Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Krispie Squares

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  If you forgot to make a special treat for your sweetheart ( or sweethearts if you are a mom! )  this recipe will please young and old alike, and won't ruin your ON PLAN day either. 

Flavored strawberry with Crystal Light drink mix ( the single serving ones you put into water bottles), tinted pink with some food coloring, and topped with a drizzle of chocolate, this couldn't be an easier way to be festive today.  Each square, when cut into 20 pieces, comes in at 3pp each.  Although I didn't have any to add, you could add some chopped up dried strawberries (could effect points plus values) to the squares too...I think that would make them extra special.

Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Krispie Squares

Servings - 20   Serving size - 1 square ( 1/20th of recipe)   PP per serving - 3 points+

Calories - 112.1,   Total Fat - 2.8g,   Carb. - 20.8g,   Protein - 0.6g,   Fiber - 0.1g

1/4 cup unsalted butter

pinch of salt

10 oz. marshmallows (reg or mini)

1 -2 single packets of Strawberry flavored crystal light drink mix ( I used 2 for more flavor)

1-2 drops of red food coloring

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

6 cups of a crispy rice cereal

2 TBSP semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1.  In large pot, melt the butter.  Add in pinch of salt and marshmallows.  Cook, stirring frequently until marshmallows are melted.  Add in the drink mix and food coloring, stir well.  Take off heat and add the vanilla extract and stir, then stir in the crispy rice cereal.  

2.  Pour into a 9 x 13" glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.  Press down into pan.  Allow to cool to room temp, about an hour.  Drizzle with melted chocolate.  Allow chocolate to set and cut into 20 pieces ( 4 pieces on the 9" side and 5 pieces on the 13" side)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I had a wonderful meal at a local restaurant yesterday, Zocalo: Mexican Grill & Tequileria, with my family to celebrate Valentine's Day.  I enjoyed a beef tenderloin filet topped with roasted red peppers and goat cheese with grilled veggies and a really wonderful combination of sweet potato flavored with chipotle peppers ( spicy, smokey, sweet) and for dessert, we shared a tres leches cake with meringue frosting. 

How about you?  Have you celebrated yet, or are you planning something special today?

Chocolate-Strawberry Eclair Cake

This recipe for Chocolate-Strawberry Eclair Cake is super easy! Creamy layers of strawberry kissed pudding layered between chocolate grahams and topped with a thick, fudgy icing. It's the perfect ending any meal!  This Chocolate-Strawberry Eclair Cake recipe requires no baking or baking skills.

Raspberry "Zinger" Cake

A blast from my past.  A cake that is reminiscent of  a Dolly Madison zinger.  You know, the one with the spongy cake, creamy filling, and  wet raspberry coating all covered in coconut. This cake is soft and moist with ripples of raspberry flavor topped with a creamy "frosting" and shredded coconut.  The original recipe ( I am not even sure who originally came up with this one, so I can't give credit) called for diet soda, which you could use if you choose, but I decided not to add more sweetness to the cake with more artificial sweetener and opted to use club soda, which worked out beautifully.  Cut into 16 servings, each piece comes in at 4 points+ each. With Valentines Day coming up next month, wouldn't this be a really pretty cake to bake to celebrate? 

Raspberry "Zinger" Cake 

Servings - 16   Serving size - 1/16th of cake   Points Plus per svg - 4 points+

Calories - 162.6,   Total Fat - 3.5g,   Carb. - 29.8g   Protein - 2.2g,   Fiber - 0.3g

1 package of white cake mix ( the kind WITHOUT the pudding in the mix)

1 + 1/4 cup club soda or sparkling water

2 egg whites

1 small package of sugar free raspberry flavored gelatin

1 + 1/2 cups hot water

2 cups Cool Whip FREE

1/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

1.  In large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, club soda and egg whites.  Mix well and bake according to package directions in a 9 x 13" glass baking dish which has been coated with cooking spray. 

2.  Once cake is done, cool slightly, about 15 minutes.  Combine the hot water and the gelatin.  Stir to dissolve gelatin completely.  Poke holes in cake with tines of fork at intervals of about a 1/4 of an inch apart.

3.  Pour gelatin mixture over the entire cake.  Put in refrigerator, and allow to set for 3 hours.  

4.  Frost the cake with cool whip free.  Sprinkle with coconut. Store, covered, in refrigerator. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE