Quaker® Banana Bread Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups (750 mL) fat-free milk
3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg
2 cups (500 mL) Quick Quaker® Oats (uncooked)
2 medium-size ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup or 250 mL)
2 tbsp (25 mL) coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Optional ingredients:
Brown sugar
Non-fat vanilla yogurt
Banana slices
Pecan halves

Method:

In medium saucepan, bring milk and spices to a gentle boil (watch carefully); stir in oats. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Remove oatmeal from heat. Stir in mashed bananas and pecans. Spoon oatmeal into six cereal bowls. If desired, sprinkle with brown sugar and top with yogurt, sliced bananas and pecan halves.

To toast pecans:

Spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5 to 7 minutes or until light, golden brown. Or, spread nuts evenly on microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave on high, checking every 30 seconds until nuts are fragrant and brown.

Midnight Bliss Cake

Ingredients
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Chocolate Instant Pudding
1/2 cup Hot Chocolate Mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 pkg. (8 squares)Bakers Chocolate, chopped

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 3-L fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

PLACE all ingredients except chopped chocolate in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, stopping mixer frequently to scrape side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely.

TIP
Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving. Or for a more elegant topping, melt additional Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate as directed on pkg.; drizzle over cooled cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Nutritional Information - per slice

Calories 246 Total fat 13.8 g Carbohydrate 29.3 g Dietary fibre 0.9 g Protein 3.4 g Vitamin A 2 %DV Vitamin C 0 %DV Calcium 5 %DV Iron 10 %DV

Chocolate Indulgence Brownies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Freezing: excellent, without garnish
Makes: 16 brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, melted
½ cup Smucker’s® Chocolate Fudge Topping
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Topping:
Whipped cream
Caramel- melted or sunday topping/syrup

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 (180). Line an 8” (20cm) square baking pan with foil and grease
2.Beat first 5 ingredients together in bowl of electric mixer. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Cut into squares.
3.To serve, top brownies with whipped cream and caramel syrup.
4.Indulge!

Sour Cream Raspberry Loaf

This cake freezes well for up to 2 months.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/8 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
Cooking spray
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.Combine raspberry jam and walnuts in a small bowl.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine sugar, butter, lemon rind, 1 teaspoon vanilla, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spread half the batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Spoon raspberry mixture over top, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Spread remaining batter over raspberry mixture.

Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Combine 1/8 teaspoon vanilla , powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over loaf.

Parmesan Chicken Pasta

125 g (1/3 of 375-g pkg) whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked
2 Tbsp. CALORIE-WISE Zesty Italian Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. (225 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese, divided
4 tsp. 100% Parmesan Light Grated Cheese

Directions

COOK spaghetti as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing and garlic in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and broccoli; cook and stir 5 to 7 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese; cook 1 to 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN spaghetti; place on serving plate. Top with the chicken mixture, remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

*For a little lemon zing, add 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning as you cook and stir the chicken and broccoli.

Best Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 cups half/half cream
1/3 cup sugar
5 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Simmer the cream and sugar together until just boiling. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Don't let it boil. Serve warm in demitasse cups.


Serves 4 

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients


CRUST
•21/2 cups (625 mL) chocolate baking crumbs
•1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
•1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
•8 oz (225 g) semi-sweet chocolate
•4 blocks of cream cheese, each 8 oz (250 g), at room temperature
•1/2 cup (125 mL) regular sour cream
•11/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
•1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
•2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
•4 eggs

GLAZE
•4 oz (112 g) semi-sweet chocolate
•1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
•2 tbsp (30 mL) honey or corn syrup
DIRECTIONS

1.For crust, butter or oil sides of a 9-in. (23-cm) or 10-in. (25-cm) springform pan. Wrap pan with foil, over bottom and sides, making sure it comes to the top edge so water from the water bath in step 3 won’t leak in. Double wrap if necessary. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir chocolate baking crumbs with sugar, then stir in butter. Press mixture onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate while preparing cheesecake filling.

2.Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Put a kettle of water on. Finely chop chocolate and place in microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium power for 2 min or until almost melted, stirring halfway through. Remove from microwave and stir until completely melted. Set aside. Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally. Beat in sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Beat in cooled chocolate. Pour onto chilled crust.

3.Place wrapped springform pan in a broiler pan or shallow-sided roasting pan. Place in centre of preheated oven. Pour enough boiling water into broiler pan to come about 1 in. (2.5 cm) up side of foil-wrapped springform pan.

4.Bake until filling is almost set when springform pan is jiggled, about 40 min. Remove broiler pan to a rack. Run a knife around inside of cake pan to help prevent cracking. Let stand until water cools, about 30 min.

5.Remove pan from water. Discard foil. Cool completely, then cover pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, 4 hours. Remove cake from pan. If making ahead, refrigerate up to 3 days. Or over-wrap with foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

6.For glaze, finely chop chocolate and place in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil, in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a bowl in the microwave. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Add honey. Stir just until chocolate is melted and evenly mixed. Just before serving, pour and spread glaze over cake. Top with assorted berries and chocolate curls.

*Finishing touches*
PERFECT CURLS

Melt 4 oz (112 g) chopped milk, dark or white chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over simmering water. Using a spatula, thinly spread melted chocolate into a rectangular shape on the back of a baking sheet. Refrigerate so chocolate can harden slightly. Check often; it’s ready when it’s no longer shiny, but still malleable. Using a palette knife (a bendable metal spatula), hold both ends so metal blade is horizontally across chocolate in front of you. Press into the chocolate, scraping and pulling in one motion toward you, to form curls. The shape of the curl will depend on the angle of the blade and the temperature of the chocolate. If it sticks and doesn’t scrape at all, it is too soft. If it breaks into shards, it’s too hard. If you don’t get curls the first time, just re-melt and try again. Refrigerate curls in an airtight container until firm, or up to 3 days.

CANDIED FRUIT
Fruit cooked in a light simple syrup is a great way to dress up any dessert. We chose kumquats, small oval-shaped citrus fruit. Candy the edible peel and flesh for a sweet and tangy topper. It’s easier than you’d think: Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Stir 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar with 1 cup (250 mL) water in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until it’s syrupy, about 5 min. Slice 1/4 lb (125 g) unpeeled kumquats in half lengthwise, or crosswise into rounds. Add to boiling water. Boil for 3 min. Drain, then plunge into ice-cold water. Drain and add to syrup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly translucent, 12 more min. Cool. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. Remove kumquats from syrup before using.