Summer is in full swing, and while I love enjoying the hot summer sun at the beach, I've got to admit, I'm packing on a few extra pounds right now. I'm sharing a few of my favorite summer desserts that are lower in calories, quick and easy to make, and require NO oven time. Who wants to be trapped in the hot kitchen all summer?! Get out and play! Enjoy!
Low-Fat Coconut Lime Tiramisu
Prep Time: 15 minutes / Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 12
Ingredients:
24 ladyfinger cookies
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint, plus a few leaves for garnish
14 ounce(s) of light coconut milk
1 medium lime, juiced and zested
8 ounce(s) of Fat Free Cool Whip
8 ounce(s) of Fat Free Cream Cheese
1/4 cup(s) of finely shredded toasted coconut
Steps
Pour the coconut milk into a large baking dish. Add the lime juice and stir until combined.
Soak about 12 of the cookies in the milk mixture for about 10 seconds on each side, until soft. Arrange them into the bottom of a separate baking dish.
Mix the Cool Whip and Cream Cheese in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Smooth about 1/2 of the mixture over the cookies evenly.
Soak the other 12 cookies and place them on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the other half of the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookies.
Top with the toasted coconut. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the tiramisu to set up.
To serve: Top with remaining 2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves and lime zest. Serve immediately.
Caramel Apple S'mores Shooters
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 0 minutes / Servings: 4
Ingredients:
3 cinnamon graham cracker sheets (12 crackers total)
3 tbsp. caramel syrup
4 tbsp. apple pie filling
4 tbsp. marshmallow creme
Steps:
Break the graham crackers up into chunks and place in a medium mixing bowl. Heat the caramel syrup in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and mix into the graham crackers until combined.
Using 4 tall, narrow shot glasses, spoon a bout 1/8 of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each of the 4 shot glasses.
Chop the apple pie filling into small pieces. Spoon 1/4 of the pie filling into each of the shot glasses over the graham cracker mixture.
Spoon the marshmallow creme into a sealable, plastic bag. Snip of the corner and pipe 1/4 of the marshmallow creme into each of the shot glasses.
Top with the remaining bits of graham cracker mixture.
Peanut Butter S'mores Shooters
Prep time: 30 minutes / Cook time: 5 minutes / Total time: 35 minutes / Servings: 8
Ingredients:
4 ounces of Light Cream Cheese
12 Graham Cracker Sheets (48 individual crackers)
10 ounce of bag of peatnut butter morsels
7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme
1/2 cup of low-fat milk
1/2 cup of chocolate syrup
Steps:
In a medium saucepan, combine peanut butter morsels, milk and Cream Cheese. Cook on medium heat and stir until combined and melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a glass mixing bowl and place in the freezer to set for about 10 minutes. Remove and mix with electric mixer until a light, fluffy peanut butter creme is created, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Place the graham crackers in a plastic, sealable bag. Seal the bag and break up the crackers with your hands, creating different size small chunks and crumbs. Transfer to a separate mixing bowl and add the chocolate syrup. Mix well until combined.
Using 2oz. shot glasses, spoon about 1 tbsp. of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each of the shot glasses. Follow with 1 tbsp. of the peanut butter creme, then 1 tbsp. of the marshmallow creme. Finish with another 1 tbsp. of the graham cracker mixture.
Note: If using tall, narrow shot glasses, fill two separate, small plastic bags with the peanut butter and marshmallow creme, snip off a corner and pipe the cremes into the shot glasses. Serve with long neck teaspoons.
Mango Moscato Granita
Prep Time: 5 minutes / Freeze Time: 3-4 hours / Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 bottle (3 1/2 cups) Risata Moscato d'Asti
3 cups frozen mango chunks
Steps:
In a blender combine the wine and mango chunks. Puree on high speed for about one minute until smooth.
Pour contents into a large, glass baking dish and freeze. Remove from freezer about every 30 minutes and stir mixture from bottom with a fork, creating a rough, chunky, grainy texture. After about 3 hours, mixture should be completely frozen, chunky and icy...ready to serve!