Snacking at Our House: Ricotta Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins

Saw these and knew I had leftover ricotta to use before it went bad. Also, I wanted to get back to trying to make four new recipes before the end of the month. So here is my best shot at attempting that with only one week left in the month. And if you don't subscribe to her blog, I highly suggest doing so. I love skinnytaste.com.

They are pretty yum, but why do they always stick? Blast!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self rising cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light (I used yogurt butter because that's all we have)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 8 oz fat free ricotta cheese (I used low fat because it's all I had)
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla
• 9 tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels (I used regular because it is all I had)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Mix flour and baking soda. 
3. Mix and cream butter and sugar. 
4. Beat egg whites and add to butter/sugar mixture. 
5. Mix in ricotta cheese, then flour mixture and vanilla. 
6. Fold in chocolate chips and spoon into lined muffin tins about 3/4 filled.
7. Bake at 375° for 15-16 minutes and let cool.

For me it made 14 muffins, but I think it was supposed to make 12.

Snacking at Our House: Chocolate Cake Balls

I did it again. I tried a variation of the famous bakerella's cake balls.

I used:
1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme brand chocolate cake
1 can Pillsbury chocolate frosting
2 bags of Wilton candy wafers from Michaels

And this is how I did it:

After baking the cake I cut it into four big chunks, broke those in half, and crumbled into a mixing bowl.

Like so.

Then, using only a little at a time, I mixed in the frosting.

 

Rolled them into balls! Put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Prepped the candy wafers in the microwave.

Dunked 'em!

I started to fill this box...

I thought a few turned out ok. I liked the little sprinkles!

All filled up! At least 70 of these things made the trip to Athens for Patrick :)

Snacking at Our House: Yummy Chocolate Cake

When I saw this in Taste of Home magazine I knew it would be delicious. I couldn't wait to try it. Chocolate is my great weakness, but this recipe is light, or at least lighter. When all is said in done one serving is only 4 WW points. Not too shabby.

I wish I could say the process was fun, but it got a little hectic in the kitchen. Problem #1 was the fact we had no cooking spray. I didn't want to try and grease the pan the old fashion way so I thought..hey! I'll make cupcakes instead of the cake. That way I'll also have exactly 16 servings. Sweet precious Tim tried helping me out so I could eat my cooling microwave dinner...and that became Problem #2. Tim did a decent job helping scoop batter into the cups, he just didn't attempt to level the cups. Because there is pudding in the batter, they kind of help some funky shapes and cooked all funny in the oven. Needless to say, I may have flipped out on him a little....ha!

Anyhow, this is the finished product:

Yummy chocolate cupcake.

The icing wasn't as great the first night, but the second night (after being in the fridge almost 24 hours) the icing is much better.

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (2.1 ounces) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 3 egg whites
• 
  FROSTING:
• 1-1/4 cups cold fat-free milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 package (1.4 ounces) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
• Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water and egg whites. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Pour into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, place milk and extract in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a third of the pudding mix; let stand for 1 minute. Whisk pudding into milk. Repeat twice with remaining pudding mix. Whisk pudding 2 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Frost cake. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Yield: 16 servings.

Snacking at Our House: Cupcakes!

Sorry it has been a while. Big project at work going on. Plus, I've started work on our annual holiday letter for family and friends. But, tonight I wanted to share a recipe with you all that I tried. I made Chocolate Cupcakes that are only 3 WW points each.

These were my first attempt at "dusting" any food item with powdered sugar.

My cupcake before it was eaten.

Recipe from here:

Ingredients

• 1  cup  all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 2/3  cup  granulated sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  egg substitute
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/2  cup  1% low-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/4  ounces  dark (70 percent cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons  powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (about 3 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to granulated sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with muffin cup liners. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.