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Christmas Desserts Edition, December 21, 2013

Christmas snuck up on me this year, and I can't believe it's only 4 days away. I have a lot of shopping, wrapping, and cooking left to do, so I'm making this newsletter short and sweet---literally sweet, with a focus on holiday desserts.

Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ridiculously Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup

As promised in the last newsletter, this week I posted not one but two versions of Cream of Broccoli Soup. Both are low in calories and soy-free yet creamy and delicious. Check them out! And if you missed the last issue of NewsBites, which included an exclusive recipe for croutons, you can see it here.

And on Slow-Motion Miracle:

This week, Maria made what I thought would be impossible: Fat-free Christmas cookies! You know, the kind you cut out with cookie cutters. Take a look at her adorable Ginger-Snappy Star, Moons, and Hearts.

And if, like Maria, your Christmas usually involves Italian food, you absolutely must try her Savory Solstice Millet Stuffed Peppers, a colorful and healthy main dish.

Maria has one more holiday recipe coming up next week, so stay tuned to her blog.

Around the holidays, I've been known to post some recipes that contain ingredients I don't normally use, such as oil, margarine, vegan cream cheese, and chocolate chips. Frankly, I feel guilty about that, so I hesitate to point them out to people, even though they are some of my most popular recipes this time of year. All contain more fat and sugar than I normally recommend, but at least they're better for you than their non-vegan equivalents. Plus, they're completely free of animal products and delicious, making them good desserts to share with non-vegans to show that being vegan doesn't mean being deprived. Here are the top 4 "Not Fat-Free FatFreeVegan Recipes":

Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Magic Cookie Bars

Cherry-Chocolate Mousse Pie

Fortunately for those of us who need to avoid added fat even during the holidays, I have plenty of desserts that don't need oily ingredients to make them delicious. Here are 6 that achieve their richness through fruits and other wholesome ingredients:

Apple-Pumpkin Delight

Carrot Cake Bars

Skinny Figgy Bars

Chocolate-Orange Cake

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Applesauce-Ginger Cake

You can find many more sweet treats on my blog's Dessert Recipes page. And if it's main dishes you're looking for, check out my Main Dishes index, which contains everything from lentil loaf to lasagna.

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest of holidays!