We have long been cutting down the fat content of our dips by mixing sour cream with fat free Greek yogurt. Sooner or later, dairy producers were going to figure out that creamy, nonfat Greek yogurt could be used to lower the fat count and calorie count in those two voluptuous, fatty and caloric dairy staples, cream cheese and sour cream.
“GREEK” SOUR CREAM
We initially received the news from Breakstone, which launched the first nationally “hybrid” last month: delicious Greek Style Sour Cream. It contains 50% less fat, 40% less cholesterol, and twice the calcium and protein of regular sour cream (each two tablespoon serving has 4% of the daily value for calcium and 2 grams of protein).
They sent us samples. It is smooth, creamy, far superior to nonfat sour cream, and no one will know the difference. Use it instead of full fat sour cream in any recipe. We were so excited, we devoured half the carton with a spoon.
The product is certified kosher by OU.
A guilty pleasure: sour cream with New York Style Bagel Chips. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
Available in bricks and tubs. Photo courtesy Green Mountain Farms.
“GREEK” CREAM CHEESE
Then, we were trolling the aisles of our supermarket and saw Green Mountain Farms Greek Cream Cheese. Green Mountain Farms is a brand of Franklin Foods.
Similar to the Breakstone Greek Sour Cream, the blending of nonfat Greek yogurt into cream cheese results in two times the protein and half the fat of conventional cream cheese, plus “live and active cultures.”
Our market only carried the plain version, but it also is made in Cucumber Garlic, Garlic & Herb, Roasted Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato. The products are packaged in bricks and tubs. The line is certified kosher by OU.
Strangely, we detected a very slight sweetness to the product, such that we checked the label to see if any sweetener was in it (there isn’t any).
While this might be delicious on a cinnamon raisin bagel, it was distracting on our poppy seed bagel with smoked salmon. The product consistency was less firm than conventional cream cheese (in the way that fat-free cream cheese can be), but not disconcertingly so.
Try it yourself and see if you like it. When we’re in a fat-cutting mode, however, we’ll stick with Philadelphia Fat Free.
Neither the Greek sour cream or Greek cream cheese is Greek in origin. The name simply refers to the Greek-style yogurt used in the blend.
If you’re looking to cut back on fat, “Greek” is the new lower-fat. Opa!
Tis’ the season for white hot chocolate. No matter what the weather is like where you live, you can have a white Christmas with a cup of it.
Here are two recipes that give a gourmet twist to hot chocolate. The second recipe, for hot chocolate on a stick, can be given as party favors and stocking stuffers.
The first recipe from the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel outside Chicago, which has been serving up the Christmastime concoction to guests in their fireside lounge. The blend of whole milk and half-and-half makes it very rich, indeed.
RECIPE #2: PEPPERMINT WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE ON A STICK
Here’s a fun project: Make your own hot chocolate on a stick. This recipe from McCormick creates a fudgy square of peppermint-flavored white chocolate and a marshmallow on a lollipop stick. You swirl it into a cup of hot milk until it melts into rich, creamy, and minty hot chocolate.
You can wrap them in cellophane bags, tie with a ribbon and give them as gifts. The chocolate squares can be made up to two weeks in advance and assembled up to 2 days in advance.
Ingredients For 36 Pieces
2 pounds white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
4 drops red food color
18 large marshmallows, halved crosswise
36 lollipop sticks
Preparation
1. LINE a 9-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil with no-stick cooking spray. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. BRING sweetened condensed milk and cream to simmer in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently with a wire whisk. Pour over chopped chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. STIR in peppermint extract. Remove 3/4 cup chocolate mixture. Tint chocolate mixture pink with red food color.
4. POUR remaining (plain) chocolate mixture into the prepared pan. Drop the tinted chocolate mixture by tablespoons over the chocolate mixture in the pan. Swirl with a knife for the marble effect. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight until firm. Cut into 36 squares. (The recipe may be made ahead to this point. Store chocolate mixture, tightly covered, in the pan in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before cutting into squares.)
5. ASSEMBLE: Thread a marshmallow half and a chocolate square onto each lollipop stick. Wrap each hot chocolate on a stick in plastic wrap or a small cellophane bag.
6. MAKE hot chocolate: Stir hot chocolate on a stick into 8 ounces of hot milk.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA AND HOT CHOCOLATE
Most people use the terms interchangeably, but they’re actually different.
Cocoa is a drink made from cocoa powder, which has had a portion of the cocoa butter removed.
