Cake-mix bars lose fat but stay moist and yummy
| • | The time is ripe for lemonade |
By Elaine Magee
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Q. I had these bars at a birthday party and asked the host for the recipe, which I never normally do. When I looked at the recipe, I was horrified by all of the oil and butter and other ingredients. Can you trim this down but still keep them yummy?
A. Because the recipe starts with a cake mix, we can trim any added fat way back (there is already some fat in the cake mix). Instead of adding 1/3 cup of oil, I added 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 1/2 cup of fat-free sour cream. I also added fewer chocolate chips called for and completely eliminated the toffee bits that were also added to the bar batter. There are plenty of flavors going on in this bar, and it seemed to me the toffee bits could be removed without being missed too much.
The original caramel filling is made with 1/2 cup butter, caramel candies and a can of sweetened condensed milk. We made a lighter caramel layer with the caramel candies, a can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk and none of the butter. The bars were still yummy and moist, and the calories were cut by 30 percent and the fat and saturated fat by almost 60 percent.
Original recipe contains 412 calories, 21 grams fat, and 10 grams saturated fat per bar.
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with foil and coat the foil with canola cooking spray.
In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, fat-free sour cream, canola oil and eggs on medium-low speed. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch chips. (Mixture will be pretty thick.) Spoon half of the mixture in the bottom of prepared pan. You can coat the back of the spoon lightly with flour to keep it from sticking to the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
In medium nonstick saucepan, combine caramels and sweetened condensed milk by cooking and stirring over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Slowly pour caramel mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Use two spoons to dot the top with the remaining batter. (Don't try to smooth it over on top of the caramel, just keep it in small clumps.)
Bake bars for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is set and edges are a deep golden brown. Cool for an hour, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for another hour. Lift out foil by holding at both ends and lay bars down on a flat surface so you can easily cut into 24 bars (cut long side into six columns and the short side of the dish into four columns). Serve immediately or store bars in a sealable container in the refrigerator.
Makes 24 bars.
Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian and author of "Food Synergy." Learn more at www.recipedoctor.com.
