Paula Deen's Lean: Holiday Whoopie Pies

I was formally introduced to Whoopie Pies about 2-1/2 years ago. And life hasn't been the same ever since. Talk about a favorite indulgence. These things top the charts! Although I have eaten many a Whoopie, I have never actually attempted making my own. The real reason is that my Aunt Carla makes the most amazing cookies you will ever eat. They are so wonderful, that family and friends encouraged her to start a business making them; therefore Carla's Cookies was born. Do yourself a favor and check them out sometime.

If you have ever had one, then you will agree that Whoopie Pies are great in the original style. It's difficult to imagine one tasting any better. But when I saw these Holiday Whoopie Pies on Paula's website, I absolutely had to give them a try.


PEPPERMINT CRUNCH WHOOPIE PIES
Yields 18-21 large whoopie pies or 33-38 medium



INGREDIENTS:

For Cookies...

3 cups SPLENDA
1 cup "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter", softened
1 cup Egg Beaters (4 large eggs)
½ cup apple sauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
3.5 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups Whole Wheat flour
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups 1% milk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with Silpats or lightly grease.

In a large (at least 5 quart) bowl of stand mixer, cream sugar and butter with paddle attachment for 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, beating well after each. Add vegetable oil and vanilla and beat.

In a large separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together.

With mixer on very low speed, gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Blend well. With mixer running on low, add 1 1/2 cups of the milk. Mix until blended. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk.

Using a standard 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, place batter on baking sheets, spacing 2-3” apart. Bake 12 minutes, rotating pans (move lower pan to top level and top level to lower level) after the first 6 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer to cooling racks. Repeat with remaining batter. Don’t worry if some are a little cracked on the top – that’s normal! Cool completely prior to filling.


For Filling...

1 1/2 cups "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"
1 1/2cups vegetable shortening
9 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 cups marshmallow creme
4 tablespoons 1% milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 lb hard peppermint candies


DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl of mixer and beat until fluffy with paddle attachment.

Place peppermints in heavy plastic bag and crush with hammer or flat side of meat tenderizer. Sift crushed mints through fine sieve to separate dust from bits of candy. Fold ½ of candy bits plus “dust” into the filling. Reserve other half of candy pieces for garnish.

ASSEMBLY: Place a scoop of filling on the flat side of one cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down on top, pressing down gently. Roll edges of icing in remaining crushed peppermints. Package immediately in clear cellophane bags and tie with ribbon.

RESULTS:



WHOOPIE! These things were really good! I strongly suggest using a cookie dropper (or something smaller than an ice cream scoop). I used an ice cream scoop and they were HUGE! I ended up slicing my first batch in half and filling them that way. I got wise after round one and made them a lot smaller for the remaining pies. They didn't turn out as neat as I had hoped, but this was my first time ever making them. Hey, it's fun to get messy every now and then. Next time I'll know how to make them smaller. Overall, they still taste fantastic and that is what matters most.
This is a really fun baking recipe and the peppermint adds that little bit of a festive punch. I think my Aunt Carla would be proud.

I would also like to mention that although this recipe came from Paula Deen's site, it actually belongs to Juliann Mathews. Thank you Juliann!
Happy Holidays! ENJOY!!

Paula Deen's Lean: Sugar Spice and Everything Nice Mixed Nuts

Would you love a delicious treat that makes the entire house smell like Christmas? Then you need to try this super-easy and delicious recipe for sugar-spiced nuts. The recipe name says mixed nuts, but I made mine with just pecans; a personal preference. I am sure that it would be delicious with almonds or a mixed assortment. Simply replace the pecans with any type of nut you choose for a wonderful snack that you don't have to feel guilty about nibbling on throughout the holidays. Paula's recipe for Sugar Spice and Everything Nice Mixed Nuts can be found on her website at Pauladeen.com.


SUGAR SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE MIXED NUTS
Makes 1 lb. of Nuts



INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. pecan halves (almonds or mixed nuts)
1 cup of Splenda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 250 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, whip water and egg white until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together Splenda, cinnamon and salt. Add pecans to egg white and water; coating nuts evenly. Add the sugar mixture to the bowl and mix until pecans are coated. Spread the pecans on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake for one hour; stir every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Store in a tin or other sealable container.

RESULTS:

So delicious! This recipe adds tons of flavor without adding significant amounts of fat and calories. The Splenda has zero calories per cup compared to real sugar which has roughly 774 calories, according to calorieking.com. Most nuts, including pecans, offer several health benefits when eaten regularly and in reasonable portions. To learn more about how nuts are "heart healthy", visit mayoclinic.com. This recipe is wonderful to make for yourself or to share with others. Throw some pecans in a festive dish for a great couch-side snack or place them in a holiday tin as a gift. Almost everyone is sure to enjoy this sweet treat. ENJOY!

Paula Deen's Lean: Chocolate Chip Cookie

The Chocolate Chip Cookie is the most popular, likable, most recognizable cookie out there. Who doesn't know the Chocolate Chip? Better yet, who doesn't love a chocolate chip cookie?!? I have the best memories of baking these sweets in my Mom's kitchen growing up; pouring in the chips, stirring the batter and my favorite part...licking the bowl. Oh, so much fun! Now that I am on a mission to make my favorite things lean, it was time to tackle the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Paula has a recipe for Three Chocolate Cookies, which I guess is the closest thing to compare my version to.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 2-3 Dozen


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup WHOLE WHEAT flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 sticks "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter", softened
3/4 cup SPLENDA
3/4 cup SPLENDA light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
2 cups Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, Splenda, brown sugar Splenda and vanilla in large bowl with a mixer, until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

RESULTS:

When hosting Redskins fans on game day, the mood can be a little down at times. What can bring a smile to a disappointed fan's face? Could cookies help out? Sure! I put a plate of these down for the the men on football Sunday and they were gone within minutes! They were smiling and saying things like, "I can't believe these are one of your Lean Paula Deen recipes...they are so good!" I think that is the best compliment; being able to make something that cuts the fat and calories, but not the flavor. I find the men in my life to be picky about flavor. Healthy means bland to them...until they try one of my dishes! As you can see, my daughter Kimberlyn liked them too! Don't worry, I didn't forget to treat myself as well. Chocolate chip cookies and milk, one of my top five favorite food indulgences. Yum.


I was able to cut saturated fat by using a butter substitute and only egg whites. About 700 calories were cut from this recipe by using Splenda in place of granulated sugar! Since you can't do chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips, I decided to make the calories worth it. Dark chocolate has been proven to offer health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and supplying antioxidants to the body (get more info. on WebMD.com). So, for good health...make a batch of chocolate chip cookies!Your heart,body and soul will thank you. Oh, and so will your family and friends. ENJOY!