If you are substituting oil for melted butter, be aware that butter is about 70% oil and 30% water, so you would actually only need about 2/3-3/4 the amount of oil. Then add a bit more liquid like milk or vanilla or coffee (depends on what you are cooking) than the recipe calls for. I don't generally add water because it doesn't add flavor and you can really punch up the flavor with other liquids
While whipped cream isn't really healthy, it is still better than the chemical laden cool whips and other fluffy toppings. If we are doing one of those recipes that calls for cool whip, I use 1/2 to 1 tsp corn starch for every cup of heavy cream, mixed in with the sugar. This will stabilize your cream enough to make it last the way cool whip does. It doesn't help cut down on fat, but it sure does cut down on chemicals. It also gives a much better mouth feel and helps you eat less. The fat tells your brain and body when you have had enough, and this helps you have smaller portions with-o feeling deprived.
One thing we really like are those poke cakes. You bake a cake, pref white or yellow, then poke holes in the top and pour jello over it, then cover it with cool whip for icing. I use unflavored jello and a mix of thawed frozen strawberries, mashed a bit and a bit of water and vanilla to make the jello. Then the stabilized whipped cream on top. It will blow your mind if you have tried the jello/cool whip version! I often freeze about 1/2 the cake and cut the rest into very small pieces - just 3-4 bites or so. It gives the sweet fix without all the chemicals and it cuts calories. I used to take this to office parties and it would be the first thing emptied, though it is rich enough that you don't really want a huge slice.
If you are a chocolate cake lover, it is easy to make a scratch cake with lower fat. I have a recope we love, but to make any chocolate cake richer and more satisfying with lower fat, try pureed prunes or dates for most of the fat. I loathe and despise eating either dates or prunes by themselves, but in a chocolate cake they are incredible.
While whipped cream isn't really healthy, it is still better than the chemical laden cool whips and other fluffy toppings. If we are doing one of those recipes that calls for cool whip, I use 1/2 to 1 tsp corn starch for every cup of heavy cream, mixed in with the sugar. This will stabilize your cream enough to make it last the way cool whip does. It doesn't help cut down on fat, but it sure does cut down on chemicals. It also gives a much better mouth feel and helps you eat less. The fat tells your brain and body when you have had enough, and this helps you have smaller portions with-o feeling deprived.
One thing we really like are those poke cakes. You bake a cake, pref white or yellow, then poke holes in the top and pour jello over it, then cover it with cool whip for icing. I use unflavored jello and a mix of thawed frozen strawberries, mashed a bit and a bit of water and vanilla to make the jello. Then the stabilized whipped cream on top. It will blow your mind if you have tried the jello/cool whip version! I often freeze about 1/2 the cake and cut the rest into very small pieces - just 3-4 bites or so. It gives the sweet fix without all the chemicals and it cuts calories. I used to take this to office parties and it would be the first thing emptied, though it is rich enough that you don't really want a huge slice.
If you are a chocolate cake lover, it is easy to make a scratch cake with lower fat. I have a recope we love, but to make any chocolate cake richer and more satisfying with lower fat, try pureed prunes or dates for most of the fat. I loathe and despise eating either dates or prunes by themselves, but in a chocolate cake they are incredible.
I can't believe no one commented on that back when he posted it! LOL!!!
