The Return of Donut!
Remember the toothsome tale of donut? If you didn’t read this post, here’s the gist of it: donut used to be unhealthy and full of fat and sugar, but he changed his ways and transformed into a delicious strawberry donut muffin!
Unfortunately, because his fab new form was so enticing, Donut was devoured by his gym buddies. And that was the end of Donut…
…Or was it?
Today, Donut has been reborn in an innovative incarnation no one could have predicted – a donut cheesecake!
You see, in the dessert underworld he encountered some of his old friends who had long ago been lost to gluttonous donut consumers: white-haired, old fashioned Glazed Donut, the eccentric Rainbow Sprinkle donut, and sassy little Cream Puff with a twist: the tang of Greek yogurt cheesecake now penetrated her sweet, creamy innards.
Summoning the power of deliciousness and the strength of strawberry filling, Donut and his friends chanted an ancient incantation. They were magically combined into one mighty Superdonut, a Donut Cake. In this new form they collectively resolved to return to earth and terrorize all who had once threatened them with a deadly bite.
But there’s nothing to be afraid of, really. This Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Donut Cheesecake is much healthier than your typical donut, or cheesecake, or deep-fried, sugary, fatty dessert in general. Made with whole wheat pastry flour and Truvia baking blend, it is lower in sugar and higher in fiber than traditional desserts. The yogurt cheesecake is low in fat and high in protein and calcium.
Instead of using saccharine strawberry jam for the filling, this time I used real, fresh strawberries, baked into something of a compote (you may wish to pre-cook the strawberries into a compote if you want it more of a sauce; mine ended up with a chunky, though still yummy texture.) To top it all off, the donut cake is drizzled with a generous river of Truvia glaze and sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils to help you eat your daily colors! 🙂
Don’t miss the scrumptious comeback of Donut and the gang: make this Strawberries and Cream Donut Cheesecake today!
Click here for the full recipe.
Donut variety image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Variety_of_doughnuts_with_cinnamon_roll.jpg
Donuts with an Identity Crisis?
Poor little Donut was always being made fun of. People called him fat. People poked fun at his gastronomic hole. They stuck their pencils through it and when he told them, “that’s not nice!” They replied, “your argument is full of holes! Get it? Holes?!?!”
So Donut numbed the pain of social rejection by eating strawberry jam until he was full to the bursting. Then he became a filled donut – literally.
But still the health-conscious crowd scorned at his oily ways. And though he was as sweet as could be, no one but Homer Simpson seemed to want him around. Most people called him a “cholesterol bomb” and said he was “unhealthy.” Donut didn’t know what cholesterol was, but he certainly knew he didn’t want to explode. He began to wonder if maybe he really was unhealthy.
He checked out his stats, and it turned out he contained an average of innumerable calories and you-don’t-want-to-know-how-many grams of saturated fat. If he continued on this path, it appeared he would soon become the cause of many faint-hearted souls to suffer obesity, heart disease, and overall guilt. He knew he had to change his course before he caused anyone harm.
But how does one become healthy? Donut wondered. He decided the first step would probably be to get into shape. So he headed to the gym and began watching his macronutrients. After some time, Donut had taken on the fetching form of a muffin! And not just any muffin… a healthy Strawberry Crunch Donut Muffin!
He still loved to eat strawberry jam. But now that he was educated and mindful, Donut/Muffin worked reasonable servings of jam into his balanced diet, rather than bingeing on it when he was upset. So his heart was still full of gooey, sweet strawberry goodness, but it was complemented by plenty of whole grains and a lower fat content.
Now the health enthusiasts were impressed with Donut/Muffin’s transformation. They followed him everywhere, desperate to learn his fitness secret. (And savor his delicious body! 🙂 ) He told them his secret was simple – just live a balanced lifestyle with everything in moderation, and be mindful of your habits – it’s the first step towards changing the ones that need work. He tried to educate them about the food pyramid, but at that point the crunchy coating and strawberry center grew to be too much for the hungry zealots and they ate him.
And you can eat him too. You needn’t feel bad about it – he’s made with whole wheat pastry flour, the crunchy coating is balanced Life Cereal, and while the strawberry jam in the center may serve no nutritional function, it does contribute to the deliciousness, and that’s important for a lifestyle of moderation.
Donut’s struggle to find himself resulted in a recipe for delicious treats you can make for the whole family! The taste is reminiscent of a strawberry filled donut, but the texture is similar to that of a hearty muffin. This has to be the tastiest identity crisis in history.
Here’s the recipe – now go out and find yourself today!
Strawberry Crunch Donut Muffins
based on recipe from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen
makes 12 regular-sized muffins
Ingredients:
muffin batter
- 1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- small dash cinnamon
- small dash nutmeg
- 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup plain almond milk (or whatever kind of milk you like)
- 1/3 cup lemon curd
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
filling
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam
topping
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance Whipped or Original Buttery Spread
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Quaker Life Original Multigrain Cereal
- 2 tbs sweetened coconut flakes
- small dash cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a regular sized muffin tin with 12 muffin liners, or spray with nonstick spray. (Note: my muffins wanted to stick to the liners a little, so maybe just spraying the pan is better?)
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and Truvia. Mix.
Beat in egg. Add almond milk, lemon curd, and vanilla. Mix well. Batter will be thick.
Distribute about half the muffin batter evenly across all 12 muffins. Then place a small spoonful of strawberry jam in the center of each. Cover with remaining muffin batter.
Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.
While muffins are baking, prepare topping: in a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt Earth Balance in microwave.
In another small bowl, crush the Life Cereal to crumbs. Add coconut flakes and cinnamon and toss.
When muffins are done baking, immediately spoon melted Earth Balance over the tops of each one. Then sprinkle on the cereal/coconut mixture.
Enjoy warm.
Image credits: (In order from top of post to bottom) ( All pictures of donut muffins are my own!) : http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/03/the_mystery_of_the_pink-sprink.php; http://gnostical-turpitude.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html; http://www.fitnesstri.com/eat-a-rainbow-wellness/
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