Hot chocolate is a drink made from actual chocolate, usually ground or shaved into small bits. Chocolate has more cocoa butter than cocoa powder, so it makes a richer drink, all things being equal (the same type of milk, e.g.).
Garnish your holiday desserts and beverages with a festive dollop of peppermint-flavored, candy cane-swirled whipped cream. It’s especially delicious on chocolate cake, pound cake, and angel cake.
1. BEAT cream, confectioners’ sugar, and extracts in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. MAKE candy cane swirls: Remove 1/2 cup of the whipped cream to small bowl. Gently stir in red food color. Swirl into remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Egg nog whipped cream, flecked with nutmeg.
RECIPE #2: EGG NOG WHIPPED CREAM
This is delicious on most cakes, apple pie, and pecan pie.
Ingredients For 16 Servings
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon rum extract
Preparation
1. BEAT cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and rum extract in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed, until stiff peaks form.
2. COVER and refrigerate until ready to serve.
See our other flavored whipped cream recipes, including Bourbon Whipped Cream, Salted Caramel Whipped Cream and Spiced Whipped Cream.
If your Christmas cocktail of choice is a fizzy one, you don’t need to spring for costly Champagne. Consider more affordable bubblies:
Asti Spumante and Prosecco from Italy
Cava from Spain
Crémant from France
Espumante from Portugal
Sekt from Germany
Sparklers from Austria, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.S. and other countries
You can also serve red bubblies such as Italian Brachetto and Lambrusco or sparkling Shiraz.
All can be made with ginger ale cocktail for non-drinkers and kids.
For Christmas, the two sparkling cocktails below have a red or red and green color palate. Both are named for great Italian artists:
The great 19th century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, author of “The Barber of Seville” and other memorable music
Tiziano Vecelli (Titian), the greatest Venetian painter of the sixteenth century and the father of modern painting
What’s more Christmassy than a sparkling red cocktail? Photo of the Rossini Cocktail courtesy Chandon USA.
RECIPE: ROSSINI COCKTAIL
Ingredients For 4 Cocktails
6 ounces strawberry purée
Chilled Prosecco or other sparkler
Champagne flutes
Garnish: whole strawberry or blackberry (not frozen)* or three green grapes on a toothpick
*Ideally the strawberry leaves will be green and perky. If the leaves are wilted, remove them and optionally combine the strawberry with a mint leaf on a cocktail pick or colored toothpick.
The Tiziano Cocktail has a bonus treat: frozen grapes. Photo courtesy Harvard Common Press.
RECIPE: TIZIANO COCKTAIL
Ingredients For 4 Cocktails
6 ounces white grape juice (not grape juice cocktail)
Chilled Prosecco or other sparkler
Frozen green and/or red grapes
Champagne flutes
Preparation
1. Add three or four frozen grapes to each flute glass.
2. Pour 1½ ounces of grape juice into each flute.
3. Fill the glasses almost to the top with Prosecco. Serve.
RECIPE: KIR ROYALE
This deep red cocktail is one of our favorites at any time of the year.
Ingredients
Creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur
Sparkling wine
Preparation
1. ADD cassis to taste to the bottom of the flute or tulip Champagne glass.
2. GENTLY POUR the sparkling wine down the side of the glass. Stirring breaks the bubbles, so the better option is not to stir (if you must, stir once, very gently).
7 VARIATIONS ON THE KIR ROYALE
Each is more delicious than the next. Check out the easy recipes.
Want a hot and hearty hors d’oeuvre with cocktails? This sausage-stuffed mushroom recipe can be made up to 48 hours in advance, then baked right before you’re ready to serve.
Baby portabella mushroom caps are stuffed with goat cheese, sausage and dried cranberries to create these a most attractive appetizer.
A perfect party starter, stuff your mushroom caps up to 48 hours before you’re ready to serve, then bake when needed!
This recipe is from GoodCook.com, a great recipe trove.
RECIPE: SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Ingredients For 15 Mushroom Caps
4 ounces soft goat cheese
1/2 cup Italian sausage, cooked
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
15 mushroom caps, stems removed
Nonstick olive oil spray
Preparation
1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
2. COMBINE goat cheese, sausage, cranberries and garlic in a small bowl.
4. SPOON filling into the center of each mushroom cap. Spray each mushroom with a thin layer of nonstick olive oil spray and place on a 13″ x 9″ baking sheet.
5. BAKE for 15-20 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft and goat cheese filling is golden.
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