The Greek Yogurt Miracle Solution (12 page)

Serves 12 (makes one 9-inch round layer cake)

Hands-on Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour + 12 hours chilling time

It's relatively easy to sneak some calorie-reducing ingredients — like applesauce, Greek yogurt and egg whites — into a gooey chocolate cake. I dare anyone to pick this cake out of a healthy desserts lineup! Note that the icing must be prepared in advance so the layers don't slide off each other.

Icing

1 1/2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process is best)

4 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or greater), chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature

1/2 cup organic icing sugar

Cake

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process is best)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup organic sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12 large)

Prepare icing: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a bowl using a whisk, combine yogurt, cocoa powder, melted chocolate and icing sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, to firm up.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour two 10-inch cake pans.

Prepare cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a food processor, pulse applesauce, yogurt, honey, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually mix into dry ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.

In a separate dry bowl, using an electric beater on high speed, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold egg whites into batter. (Batter should seem a little lumpy; do not overmix.)

Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out almost clean. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool for 20 minutes, then turn out cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

Remove icing from the fridge and allow to warm at room temperature until easily spreadable, about 1 hour. Using a serrated knife, slice a small portion off the top of each cake so that the top is flat. Place 1 cake on a stand or flat plate; using an offset or regular spatula, spread a layer of icing over cut side. Place remaining cake cut side down on top of iced cake. Thinly spread about one-third of remaining icing all over cake to form a crumb coat (see Note). Refrigerate for about 1 hour until set, leaving remaining icing at room temperature. Once crumb coat has set, cover cake with remainder of icing. Serve immediately or refrigerate, bringing cake to room temperature before serving.

Per Serving

Before: 600 calories, 32 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 339 calories, 10.3 g total fat

Nutritional information: 6 g saturated fat, 53 g carbohydrates, 7.1 g fibre, 25.8 g sugar, 13.2 g protein, 236 mg sodium, 17 mg cholesterol

Serves 10 (makes one 9-inch pie)

Hands-on Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 90 minutes + 60 minutes chilling and cooling time

The best types of apples for baking pie are those that are slightly tart and crunchy, such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Fuji, Cortland or McIntosh. There are so many varieties available; go ahead and experiment to find your favourite. I like to mix a few varieties together for a balanced flavour. You want an apple that will hold its shape during baking and not turn to mush. Also, since sugar is added to the filling, you don't want an overly sweet apple to start with or the pie will be cloyingly sweet.

Crust

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tsp organic sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

3 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp ice water

1/4 cup egg whites (about 2 large), lightly beaten

Filling

8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 7 medium/3 lb)

1/3 cup organic sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup rolled oats

3 tbsp organic sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch sea salt

2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 tbsp cold water

Prepare crust: In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut cubed butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle with yogurt, vinegar and ice water and toss mixture with a fork until a ragged dough forms; do not overmix. Transfer to a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and press together just enough to form a disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Roll out pastry to a generous 1/8-inch thickness; fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to leave 3/4-inch overhang; fold extra dough under the edge and pinch to crimp (or use the tines of a lightly floured fork). Brush with egg whites.

Prepare filling: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until apples are softened and juicy but still retain their shape, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Prepare topping: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to taste. Add cubed butter and drizzle with cold water. Blend using your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pour filling into prepared pie shell and sprinkle with topping. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes, until crust and topping are golden brown and filling is bubbling. Cool to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Per Serving

Before: 296 calories, 13 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 212 calories, 6.3 g total fat

Nutritional information: 3.7 g saturated fat, 37.1 g carbohydrates, 3.7 g fibre, 20 g sugar, 3.4 g protein, 106 mg sodium, 16 mg cholesterol

Tip: Pick Your Apples

With the exception of Red Delicious, which are far too sweet and mushy for baking, pretty much any apple variety will work in a pie. Keep in mind what you're looking for in your pie, though: if you like tart pies with firm chunks of apples, go for Granny Smith. If you like a sweet, soft pie, McIntosh will do the trick. Personally, I like a little bit of both, so I mix a few varieties together for my pies. Here are my top picks:

Braeburn
: Firm and slightly spicy, with red-green skin

Cortland
: Tart and crisp, with bright red skin and extra-white flesh

Fuji
: Sweet and juicy, with pink and yellow skin

Gala
: Sweet, subtle flavour, with striped pink and yellow skin

Golden Delicious
: Sweet and crisp, with a yellow skin

Granny Smith
: Tart, crisp and juicy, with a bright green skin

Gravenstein
: Sweet-tart and crisp, with a striped red and yellow or green skin

Jonagold or Jonathan
: Tart, crisp and juicy, with red and yellow skin

McIntosh
: Sweet and juicy, with red skin; best paired with a firmer variety

Northern Spy
: Extremely crisp, aromatic and slightly sweet, with red-green skin

Pippin
: Sweet-tart and firm, with pale green skin

Tip:
Keep freshly sliced apples from browning by tossing them with lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon halts the enzyme reaction that causes apples to brown so quickly.

Serves 24 (makes 2 dozen)

Hands-on Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes + 2 hours chilling time

Cupcakes took the food-trend world by storm years ago and have now solidified their status as a favourite sweet treat. To make these carrot cake cupcakes moist without a lot of fat, I use applesauce, buttermilk and lots of carrots for extra sweetness. I also substitute coconut oil for butter, because it works so well with the flavours of the cupcake and has fabulous health benefits. Greek yogurt keeps the calories in the icing low, and the tangy flavour complements the sweet little cupcakes perfectly.

Cupcakes

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup organic sugar

3/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup 1% buttermilk

1/4 cup egg whites (about 2 large)

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups whole-wheat pastry or spelt flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 cups grated peeled carrot (about 3 large)

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Icing

1 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup organic icing sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare cupcakes: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine applesauce, sugar, coconut oil, buttermilk, egg whites, egg and vanilla until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Alternatively, use a large bowl and a whisk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together or sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

If using a stand mixer, switch to a paddle attachment, or using a spatula, add flour, carrots, raisins and walnuts. Mix on low speed (or fold in) until just incorporated; do not overmix.

Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill liners just over three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out almost clean. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Prepare icing: While cupcakes are baking, in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a food processor or in large bowl using a whisk, combine cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and ideally overnight. [Make-ahead: Prepare 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until needed. Cupcakes will keep for 3 to 4 days if un-iced until just before serving.]

Once cupcakes are completely cool, decorate tops with icing. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Iced cupcakes will keep for up to 2 days.

Tip:
If you don't have a piping bag, use a large resealable bag. Using a spatula, scoop icing into bag. Twist the bag just above the level of icing — this will help push the icing through when you squeeze the bag. Snip off a small piece of the bottom corner when ready to use.

Per Serving

Before: 325 calories, 16 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 214 calories, 10.6 g total fat

Nutritional information: 7.2 g saturated fat, 26.9 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fibre, 15.9 g sugar, 3.9 g protein, 193 mg sodium, 14 mg cholesterol