PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE BARS – 3 POINTS PLUS

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Serves 24

3 Points Plus

Picture from Taste of Home

• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cubed
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

•Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup for topping.

•Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of a greased 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

•In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, spices and remaining sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over warm crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

•Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Serve or refrigerate, covered, within 2 hours. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts

1 bar equals 196 calories, 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Pineapple Inside Out Mini Muffins ( 1 Points+)

Pineapple Inside Out Mini Muffins ( 1 Points+ )

48 Servings

• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 Large Eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Sodea
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 6oz Chobani 2% Pineapple Greek Yoghurt
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 15oz Can Crushed Pineapple, drained
• 1/4 Cup Marachino Cherries, sliced

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease two mini muffins tins with mon-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time.  Beat well after each.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating two times with the Greek yogurt, then add the vanilla extract.  Beat until smooth.  Fold in the drained pineapple.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold them into the muffin batter until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Topping each with 1 cherry slice.

Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Per Serving: 52 Calories, 2.3g Fat, 7g Carbs, 1.3g Protein, 0.6g Fibre (1 Points+)

This recipe came from the wonderful blog Danica’s Daily.

Tropical Pineapple Orange Delight (2 Points Plus)

Tropical Pineapple Orange Delight (2 Points Plus)

If you break the ingredients down individually for this dessert, then they are only 1 Points Plus each.  But when you punch into the Weightwatchers recipe calculator it makes them 2 Points Plus each because it then calculates the fruit as an ingredient.  The fruit when eaten on it’s own has a zero points value!!!!!!

Makes 12 mini desserts

• 1 (20oz)  Can Crushed Pineapple with Juice
• 1 (3oz) Box Sugar Free Vanilla Instant Pudding
• 1 Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 1 (8oz) container of Cool Whip (or packet of Dream Whip and 1/2 cup Fat Free Milk)
• 12 Marachino Cherries for garnish

Cut up the mandarin oranges into small bite size pieces.

Mix the orange pieces, pineapple, pineapple juice and instant pudding mix together.

Gently fold in the whipped topping.

Spoon into small dessert dishes over the cake.

Garnish with a marachino cherry on trop.

Can be served immediately or refrigerate for an hour or so.

You can also make these by placing a 1″ cube of pound cake or angel food cake in the dish and then topping with pudding mixture.

Per serving – 69 Calories, 12g Carbs, 1g Fat, 2g Protein, 1g Fibre (2 Points Plus)

This recipe is courtesy of the book Just Mini Desserts

Gluten Free Valentine’s Chex Mix (6 Points Plus)

Gluten Free Valentine’s Chex Mix (6 Points Plus)

Serves 22

• 9 cups Rice Chex Cereal (gluten free)
  1 cup White Chocolate Chips
  1/2 cup Peanut Butter
  1/4 cup Butter or Margerine
  3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  1/2 cup red, white and pink candy coated chocolate candies (I used Smarties)
  1/4 cup Red or Pink Sprinkles

In a large bowl place cereal.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

Pour peanut mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food storage bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool, for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures together.

Makes 22 servings – 1/2 cup each

Per Serving: 200 Calories, 10g Fat, 25g Carbs, 0g Fibre, 3g Protein (6 Points Plus)

Special Touch
Look for decorated cellophane bags in craft or paper goods store. Fill with mixture and tie with festive ribbons for a Valentine gift.

Cooking Gluten Free?
Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is gluten free.

This recipe is courtesy of Betty Crocker