Healthy Old Fashion Fruit Crumble

We have all decided it’s time to lose some weight.  When we first moved to Denmark, we thought it would be easy to lose weight here.  The people are so much more active than in the US and I perceived the food to be much healthier.  Unfortunately, we discovered all of the delicious pastries, cheeses, bread, and so much more! 

Unlike other diets I have been on, I am going to try and make this a lifestyle, not a diet.  In this spirit, I decided that since I also cook something sweet over the weekend, I wouldn’t stop now.  After searching on the web, I found this delightful recipe for a fruit crumble.  The recipe makes 4 servings and each serving is 250 calories.  I was a little afraid of the 1 Tbps of sugar, so on top of the fruit I sprinkled about ¼ tsp of Splenda.

Okay, I know you are thinking a healthy dessert can not taste good.  Well, let's just say it was certainly not as good as a full fat version, but it was good.  The fruit part actually tasted very good with just the right amount of sweetness (I guess the extra Splenda worked!).  The crumble part did leave a little to be desired.  Next time I make this, I will use 2 TBsp of melted butter instead of the canola oil.  In fact this will save you about 10 calories per serving, thus making the total calories at 240 calories per serving and a much more authenic taste (at least I hope!)

Healthy Old Fashion Fruit Crumble

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen fruit, such as blueberries, peaches, plums
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tsp Splenda
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, or pecans
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine fruit with granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and orange juice. Divide among four 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Drizzle with butter and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from: www.eatingwell.com

Strawberry Yum-Yum

Mmm, it's that time of the year.  The strawberries are ripe and they are fabulous!  Here in Denmark, the strawberries come from Spain in nice wooden flats.  We have enjoyed the strawberries and have made our favorite desserts.  A few weekends ago, it was homemade strawberry icecream.  Last weekend it was a Strawberry pudding, thanks to a friend giving us some ingredients you can only buy in America.  Last night we made strawberry shortcakes to take to the church potluck.  Tonight we were invited to our neighbors house for a BBQ.  I was suppose to bring the dessert.  Of course it had to be strawberries, but I'm too much like my Mama to make the same thing again!   I merged a couple of my favorite recipes together and voila, we had an absolutely divine dessert, that I will call a Strawberry Yum-Yum.

Strawberry Yum-Yum

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream  (or Cool Whip can be substituted)
• Strawberry glaze (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix the butter, flour, and pecans in a bowl, and press into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes; do not allow to brown. Set aside until completely cool. 
4. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. 
5. In a separate bowl beat the heavy whipping cream until it forms soft peaks.  
6. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread over the cooled crust. 
7. Top with the strawberry glaze and put in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Strawberry Glaze

Ingredients

• 4 cups ripe strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions   

1. Crush enough strawberries to make 1 cup of pulp.
2. Place pulp in medium saucepan; add 1/2 cup of sugar and cornstarch  mixture.
3. Cook and stir over medium heat 2 minutes or until mixture boils, thickens and is clear.  Cool.