Nutty Dessert

Raspberry Almond Cake:

2 T chopped almonds
2 T packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups lowfat all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
3 T butter, melted
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Raspberry sauce (see below)

Raspberry Sauce:

Puree 3 cups fresh raspberries in food processor or blender. Strain through sieve. Puree the raspberry puree with 1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit, 2 T honey and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap bottom of 10-inch springform pan with foil. Attach springform ring. Spray foil and sides of pan with nonstick spray.

Mix almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Combine baking mix and granulated sugar in large bowl. Mix milk, yogurt, egg and almond extract in small bowl until blended. Add milk mixture to baking mix mixture. Stir until blended. With rubber spatula, gently fold in raspberries just until blended. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle top with nut mixture. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Remove springform ring from bottom of pan, leaving foil on. Let cool completely on rack.

Nutty Chicken

Cranberry Almond Chicken...

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2 shallots, rinsed
1 leek, rinsed
3 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Japanese-style bread crumbs
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in dish and bake 20 minutes. While chicken bakes, chop shallots coarsely. Slice bulb and lower leaves of leeks finely. Place butter in small bowl to soften. Combine in small saucepan, vinegar, syrup, nutmeg, shallots and leeks. Bring to a boil on medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes or until liquid is thickened and has reduced by about one-half. Stir remaining ingredients into butter until blended to make topping. Remove chicken from oven. Pour hot maple sauce evenly over chicken/ Sprinkle with cranberry topping. Bake 5-10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Serve.