Healthy Xmas dessert to fix with chocolate
We know what’s on your gift list: Easy holiday desserts like cookies, cakes, and bars that taste great, are healthy (OK, not as sugary or fattening as. There’s nothing better than spending a cold winter day inside by the fire, whipping up delicious holiday treats for your friends and family. But all those baked goods you indulge in during the month of December can take a toll on your waistline.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite healthy holiday treats that contain significantly less sugar and calories than their more fattening counterparts. From whole-wheat sugar cookies to chewy lemon bars to moist holiday cakes, there’s something for everyone on this list. The best part? All of these treats are packed with flavor, thanks to better-for-you ingredients like ground cinnamon, dried cherries, low-fat yogurt, pure pumpkin, and fresh ginger—in other words, no one will notice that they’re actually munching on healthier cookies and cakes. Happy baking!
Gingerbread-Chocolate Chunk No-Churn Ice Cream
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
2 ½ c.heavy cream, divided
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (14-ounce) can sweeten condensed milk
Combine cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and ½ cup heavy cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until tiny bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pot (do not let boil), 1 to 2 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and let steep for 20 minutes. Discard ginger and refrigerate until cold.
Combine condensed milk and molasses in a bowl. Whisk spiced cream and remaining 2 cups cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form,1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold in condensed milk mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate.
Transfer mixture to a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or 2-quart freezer-safe container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks.
12 oz.white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract)
1 recipe 7-Minute Frosting
Combine milk, chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture is hot and chocolate is melted and smooth (do not let boil), 6 to 8 minutes.
Add a few drops of food coloring to frosting and stir twice to create a swirl pattern; carefully transfer to a piping bag. Pipe on top of hot chocolate in mugs.
Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
1 cup butter softened (not melted)
Chocolate Peppermint Icing:
¼ cup crushed candy canes
Pour the brownie mix into a large bowl. Add oil, cooled coffee (or water), and eggs. Stir 50 strokes with a spoon, spread in a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350° for 28-31 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:
Beat the softened butter for two minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, milk, and peppermint extract. Stir until combined, then beat until smooth. Stir in red food coloring until it is the shade you want. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies. Place in the fridge so the buttercream can chill and harden.
Chocolate Peppermint Icing:
Heat the chocolate chips, butter, and light corn syrup in the microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes and then stir. Continue heating at half power, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract. Pour the chocolate peppermint icing over the hardened frosting and quickly spread it out. Immediately sprinkle with chopped candy canes, before the icing hardens. Then, return the bars to the fridge so the chocolate can set.
Once chilled, cut the brownies into squares. It helps to heat a knife under hot water, wipe dry and then use the hot knife to easily slice through the chilled layers. Store in the fridge.