8 Diet-Friendly Desserts to Bake for Your Valentine
Skip the box of chocolates and indulge in these decadent treats without guilt
Want to impress your valentine this year? We've got eight delectable recipes to whip up, including a rich chocolate cake and a creamy cookie dough dip that will make your mouth water. But no matter how indulgent these sweet treats sound, they go easy on your waistline, thanks to secret healthy ingredients. Shh… your sweetheart never needs to know!
This delectable chocolate cake by chef and entertaining expert Heather Christo contains one majorly surprisingly ingredient—beets! These earthy, healthy veggies only serve to enhance the chocolate-y flavor, in addition to infusing the batter with a melt-in-your-mouth moist texture.
Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. beet puree (comes from 2-3 large beets)
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. milk
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium pot filled with simmering water, boil the beets. When the beets are fork tender drain them and let them sit until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off and trim the top off of them. Chop the beets into large pieces and throw them in the food processor. Pulse the beets until they are a smooth puree. Set the puree aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat to combine. Add the beets and combine well. It will look like the batter has curdled, but it is fine. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and sift them all together. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and then half of the milk. Combine completely and then add the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk. Mix the batter until it is completely combined. Prepare two 9 in. round cake pans with baking spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake the cake rounds for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the heat and let them cool on a rack completely.
Makes 12 servings.
