Who’s in the kitchen: Low fat treat with a cup of Joe yields high flavor

Let’s face it, how many of us would like to limit the amount of fat in our diet? How many of us actually do?

Most of us groan at the thought of giving up the foods we love most, but the scale tells another story.  Comedian Stephen Phillips said it best, “In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and chains.  Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale.”

 As Julia Child said, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”  As well as “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” 

Ellen DeGeneres once quipped “Buns of Steel? The only buns I’m interested in are buns of cinnamon.” 

Albert Einstein discovered that a tiny amount of mass is equal to a huge amount of energy. Humorist Dave Barry reminds us of this statement that Einstein himself so eloquently put it in a famous 1939 speech to the Physics Department at Princeton, “You have to exercise for a week to work off the thigh fat from a single Snickers.” 

 For years, when a client would ask me if my chocolate praline mousse cake or mile high lemon cloud “real whipped cream” cake could be made low fat my answer was simple, NO! Certain desserts just don’t work as well with reduced fat, but as I’ve learned through the years, there are many recipes that do very well with lower fat content. 

Below are recipes for two relatively low fat, low calorie muffins. These just might do the trick for those yearning that special treat with their morning coffee.

Low fat blueberry muffins

 Ingredients: 

n 1 1/4 cups flour

n 1/4 cup granulated sugar

n 2 tsp baking powder

n 2 eggs

n 4 tbsp butter

n 3/4 cup skimmed milk

n 1 tsp vanilla extract

n 1 tsp grated lemon rind

n 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Place paper muffin cups into 12 cup muffin tin

3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the melted butter, milk, vanilla and lemon rind and stir to combine. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture. With a large metal spoon, just stir until the flour is moistened, not smooth.

5. Fold in the blueberries. 

6. Spoon the batter into the cups, leaving room for the muffins to rise. Bake 20 - 25 min. The muffin should be well risen and firm in the middle.

 Approximately 130 calories and 4 grams of fat. 

Low fat dried cherry muffins

 Ingredients

n 1 cup plain yogurt

n 1 cup dried cherries

n 1/2 cup butter

n 1 cup super fine sugar

n 2 eggs

n 1 tsp vanilla

n 1 2/3 cups flour

n 2 tbsp baking powder

n 1 tsp baking soda

n 1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Place paper cups into a 16 cup muffin tin (or two 8 muffin tins).

3. In a mixing bowl combine the yogurt and cherries. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. 

4. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.

6. Add the vanilla and the cherry mixture and stir to blend. Set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder baking soda and salt. Fold in the cherry mixture. Don’t over mix. 

Fill the muffin cups two thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes. Muffins should be firm in center and well risen.

Approximately 195 calories and 6.5 grams of fat

So when you’re watching your fat intake, you might want to try these muffins, because “nothing tastes as good as being thin feels” Kate Moss

Judy Joszef is a pastry and personal chef as well as a party planner. She spent 18 years as a pastry chef at Abigael’s, The Cedar Club, Centro and T42 in the Five Towns, before launching her current business. She may be contacted via email at kneadthedough@aol.com.