Pumpkin S'mores Puffs

Hello there! I hope everyone has been enjoying fall! It's been unseasonably warm over here, and I've been pretty busy as well! Every year I say I'm going to start my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving ... and this year I actually did it! Plus, my weekends have been filled with friends and family and car shopping - all fun things, but they've been preventing me from being able to post here as often as I'd like.

So let's take a minute and celebrate fall with these Pumpkin S'mores Puffs.

I used Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls to make these. I love the crescent rolls, because depending on what you stuff them with, they can be a delicious appetizer, dinner, or dessert. These S'mores Puffs make an excellent fall dessert, or could even be served at brunch.

For this recipe, I stuffed them with pureed pumpkin, cream cheese, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. 

Topping the crescents off with graham cracker crumbs before you bake them to gooey perfection really gives them the S'mores feel.

Once they're done, let them cool - just slightly though - these are definitely most delicious when served warm. If you're preparing them in advance, you can refrigerate them until ready to serve - just pop them in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes (or the microwave for 15-20 seconds) before serving to make sure the center gets all warm and gooey.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 package Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent rolls
• 1/3 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (softened)
• 1 packet Sweet'N Low (or no-calorie sweetener of your choice)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet minis)
• 1/3 cup mini marshmallows
• 2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs

Serving size: 1 puff (recipe yields 8)

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 4

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with no-calorie spray.
2. Unroll the crescent dough and separate the triangles. Lay them on the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream cheese, sweetener, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Distribute evenly among the 8 crescent rolls - be sure to spoon the mixture onto the center of the rolls, as this will make folding them easier.
4. Top the mixture with mini marshmallows (there should be enough to place about 3-5 in each crescent). Once this is done, fold the dough over so that the mixture is sealed inside. If necessary, pinch the dough together lightly at the seams.
5. Spray the tops of the rolls lightly with no-calorie cooking spray (this will help the graham cracker crumbs stick). Sprinkle the crumbs over the tops of the crescent rolls.
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes - you'll know they're done when the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

BOO! Brownies

Hello everyone! I know, I know, I haven't been keeping up on my vow to try to post one new recipe a week. I'm sorry! My job has been absolutely crazy and the weekends fill up so fast, especially as the holiday season approaches! (I can't believe I just typed that ... I'm SO not ready for the holiday season yet!) BUT, I'm hoping you forgive me because these brownies are about to rock your world.

These brownies are everything brownies should be. Chocolatey. Chewy. Ooey gooey. Fudgy. Stuffed with leftover chopped up Halloween candy. And an added bonus? They're low calorie.

To eliminate a bunch of the calories and fat associated with brownies, simply swap out the oil and eggs the recipe calls for and use a can of pumpkin instead (pumpkin puree - NOT pumpkin pie filling). If you're not a fan of the pumpkin flavor, don't fear: you can barely taste it once the brownies are baked. Honestly, if you didn't know there was pumpkin puree in here you'd never guess it. The consistency is fudgy and the brownies are delicious.

Then, because it was Halloween and because I grossly overestimated the amount of candy we'd need for trick-or-treaters, I took these brownies to the next level by mixing in chopped up Halloween candy. I used my favorites (and the nutritional stats provided are for the candy I used) but you can use whatever you want.

Pop 'em in the oven and you're good to go!

I promise you, it doesn't get much easier than this!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 box of brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies)
• 1 15-oz can Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• Leftover Halloween candy (I used three snack size Kit Kat, three fun size Milky Way, and three bite size 3 Musketeers bars)

Serving size: 1/12 of recipe or 1/16 of recipe, depending on how big you cut the brownies

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 6 (if making 12 brownies) or 4 (if making 16 brownies)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix and canned pumpkin. Set aside.
3. Chop your chosen candy into small chunks. Add to the brownie mix and stir to combine.
4. Pour the mix into the pan. Spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
5. Let cool slightly, then cut into squares and enjoy!

Four-Ingredient No-Bake Oreo Cream Pie

In my opinion, the Oreo is the best packaged cookie in existence. Which makes this simple, no-bake pie a pretty awesome dessert to make for summer.

It's starting to get really warm out, and I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate having my oven on when it's hot outside. I like to keep my house cool as a break from the heat. Unfortunately, some of the best desserts are made in the oven (see: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cake ... you get the idea).

But this? This pie is delicious and requires ABSOLUTELY NO BAKING. And it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make. It's perfect for when you want to make a delicious and impressive dessert but you don't have time (and don't want to put in a ton of effort).

Oh, and did I mention it's only four ingredients? (Just kidding, I know I did because it's in the recipe title, but I wanted to mention it again because it's a big selling point).

Pre-baked pie crust is one of the best inventions.

At my local Stop & Shop, they have regular graham cracker pie crusts, chocolate graham cracker pie crusts, and chocolate cookie pie crusts. Some stores have Oreo brand crusts, but mine didn't. No worries though - the chocolate cookie crust tastes exactly like an Oreo (and I saved money by buying store brand)!

In a medium bowl, combine Jell-O Oreo pudding mix with an entire 8-oz tub of Cool Whip Free. (Side note: Cool Whip Free + any flavor of pudding mix = DELICIOUS. I like the taste better than pudding prepared the traditional way, and it's MUCH quicker.If you wanted to, though, you could prepare the pudding with milk, let it set, and use that instead).

