Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Skinny Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

I dream in chocolate.


I'm pretty sure that I would swim in the sweet stuff if possible. The darker the chocolate, the better. Dark chocolate, double chocolate chip ice cream, double chocolate chip cookies, and of course double chocolate chip brownies.

Brownies + Chocolate + Ice Cream =

Since I love my double chocolate chip brownies I can never have just a small bite. So I found a way to make a skinnier version so I can have my sweets and enjoy it too. I turned an average brownie into a guiltless tasty treat.

So today you will not only get a yummy recipe, you'll also learn a little bit about the health benefits of baking brownies my way.

The very first step of this brownie baking process is to actually buy the ingredients.

The ingredients!

Combine the brownie mix, water, and chocolate syrup into a large mixing bowl. Next is where the fat and calorie savings begin. Instead of using one large egg, it is replaced with 3 Tbsp of liquid egg whites and added to the bowl of ingredients

According to the American Heart Association, egg whites are better than whole eggs if a person is watching his or her cholesterol since all of the cholesterol is essentially contained in the yolk. One egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol whereas an egg white contains zero.

Once the heart-healthy egg whites have been added another crucial swap helps to greatly decrease fat and calories. Instead of using the called-for quarter cup of oil, use an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce in its place. Now you may be wondering, applesauce for oil? Have no fear! I’ve tried this brownie recipe with the oil and with the applesauce and could not taste the difference at all which is great since a quarter cup of oil has around 450 calories and more than 50g of fat whereas a quarter cup of applesauce is nearly fatfree and contains only 25 calories. These stats alone greatly show what a significant swap this is.

Add the ¼ cup of applesauce in the bowl of ingredients and stir until well-combined.

Time to stir!

Once all the clumps are gone, add the 6oz of semi-sweet morsels and mix once more.

The batter is creamy and smooth

Now is the time to reveal the third and final healthy swap of creating brownies that are a little more waist-friendly. Instead of using Crisco for greasing the 13x9 baking pan, cover with cooking spray. Crisco has partially hydrogenated oils which means that it has trans fat. The American Heart Association explains that trans fats raise the bad LDL cholesterol levels while lowering the good HDL cholesterol levels. Therefore trans fats have been associated with developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and has also been linked to a higher risk of stroke.

Once the pan is misted with heart healthy cooking spray, add the brownie batter and spread evenly in the pan.

Mmmmmm chocolate

Top with sprinkles and bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes.

Brownies without sprinkles is like a pool without water.

After the timer buzzes, check to see if the brownies are completely cooked by inserting a toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean and without brownie residue, then the product is completely cooked and ready to be devoured!

So now I have a question to ask you: do you want to deprive yourself of the foods you love to help lower cholesterol or decrease the chances of developing high cholesterol with a boring and bland diet? Neither do I. With a few substitutions in baking, one can have a brownie and not feel guilty by using egg whites instead of whole eggs, unsweetened applesauce instead of vegetable oil, and cooking spray instead of Crisco. Now the real challenge is about to occur. Bake these brownies and see if you can taste the difference.

Skinny Double Chocolate Chip Brownies
1 box brownie mix (I’m partial towards Betty Crocker Original Supreme which comes with a chocolate syrup pack)
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp liquid egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sprinkles
Cooking spray

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350°F
-Add brownie mix, chocolate syrup, water, liquid egg whites, and applesauce to a mixing bowl. Stir.
-Add in chocolate chips. Stir.
-Spread the mixture evenly into a 13x9 baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray.
-Top with sprinkles and bake for 23-25 minutes.
-After 23 minutes check to see if brownies are done by inserting toothpick. If it comes out clean and without residue the brownies are done.
-Enjoy!
 There's no such thing as brownie etiquette


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5 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness. Love these! Love the quote, too. Brownie etiquette? Never. They're supposed to be eaten straight out of the pan, right?? :) Thanks for linking up to "Strut Your Stuff Saturday!" Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow at 8pm MDT for this week's party! :) -The Sisters

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what I love about these...no brownie etiquette required :)

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  2. Oh yum, I'm pinning this - I use applesauce in my muffins as well, no one knows :) and substitute 1 whole egg for 2 whites

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the beauty of this recipe! Nobody will realize it's a skinny version :)

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  3. Everybody wants to feel like they weigh the right amount: not too much and not too little. Skinny men, more often than not, hate going to beaches because they're not comfortable removing their shirt because its too skinny. naked url too

    ReplyDelete