Holiday Baking : Season of Light

Remember the diet holidays? That’s when you found yourself looking longingly at the array of trifles, chocolate cakes, pies and puddings on every holiday table and then turning with resignation to those wiggly, bright gelatin molds. These never tasted as good as the cakes--but at least they didn’t contain butter, eggs or heavy cream. . . . You left every party feeling hungry but virtuous.

This year can be different. If you love desserts, you can eat your way through the holidays without feeling guilty. These special holiday recipes not only look great, but leave you looking great too.

Here’s an impressive dessert that’s not only attractive but also made quickly. There’s no butter in the cake, but applesauce and orange juice make it extremely moist. The citrus flavor complements the bittersweet flavor of the cranberries.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE Butter or non-stick vegetable oil spray 2 cups cranberries 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup applesauce 1/4 cup thawed frozen nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 1 egg) 1/4 cup nonfat milk 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup low-fat whipped topping 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Lightly butter bottom and sides of 9-inch round baking pan or spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray.

Combine cranberries, 1 cup sugar and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened to syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Cool to room temperature.

Sift together cake flour, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder into large bowl. In another bowl stir applesauce, egg substitute, nonfat milk, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla until blended. Stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Pour over cranberry mixture. Bake at 375 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan about 5 minutes.

Loosen cake around edges of pan. Place inverted serving platter over cake and turn both upside down. Shake gently then remove pan. Serve warm with whipped topping blended with orange liqueur. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 215 calories; 81 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

It’s hard to believe this dark, dense yet tender chocolate cake is actually low in calories and fat. Since this recipe makes several layers, we cut the cake into tall, skinny slices.

THREE-LAYER CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CAKE Non-stick vegetable oil spray Butter 2 cups flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup pureed bananas (2 medium) 1/2 cup thawed frozen nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 2 eggs) 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups hot water 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder 2 egg whites 9 tablespoons raspberry preserves Fudge Frosting Mint Sprig 1/2 basket fresh raspberries

Spray bottom of 3 (8-inch) cake pans with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly brush with butter.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into large bowl. In another bowl, combine pureed bananas, egg substitute and vanilla and blend well. Stir together hot water and nonfat dry milk. Stir into banana mixture. Beat egg whites in separate bowl until stiff but not dry. Gently stir in banana mixture. Fold all into dry ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool. Split each cake layer in half to make 6 layers.

Place 1 cake layer on serving platter. Spread 3 tablespoons raspberry preserves on top. Cover with second cake layer and spread top evenly with 1/4 cup Fudge Frosting. Cover with third cake layer and spread with another 3 tablespoons preserves. Cover with fourth cake layer and spread with another 1/4 cup Fudge Frosting.

Place fifth cake layer on top and spread with remaining 3 tablespoons preserves. Cover with last cake layer and frost whole cake, top and sides, with remaining frosting. Garnish top of cake with mint sprig and several raspberries. Arrange raspberries around base of cake. Makes 16 servings.

Each serving contains about: 279 calories; 128 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.56 gram fiber.

Fudge Frosting 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine condensed milk and cocoa powder in medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Persimmons are available all through the holiday season. Thick and intensely colored, the pureed fruit makes this dark pudding cake moist and delicious. For an elegant holiday cake, select a beautifully sculptured metal mold and decorate the finished cake with a circle of miniature fresh fruits. It is also delicious served with a winter compote.

PERSIMMON PUDDING CAKE Butter or non-stick vegetable oil spray 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons warm water 1 cup peeled and pureed persimmons (3 to 4 very ripe fruit) 3 tablespoons brandy 1/2 cup thawed frozen nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 2 eggs) 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup dark seedless raisins 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Lightly butter 5-cup tube mold or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into large bowl. Blend baking soda and warm water in another bowl. Stir in persimmon pulp along with brandy, egg substitute, melted butter and vanilla. Stir mixture into dry ingredients until almost blended. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees about 1 1/2 hours or until wood pick inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes, then unmold onto serving dish. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 226 calories; 101 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.47 gram fiber.

This is a particularly pretty cake. When you slice it, you find that beneath the cocoa-dusted whipped topping are bright pink layers of cake filled with ricotta cheese mixed with fruit and chocolate. Nobody will believe that something that looks this exotic could possibly be low in fat.

CHERRY CASSATA CAKE Butter or non-stick vegetable oil spray 2 cups cake flour 1 1/3 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 (3-ounce) package cherry gelatin 1 cup thawed frozen nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 4 eggs) 1 cup applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries 1/3 cup warmed maraschino cherry juice Ricotta Filling 1 (12-ounce) carton low-fat whipped topping Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

Lightly butter 13x9-inch baking pan or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl. Stir in cherry gelatin.

In another bowl, combine egg substitute, applesauce, vanilla and maraschino cherries. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 375 degrees about 20 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool to warm. Using skewer, poke holes evenly over surface of cake. Drizzle warm maraschino cherry juice over cake. Let cake cool completely in pan.

Remove cake from pan onto board. Cut into thirds lengthwise. Spread Ricotta Filling evenly over 2 layers of cake. Stack layers, ending with plain layer. Spread whipped topping over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top of cake lightly with cocoa powder. Makes 16 servings.

Each serving contains about: 238 calories; 99 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

Ricotta Filling 1 (15-ounce) carton low-fat ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon orange liqueur 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup chocolate mini-chips 2 tablespoons chopped candied cherries

Combine ricotta cheese, orange liqueur, orange zest and vanilla in bowl and stir until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and cherries. Chill. Makes about 2 cups.

This sweet, tangy souffle is easy to make if you follow ingredient proportions and a few timing rules. The cornstarch-based apricot batter may be made up to one or two days in advance and refrigerated. (Bring it back to room temperature before mixing with the beaten egg whites.) Don’t overbeat the whites until they are stiff and dry; they blend better and more smoothly with the batter when they’re whipped to soft, shiny peaks.

HOT APRICOT SOUFFLE 2 teaspoons butter, softened 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 10 ounces (1 1/2 cups) dried apricots 1 cup water 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 egg yolk 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/3 cup nonfat milk 7 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Brush insides of 2-quart souffle dish with soft butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, tilting dish to coat surface.

Combine apricots and water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer over low heat until fruit is tender and all liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Place apricots in food processor and puree with orange juice until smooth. Add 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, cornstarch and nonfat milk. Process until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to wide bowl and let stand to cool slightly.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating to soft, smooth and shiny peaks. Do not overbeat. Fold 1/4 of whites into apricot mixture until blended. Fold in half of remaining whites. Add remaining whites and fold gently until blended. Turn into prepared pan. Place souffle dish in 10-inch square or round pan and fill larger pan with warm water.

Place on lowest rack of oven and bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 196 calories; 77 mg sodium; 37 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.06 grams fiber.