Guiltless Gourmet Desserts

Life's too short to skip dessert. But that doesn't mean they should contain ingredients to make it even shorter. Choose desserts that are sinfully good for you. By eating these desserts, you'll prolong your life -- long enough to savor many more!

1. Angel Food Cake with Grand Marnier Strawberries

This is a wonderful, practically fat-free dessert that contains significant amounts of vitamin C. It's colorful, flavorful, and can be adapted to the seasons. When strawberries are no longer available, try raspberries or sliced fresh apricots. Change the liquor to suit the fruit or your preference. You can purchase fat free angel food cakes in the bakery section of your local grocery store.

2. Fruit Kebobs with Non-fat Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

Cut your favorite fresh fruit into chunks. Try melon, strawberries, papaya, pineapple, grapes. Thread onto wooden skewers. Serve with nonfat sour cream mixed with a little brown sugar, maple syrup or honey. Decorate the serving plate with sprigs of fresh mint. Adapt to winter by skewering fresh apples, pears, and dried fruit such as dates. Serve with nonfat sour cream, lightly sweetened with cinnamon sugar. To keep fruit from browning, soak briefly in water in which a capsule of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been dissolved.

3. Lemon Sorbet in Lemon Cups

This dessert takes advantage of the fat-free, and milk-free frozen dessert, sorbet. Use sliced, fresh bananas for layering, and top with some shaved, bittersweet chocolate.

4. Cappuccino Granita

Cappuccino Granita is simple and fast to prepare, but must be done in time to allow to freeze. Top with nonfat whipped topping and shaved chocolate. This is not only guilt free, it's actually good for you, providing significant amounts of calcium!

5. Watermelon and Chocolate

Quick and easy, this luscious dessert is a unique and delicious way to take picnic fare to gourmet heights without a lot of fuss or expense.