Posted on: Wednesday, December 15, 2004
RECIPE DOCTOR
Holiday fudge sauce done light and luscious
By Elaine Magee
Q. I would love to give decadent hot fudge sauce as holiday gifts this year but have been trying to find a "lighter" recipe as many of my friends have various health issues. Is this even possible?
A. Decadent AND light hot fudge sauce — can it be done? Of course! In most decadent recipes, we can bring the calories and fat (and sometimes sugar) down a few pegs without compromising the taste and texture.
I've not tackled a hot fudge sauce before, but this reader's request certainly got me cooking.
Substitutions here include fat-free half-and-half for heavy cream (you could use half regular half-and-half), Splenda for part of the brown sugar, no-trans-fat margarine for butter (with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon like Take Control).
I left the cocoa and bittersweet chocolate alone — for good reason. It's hard to have a hot fudge sauce without the "fudge."
This makes a fun holiday food gift — something a little different from the standard breads, cookie platters and hot cocoa mix! To make this into holiday gifts, spoon the sauce into two 8-ounce glass jars with lids (or airtight containers) and keep chilled until you give it to your friends. Tell them to refrigerate the jars and just reheat before using (you can do this in the glass jar in microwave without the lid). It should be used within a week or two after you make it.
Original recipe contains 140 calories and 9 g fat per 1/8-cup serving.
LIGHT & LUSCIOUS HOT FUDGE SAUCE
Bring half-and-half, corn syrup, Splenda, cocoa, salt and half of the chocolate to a low boil in a 1 to 1 1/2 quart nonstick saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted.
Reduce heat and cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add margarine, vanilla and remaining chocolate, and stir until completely smooth. Cool sauce to warm before serving or before pouring into jars if giving the sauce as gifts.
Makes 2 cups sauce.
• Per serving (1/8 cup): 98 calories, 2 g protein, 14.5 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g fat (2.2 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 0.4 g polyunsaturated fat), 0.4 mg cholesterol, 0.7 g fiber, 66 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 42 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids 0.1 g. Omega-6 fatty acids 0.2 g. Weight Watchers points: 2. Elaine Magee is author of "The Change of Life Diet and Cookbook." Readers may reach her through her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses can't be provided. This column is distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.
