Quick and Healthy Treats

Continuing yesterday's theme of dealing with the time crunch, let's talk about what we can do to provide a healthy treat without investing a lot of time to make it. This is when we need a good recipe or two up our sleeve.

Filling the bill are a couple no-bake treat recipes that are not just quick to make, but healthy as well. I found them in a 1996 Rodale Press (Prevention Magazine) little booklet, "Simple and Sweet: Quick and Healthy No-Bake Recipes." This was sitting amongst other cookbooks on a shelf in our public library's USED BOOKS section. I think I found a real treasure here.

Try these out and let me know what you think. Now if you've got a quick and easy dessert recipe, please share. We're all in this together, remember. There's nothing like a good treat at the end of a meal, and now we can have our dessert, no matter how little time we have to make it. So until next time, happy cook'n!

FUDGE SURPRISE (makes 48 servings; the surprise in this candy is the baby-food prunes that substitute for most of the fat and give the fudge a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.)
2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C evaporated milk
1 pkg (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 jar (2 1/2 oz) baby-food prunes
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with wax paper, extending the paper over the edges of the pan. Set the pan aside. In large saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 min., stirring constantly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate melts. Then stir in the prunes, marshmallow creme, nuts, and vanilla until well combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Chill until firm.

To serve, use the wax paper to lift the fudge from the pan. Then cut in desired pieces.

HOLY COW FRUIT COOKIES (makes 20; the HOLY COW is what you'll hear because they're so good!)
20 dried apricots, cut up
20 pitted prunes, cut up (or 1 C raisins, or chopped dates)
1 C rolled oats
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans
4 Tbsp frozen apple juice concentrate
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In blender or food processor, blend or process the apricots, prunes, oats and nuts until finely chopped. Stir in the juice and cinnamon. Shape into 20 balls. cover and store in cool, dry place.