The inspiration for this recipe actually came from this pudding mix. I was shopping for pudding mix for last week's recipe and I saw this, and I immediately started brainstorming dessert ideas I could use it in. 

Once the pudding mix and the Cool Whip are combined, crumble four of the Oreo cookies into the bowl and mix.

Spread the mix into the pie crust, and then crumble the remaining three Oreos on top.

BAM. That's it. You're done. Eat it immediately, if you want to. You can refrigerate it, but it doesn't need it.

I made this last night and served it for two of my friends during our "The Bachelorette" premiere night. Yes, I love "The Bachelorette." Yes, I have my friends over for sushi, wine, and dessert when the new seasons start. Yes, it's amazing.

Anyway, I let them know that they were taste testing for the blog, and the reviews were positive so I figured I'd post it today in advance of Memorial Day weekend! If you need to bring a dessert to a BBQ, this could be it.

I hope you enjoy it! I'd love feedback if you make it. 

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 Oreo cookie pie crust
• 1 box Jell-O Oreo cookies and cream pudding mix
• 8 oz Cool Whip Free (one tub)
• 7 reduced fat Oreo cookies

Serving size: 1/8 of pie

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 7

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Jell-O mix and the Cool Whip Free. Crumble four of the Oreo cookies into the bowl and mix to combine.
2. Spread the pudding mixture into the pie crust.
3. Crumble the remaining three Oreos over the top of the pie.

Nutritional Information

Pistachio Cups with Mini Chocolate Chips

Well hello again and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers reading this blog. This week's recipe is one that I made a few weeks ago, didn't love, and tweaked slightly. Now I love it, and I brought a tray to my parents' house tonight for Mother's Day and they were a huge hit! (Side note: as a new food blogger, there's nothing more satisfying than hearing rave reviews from your family when they taste test your recipe. Really gives you the extra confidence to share it with your blog followers).

We're gonna keep it kind of simple this weekend. This recipe is so easy to prepare it only requires one picture. Also, instead of my usual step-by-step instructions with photos, I'm just going to list a few things I learned from tweaking this recipe. Trust me, it's all you'll need.

- The first time I made these, I baked the fillo shells for 5 minutes. YOU DON'T NEED TO FOR THIS RECIPE. I thought the flavor of the baked shells was too distinct - it almost overpowered the pistachio filling.

- I'm a HUGE fan of Cool Whip Free, but I found that Cool Whip Lite works better for this recipe. It's slightly creamier, which ends up working out better for this recipe. Since this is basically the main ingredient, flavor/texture plays a major part, and using Lite instead of Free doesn't significantly alter the nutritional information, so I recommend going for it.

- Same for the Jell O pudding mix. First time I made these I used fat free, sugar free mix - this time I used the regular mix. Again, it doesn't alter the nutrition significantly and it really gives the recipe a stronger flavor, so definitely go with the regular stuff if you ever make these.

So without further ado, here's the recipe! Hope you enjoy it. As always, feedback is appreciated!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 30 Athens mini fillo shells
• 4 oz Cool Whip Lite whipped topping (1/2 container)
• 3/4 package Jell O pistachio pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 4 tbsp semi sweet mini chocolate chips

Serving size: 1 fillo shell

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 1

Instructions

1. Arrange the fillo shells on the serving tray of your choice.
2. In a small/medium bowl, combine the Cool Whip, Jello O mix, and almond extract. Distribute among the fillo shells.
3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the shells. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional information

Three-Ingredient Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

Tell me something - who doesn't like funfetti cake? It's so festive! Delicious white cake with colorful candy pieces? Yum! And everyone loves a good dip.

That's what makes this dessert so perfect. It combines the taste of funfetti cake with the appeal of a dip. And it is SO easy to make. As the title says - only three ingredients required!

All you need is Cool Whip, Greek yogurt, and funfetti cake mix!

Add the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl one at a time.

Mix to combine, and that's that!

If you want it to appear more "funfetti-like," you can add a tablespoon of rainbow sprinkles and if won't affect the nutrition in a significant way.

This dip is great as a party snack. Or, you can refrigerate it and eat a little bit each night by yourself (not gonna lie - this is what I've been doing). I came up with this recipe last week and I've already made and eaten an entire batch. Oops.

"Great!" you're probably thinking. "But what do I serve it with?" Umm, a spoon? Just kidding (not really - it's delicious and can very easily be eaten without dippers). If you want to serve it with something, there are plenty of options. If you want to keep it pretty healthy, apple slices or other fruits would be good. If you want more of a cookie to dip in it, I'd recommend choosing your favorite 100-calorie cookie pack. My preference is Keebler 100-calorie Chips Deluxe Chocolate Chip. Graham crackers would also work.

That's about it! As always, feedback/comments/suggestions are always appreciated!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 8 oz Cool Whip Free (one container)
• 6 oz fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I used a container of Fage Total 0%)
• 1/4 cup funfetti cake mix

Serving size: 1/4 of recipe
Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5 (Note: PointsPlus values are calculated by entering the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder.)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and mix to combine. (Optional: add 1 tbsp rainbow sprinkles).
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information