BLACKBERRY COBBLER

I love this time of year…when the fresh fruits start to come out, and my all time favorite are blackberries. At my Weight Watchers meeting on Friday; our leader had this recipe posted on the board as we walked in…I knew that we were having guests for dinner, and this was exceptional timing!! So I had to try it out. I was a little bit limited on the picture taking, but at least I have the final product for you. Below is the recipe that I used.

Blackberry Cobbler
Points Value: 3
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 – 40 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
16 oz. Frozen or fresh Blackberries
1 package of Angel Food Cake Mix
12 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda
1 spray of cooking spray

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat over to 350.
2. Lightly spray a 9X13 inch pan with cooking spray.
3. Place blackberries in the bottom of the pan.
4. Mix together the Angel Food cake mix and the lemon-lime soda.
5. Pour mixture over the top of the blackberries.
6. Cook for approximately 35-40 minutes. Let cool and serve. One serving size yields 1 cup.


The final product…


The final product with fat free vanilla ice cream…



This recipe was awesome! So VERY sweet and delicious.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Blackberry Cobbler recipe.

Enjoy!

POM WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

I was recently contacted by POM WONDERFUL asking if I would like some samples of their 100% Pomegranate juice. They sent me a good supply of this incredible juice and I decided to not only drink it, but make something with it. And who doesn’t like cupcakes! I found the cupcake recipe on the POM WONDERFUL site and decided that I had to try it.

Now, this recipe is not a Weight Watchers one…but I will include the POINTS value for those of you that are conscience of that. Below is the recipe that I used.


POM Chocolate Cupcakes
with Chocolate or Vanilla Frosting

Points Value: 7
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
• Juice from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice*
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water, heated to boiling
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Pomegranate Chocolate Frosting:
• Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate,* or cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice*
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 6-oz. package chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 12 tablespoons whole milk

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

Garnish:
1 cup arils from 12 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates

Directions:
Cupcakes
1. Prepare garnish Score 12 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
2. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.
3. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center.
4. Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.
5. Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well.
6. In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.
7. Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.
8.  Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).
9. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about half full).
10. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs.
11. Let cool. Frost with pomegranate chocolate or vanilla cream cheese frosting and decorate with arils.

Pomegranate Chocolate Frosting:
1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
2. In a saucepan, bring pomegranate juice and butter to a boil.
3. Remove from heat; blend in chocolate chips.
4. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is of spreading consistency. If frosting is too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to thin.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and milk, and beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.

* For 1 cup of juice, cut 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

This recipe was taken from the POM Wonderful website.

Mixing the cupcakes…


Before baking…


Final product…


Final product #2…


These cupcakes are incredible! They are very rich, but you can taste the Pomegranate in every bite. However, this recipe made me realize that I am not a baker…I struggled with the thickness of the frosting, and I can never make them look as ‘pretty’ as other people do. So mine look like large lumps of chocolaty goodness. Overall, I’d give this recipe a thumbs up!

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the POM Wonderful Chocolate Cupcakes.

PUMPKIN PIE WITH GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

This has become a family tradition at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family seems to like the lighter version of this pie, it has a home made graham cracker crust and it’s very delicious. This is a great alternative to a store bought pumpkin pie.

I found the recipe on the Weight Watchers eTools site, below is the recipe that I used.

Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings:  8
Preparation Time:  10 min
Cooking Time:  65 min
Level of Difficulty:  Moderate

Ingredients
3 oz reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 1/2 sheets
1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg white(s)
1 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
4 tbsp lite whipped topping

Instructions
1. Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place graham crackers and light brown sugar in a food processor and process into crumbs (or smash into crumbs in a sealed plastic food bag with a rolling pin). Spoon crumbs into a small bowl; add melted butter and combine with fingers into a coarse meal. Distribute crumbs evenly on bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until crust starts to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; fold in egg, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice and evaporated milk. Beat pumpkin custard until smooth and pour into pie shell. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces, top each piece with 1/2 tablespoon of whipped topping and serve warm or at room temperature. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Ingredients:


Final product:


I am not a pumpkin pie fan, but this is pretty good. Pete favors this one over a store bought pie.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Pumpkin Pie recipe.

APPLE CRISP

A few weeks back we had about 12 apples in the house and I had to do something with them, as my husband put it…one week we had a Fruit-A-PA-LOOZA; so I decided to try one of the Weight Watchers apple recipes. I’ve always been a fan of Apple crisp, so I wanted to try the ‘lighter’ version.

I pulled this recipe from the Weight Watchers eTools site, below is the recipe that I used.

Apple Crisp
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings:  8
Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  75 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients
4 large apple(s), peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices (6 cups sliced apples)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar, divided
2 tbsp Minute Tapioca, or other brand
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, or freshly grated nutmeg (fresh preferred)
1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place rack in bottom third to middle of oven.
2. In a large bowl, toss together apple slices, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg; let stand for about 30 minutes.
3. Spoon apple mixture into an ungreased 9-inch square baking dish, or glass or ceramic pie plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to make topping, in a small bowl, combine flour with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; mix until completely blended. Add melted butter; work in thoroughly with fingertips.
5. After pie has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and discard foil. Sprinkle topping over apples and bake, uncovered, until apples bubble and topping turns golden, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool at least 2 hours before serving. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Notes
You can use any type of apples in this recipe. Try your favorite or a combination of several different ones.

Pre-cooked apples:


Apple crisp topping:


My husband trying to eat the apple crisp before it is done:


Apple crisp cooling:


Final product, with a scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream:


The topping didn’t come out how I planned it, but the desert was SOOOOO yummy! I highly recommend this recipe.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Apple Crisp recipe.