Mini Peppermint and Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes
Crust:1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (such as Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafers; about 22 cookies)2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons butter, meltedCooking spray
Filling:12 hard peppermint candies, divided2/3 cup (5 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened1/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons flour2 large egg whites1 large egg1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles
Preheat oven to 325°.
To prepare crust, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Press about 1 1/2 teaspoons crumb mixture into the bottom of each of 48 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 5 minutes.
To prepare the filling, place 6 candies, fat-free cream cheese and the next 6 ingredients (fat-free cream cheese through sour cream) in a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in minichips and peppermint extract. Divide the filling evenly among prepared crusts. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes or until done. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove mini cheesecakes from pans, and cool completely. Top each mini cheesecake with 1 teaspoon whipped topping. Crush the remaining 6 candies; sprinkle the crushed candies and chocolate sprinkles over the cheesecakes.
Yield: 4 dozen (serving size: 1 cheesecake)
NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 54(37% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 1.6g; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 15mg; SODIUM 62mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.9g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001
Basic Icebox Sugar Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/8 teaspoon salt4 tablespoons stick margarine, softened2/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 large egg whiteCooking spray
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl, and set aside. Beat margarine at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add vanilla and egg white, and beat well. Add flour mixture, and stir until well-blended. Turn dough out onto wax paper, and shape into a 6-inch log. Wrap log in wax paper, and freeze for 3 hours or until very firm.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut log into 24 (1/4-inch) slices, and place slices 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on wire racks.
Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 59(31% from fat); FAT 2g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 0.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 2mg; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.6g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1997