Creamy, rich, and no sugar added…Pineapple Meringue Pie

PINEAPPLE MERINGUE PIE

Might be a nice addition to your holiday dessert table…old-fashioned and homey – the kind of dessert Gramma would have made.  Except hers probably never came close to being no-sugar-added!

If you make the pie ahead and wait until just before serving to do the meringue, it will be high and fluffy with that cool/hot sensation that is so good.  The crust on this is buttery and stays crisp, too.

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Crust:
1 1/2 cups Murray’s sugar free Pecan  (or plain) Shortbread cookie crumbs
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup fat-free half & half
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
One 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in it’s own juice, drained very well, juice reserved

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoons Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix crumbs, almond flour, and butter. Pat into 9-inch pie plate and bake for 10-12 minutes or until firm and starting to turn golden. Set aside to cool.

Separate eggs into two bowls and beat egg yolks, slightly. Stir together Splenda, salt and cornstarch. Whisk in 1 cup reserved pineapple juice and half & half. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and slowly add half into egg yolks. Return to pan and boil for one minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and lemon juice. Fold in pineapple and pour into pie crust.  (At this point you can chill and wait to do the meringue just before serving.  Remove pie from fridge 20 minutes before.  This may be unnecessary, but I always worry about putting my glass pie plates into the oven straight out of the fridge! )

With clean beaters beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add Splenda and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto pie filling and spread to the edges of crust, sealing it. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover tightly and chill – or eat it warm…nothing better!! Makes 10 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 185; Protein 4 g; Fat 11 g; Carbs 14 g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 69 mg

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The best of both worlds in one little cup!

GREEK-STYLE YOGURT SOUFFLE CHEESECAKES

Let’s just make up our minds, shall we?  Is it a souffle or a cheesecake?

It’s both!  Made with Greek-style yogurt and egg whites, for the puffy factor, it’s a souffle right out of the oven.  As it cools down it will fall and become more dense like a cheesecake.

Not too sweet, but light, airy, and rich-feeling – it’s a no-guilt (practically calorie-free -YES!) dessert that could also masquerade as breakfast.  Oh, why not?  Add some diced berries and you’re good to go.  A drizzle of chocolate sauce and Heaven’s around the corner.

Call it whatever you want, but I know you’ll love it, regardless!

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1 cup Greek-style yogurt

3 eggs, separated

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Splenda Granular

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice – zest if you’d like, also

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat eight 4-ounce ramekins with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle a little Splenda inside each – like flouring a cake pan.  Set on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl whisk the yogurt with the egg yolks, 1/3 cup Splenda, flour, vanilla, lemon, and salt until smooth.

In another bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until foamy.  Add in the 2 tablespoons of Splenda and continue beating until very stiff peaks form.  (When you pull the beaters straight up out of the whites the peaks stand up and don’t curl.)   Carefully fold the whites into the yogurt mixture until no puffs remain.

Divide among the ramekins and bake for 15 minutes or until just golden and set.  Serving immediately they will be souffle-like.  Chilled they will be more cheesecakey.  Makes 8 servings.

Per Serving: 72 Cal; 7 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 4 g Carb; 1 g Sugar; 81 mg Sodium

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I didn’t smooth mine out, so they baked with peaks and valleys!

 

 

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Sitting on an orange cloud!

ORANGE CHIFFON PIE

I don’t know if you love soft, fluffy, airy, light, sweet, simple, gorgeous desserts…(!)…if not, this may change your mind.

This pie is not heavy or dense, so after a protein meal it’s wonderfully wonderful!

(If you don’t like the thought of using raw egg whites, the powdered meringue would work, also.  Or go in a different direction and use whipped cream.)

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[i]Crumb crust:[/i]

1 pkg. Murray’s shortbread cookies, crushed [color="#FF00FF"][b]OR[/b] 1 1/2 cups graham crumbs[/color]

1/4 cup almond flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

[i]Filling:[/i]

One 4-serving size pkg. sugar free orange jello powder

4 eggs, separated  [color="#FF00FF"][b]OR[/b] 3 1/2 cups freshly whipped cream – using the 2 T. splenda that would go in the egg whites[/color]

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Splenda

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup Splenda-sweetened mandarin oranges, chopped and drained very well

Per Serving: 189 Cal; 6 g Protein; 12 g Tot Fat; 16 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 7 g Sugar; 138 mg Sodium

Crumb crust:

1 pkg. Murray’s shortbread cookies, crushed OR 1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup almond flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

3/4 cup cold water

One 4-serving size pkg. sugar free orange jello powder

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons Splenda Granular

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup mandarin oranges, chopped and drained very well

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Soften gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes or until dissolved.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the cookie crumbs, almond flour, and butter.  Pat into a pie plate and bake for 15 minutes, or until just turning golden and is set.  Cool completely.

In a saucepan whisk the egg yolks with the 1/2 cup Splenda and salt.  Cook over over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest and the softened gelatin.  Cool.

When mixture begins to set, stir in the chopped mandarin oranges. Set aside.

In a large bowl whip the egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons Splenda until stiff peaks form.  Fold egg whites into orange mixture and pour into prepared and cooled crust.  Chill until firm.  Makes 8 servings.

(If you don’t want to use the egg whites…beat 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream with the 3 tablespoons Splenda and fold that into the orange mixture.  This will significantly change the stats, though.)

Per Serving: 189 Cal; 6 g Protein; 12 g Tot Fat; 16 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 7 g Sugar; 138 mg Sodium

With whipped cream instead of egg whites:

Per Serving: 257 Calories ; 4 g Protein; 20 g Tot Fat; 16 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 8 g Sugar; 151 mg Sodium

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