Chocolate-Banana Cake with Walnuts

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large overly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
2 egg whites
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Frosting:
1 cup lowfat milk
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flours, Splenda, cocoa, and baking soda. Add bananas, yogurt, egg whites, vanilla, and 1/2 cup walnuts. Stir. Coat a 9" x 13" cake pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake about 35 minutes. Cool. Raise oven to 375°F. Toast remaining 1/4 cup walnuts 6 minutes. To make frosting, pour 1/4 cup milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Splenda, cocoa, and cornstarch. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup milk and bring to a low boil, stirring continuously until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool and spread over cake. Sprinkle walnuts over cake.

Mocha-Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with the nonstick spray. Line the pan with a piece of parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides; spray the parchment with the nonstick spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chopped chocolate with the espresso powder, stirring occasionally; remove from heat.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate mixture, then the flour and salt just until incorporated. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 minutes.

Cool completely in the pan. Holding both sides of the paper overhang, lift the cake out of the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares.

Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so the paper extends over two opposite sides.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Let cool slightly, then gradually stir in the beaten eggs. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and stir until blended. Fold in the chopped walnuts and pour into the prepared baking pan.

3. Bake the brownies in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, until the tops are glossy and cracked in spots and a toothpick inserted just off center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely in the pan, at least 4 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and lift out the brownies using the overhanging parchment paper. Cut the brownies into squares and serve.

Makes approximately 16 cookies.