined. Add chocolate pieces. Pour batter into pan; bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
 

Nutrition facts per serving:

·         Servings Per Recipe 9 brownies (or more if you cut them smaller)
·         Calories 195
·         Total Fat (g) 6
·         Saturated Fat (g) 5
·         Carbohydrate (g) 29
·         Fiber (g) 2
·         Protein (g) 2


This next recipe is a little more involved but it is fantastic!!

Dark-Chocolate Soufflé Cake

YIELD: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients:
·        1/2 cup each granulated and dark brown sugar
·         3/4 cup water
·         1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
·         2/3 cup Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa
·         1/4 teaspoon salt
·         2 ounces each unsweetened & semisweet chocolate, chopped
·         2 tablespoons Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
·         3 large egg yolks
·         1/3 cup sifted cake flour (such as Swan's Down)
·         6 large egg whites (at room temperature)
·         1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
·         1/3 cup granulated sugar
·         1 tablespoon powdered sugar
·         1/4 cup raspberries (optional) & Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°. Coat bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, water, and espresso in a large saucepan; stir well and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add cocoa, salt, and chocolates, stirring with a whisk until chocolate melts. Stir in Kahlúa and egg yolks. Stir in flour; cool to room temperature. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; repeat procedure with remaining egg white mixture, one-fourth at a time.

Spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove sides from pan; sift powdered sugar over cake. Garnish with raspberries and chocolate curls, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Cal – 205, Fat - 6.1, Protein – 5g