Sundae Dreamin'

This entry is going to be short and sweet, folks. First of all, I'm heading out in less than two hours and hopping a plane to Chicago (home sweet home!) for the rest of the week. However, I'm hoping to make you all jealous by posting at least one more blog item while on va-cay, recapping all my culinary adventures in my favorite city. Deep dish pizza? Yes please. Indian food from one of the authentic restaurants on Devon Street? Don't mind if I do! Pierogies from the delicious mom-and-pop Polish joint? YOU BETCHA! I'll fill you in on some of those food details later this week.

For now, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that today is National Sundae Day...just in case you were looking for an excuse to dig into some ice cream topped off with hot fudge, caramel and other goodies.

If you're tired of the standard sundae recipe, here are a few fabulous, low-cal, variations courtesy of Hungry Girl.

Gimme S'more Sundae
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Breyers Double Churn Free French Chocolate fat-free ice cream
2 tbsp. Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme (only 1 tbsp. will actually end up on your sundae), room temperature
2 low-fat honey graham crackers (half a sheet), lightly crushed
1 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place ice cream in a dessert bowl. Set aside. Carefully place marshmallow creme into one of the bottom corners of a Ziploc baggie. Use scissors to snip a tiny hole from the outside end of that corner, and squeeze 1 tbsp. of the creme (the rest will stick to the bag!) over your ice cream in a drizzle. Then top with the graham cracker pieces and chocolate chips. Finish it all off with a generous squirt of the Reddi-wip.

Pumpkin Pie Sundae
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Breyers Double Churn Free Creamy Vanilla fat-free ice cream
1 tbsp. canned pure pumpkin
1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 low-fat honey graham crackers (half a sheet), lightly crushed
4 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place ice cream in a small dessert bowl, and allow it to thaw just slightly (a few minutes). Then stir in the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly mixed. Place bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the ice cream to firm up. Then top with the Redd-wip, followed by the crushed graham crackers.


HG Style Hot Fudge'n Brownie Sundae
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Breyers Double Churn Free French Chocolate fat-free ice cream
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip
1 tbsp. traditional fudge brownie mix
2 tsp. Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup
1 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Original Egg Beaters)

Directions:
Place brownie mix in a small microwave-safe dish (like a ramekin). Add egg substitute and 1/2 tsp. water, and mix well. Microwave for 45 seconds, and then let sit for 5 minutes. Then, use a fork to break it up and crumble into brownie bits (use your fingers, too -- just make sure your hands are clean!). Place ice cream in a dessert dish, and top with brownie bits. Set aside.
Place chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe dish, and cover with syrup. Microwave for 45 seconds, and then mix well. Pour sauce over the brownie bits and ice cream.

Enjoy! I'll be in touch.

A sundae on a Sunday

Happy belated National Sundae Day! Don't believe me? There actually is such a food holiday and it was yesterday. And you can be sure I celebrated. Why is it that Sundays are such a great day to splurge on sweet treats? Is it a comfort food thing because you know you have another long, depressing work week ahead of you? Hmmm.....
Either way, I've always been a fan of the sundae. There's nothing tastier than cold ice cream topped with some melting hot fudge. And seeing as how my hometown of Evanston, Illinois is one of the cities claiming to be the birthplace of the sundae, I suppose I should be even more partial to it.

Here's a little more trivia for you factoid-junkies. According to Wikipedia, the most expensive sundae in the world is sold at Serendipity 3 in New York City. The $1,000 (!) dessert features five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla, covered in 23-carat edible gold leaf, rare Amedei Porceleana and Chuao chocolate, American Golden caviar, passion fruit, orange, Armagnac, candied fruits from Paris, marzipan cherries, and decorated with real gold dragees. The sundae is served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon. Um, wow? Sounds very pretty, but I'd much rather spend $3 to $4 for a waffle bowl sundae at the local DQ.

Or better yet, make it yourself. I made one yesterday that featured butterscotch brownies and let me tell ya...it was fabulous. Yeah, yeah, it's not the healthiest treat out there. But in my own defense, I whipped up the sugar-free variety to cut back on some of the calories.

Here's a Splenda-rific version of the vanilla butterscotch brownie sundae. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Butterscotch Brownies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (11 ounce) package NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
Combine butter, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend and vanilla in a large mixer bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the morsels and the nuts. Spread into an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup morsels.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Add a scoop or two of Breyers Double Churn No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream

Add a little Smucker's Sugar-Free Hot Fudge Topping

Top off with a touch of Kraft Sugar-Free Cool Whip