Marisa Churchill - Sweet & Skinny: 100 Recipes for Enjoying Lifes Sweeter Side Without Tipping the Scales

I thank my wonderful agent, Carole Bidnick, who always goes above and beyond her role. Thank you to Emily Takoudes at Clarkson Potteryour enthusiasm for the project has been amazing. My appreciation extends to the entire Clarkson Potter team, including Peggy Paul and designer Jenny Davis.

My heartfelt thanks go to Jennie Schacht, who worked diligently through multiple editorial cycles, and under tight deadlines, to help write and rewrite the manuscript, assuring a place for every word and every word in its place. You have been amazing to work with!

Special thanks to Cheryl Lew of Montclair Baking, who painstakingly tested the recipes. And thanks to Cathy Huang and Elizabeth Chaffin, who tested recipes and provided invaluable insight as home bakers. Thanks to Holly Stewart for putting so much time and care into the photography, and to food stylist Sandra Cook and hairstylist Dawn Suttitogether you made the food and me look beautiful.

To the Table 12 gangLaura Werlin, Susie Biehler, and Michele Mandellthank you for all your help and support. Thank you to my friend and manager, John Fuller, who has had my back since day one. Who else would personally deliver fifty pounds of cereal to me for an episode of Food Network Challenge?

So many friends have lent their support on this book and throughout the years, too many to mention them all by name, but I am so grateful and I thank you all!

Finally, I thank my mother for insisting we read The Little Engine That Could, instilling in me the mantra I think I can, I think I can. I thank my father, who has been my willing guinea pig ever since I was barely tall enough to reach the stove, my yiayia, who was the first person to teach me how to cook, and my oma, who taught me to have nerves of steel in the kitchenI love you all.

Baking should be a joy, not a hassle, so I have created the recipes in this book using ingredients that are widely available in supermarkets and natural food stores, such as Whole Foods. Still, in some parts of the country, a particular ingredient or piece of equipment may be difficult to find. This resource list should help you find anything that is not available to you locally.

FAGE YOGURT: www.FageUsa.com

GUITTARD CHOCOLATE: www.Guittard.com

KERRYGOLD BUTTER: www.KerryGold.com

KRAFT NEUFCHTEL CHEESE: www.KraftBrands.com

MEZZETTA OLIVE OIL: www.Mezzetta.com

MICROPLANE GRATERS: us.Microplane.com

OLAVE OLIVE OIL: www.BelCantoFoods.com

PLUGR BUTTER: www.lugra.com

SILPAT SILICONE BAKING MATS: www.Silpat.com

SMART BALANCE COOKING OIL: www.SmartBalance.com

SPECTRUM ORGANICS SHORTENING: www.SpectrumOrganics.com

SPICES AND EXTRACTS: www.MySpiceSage.com

TRUVA SWEETENER: www.Truvia.com

VANILLA EXTRACT AND BEANS: www.TopVanilla.com; www.Vanilla.com

WILLIAMS-SONOMA KITCHENWARE: www.Williams-Sonoma.com

With just a few baking and pastry building blocks, you have the foundation for a variety of Sweet & Skinny desserts. From flaky pie crust, to tender sugar-free cakes, to creamy sauces and fluffy toppings, these essential elements are used throughout this book. But please dont stop with the recipes included here. These sweet foundations can help you to expand your repertoire by substituting Sweet & Skinny crusts, toppings, and sauces in all of your favorite recipes. This chapter gives you the tools to create your own sweet treats the Sweet & Skinny way.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON): 100 CALORIES, 11 GRAMS FAT

Also known by its French name, beurre noisette, browned butter is made by heating butter until all of its moisture evaporates and the milk solids begin to brown. Its a great trick to have up your sleeve for low-fat baking because it boosts the butters flavor, making it nutty and complex. This allows you to use less fat and still have plenty of rich, buttery flavor. I make browned butter a cup or more at a time so I always have some on hand.

Softened browned butter, called for in some recipes, will have a slightly softer consistency than softened butter.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into -inch-thick slices

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it melts and begins to foam. Once it begins to brown, stir continuously with a heatproof spatula to prevent the milk solids from burning. Continue to cook until the butter turns golden and you detect a nutty aroma.

Scrape the butter into a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours, until it is firm.

To quickly chill the browned butter for a recipe, pour the amount you will need into a baking pan or saucepan so that it is in a thin layer. Freeze for about 15 minutes, until the butter is firm.

MAKE AHEAD!

The browned butter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen butter overnight in the refrigerator.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CRUST

PER SERVING (16 SERVINGS): 50 CALORIES, 1.5 GRAMS FAT

This may be the quickest way possible to make a crusteven faster than running out to the store for a ready-made one! No one will ever know you snuck in milk in place of the butter. The crust does well without baking before filling. For a recipe requiring a prebaked crust, follow the recipe instructions for baking.

Nonstick pan spray

6 ounces honey graham crackers (about 10 cookie sheets)

2 tablespoons 1% or 2% milk

Coat a 9-inch springform pan or round cake pan with pan spray. Break up the graham crackers and process them in a food processor until they are reduced to very fine crumbs. Add the milk and process for 30 seconds, or until the crumbs hold together when you squeeze them in your fist.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press the crumbs firmly over the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan, using your fingertips or the bottom of a glass to help compress them.

Fill and bake according to the recipe.

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CRUST,
OR ONE 9-INCH CRUST WITH A LATTICE TOP

PER SERVING (10 TO 12 SERVINGS): 120 CALORIES, 4.5 GRAMS FAT

Pie crust can be tricky when baking skinny because it is the fat that gives a crust its flaky texture. By freezing the butter and cream cheese until they are very cold and firm, I have gotten them to work overtime, contributing every bit of flakiness theyve got. While you generally want to avoid overmixing pastry dough, in this case you mix it a bit longer for the best texture. The small amount of sugar may be omitted for a sugar-free crust.

Nonstick pan spray

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) Kraft reduced-fat cream cheese (neufchtel), cold, cut into -inch cubes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into -inch cubes

3 tablespoons water, ice-cold

1 teaspoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice, ice-cold

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)