There is always a half-gallon of nonfat or low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt in the test-kitchen freezer here at Eating Well magazine. While it is rather plain on its own, we love to drizzle it with toppings for jazzy but ultra-fast desserts. Here are two ideas for sauces that take only minutes to make.
MA The first one is a saucy version of the Louisiana confection.
Praline sauce
Makes 1 cup
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans (1 ounce)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in brown sugar.
In a small cup, stir milk, cornstarch and salt together; whisk into the brown-sugar mixture. Return to the heat and whisk until the sauce is simmering and thick, about 1 minute. Serve warm over frozen yogurt.
70 calories per tablespoon; 0 grams protein; 2 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrate; 12 milligrams sodium; 1 milligrams cholesterol
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Chocolate syrup makes a convenient base for sauce; cocoa powder deepens the chocolate flavor without adding fat.
Mexican chocolate sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup chocolate syrup, such as Hershey's
In a small saucepan, stir together cocoa, cornstarch and cinnamon. Whisk in orange juice and zest and stir over medium-low heat until simmering and thickened. Add chocolate syrup and stir until the sauce is heated. Serve warm over frozen yogurt.
35 calories per tablespoon; 0 grams protein; 0 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrate; 8 milligrams sodium; 0 milligrams cholesterol
