Desserts for Two

These desserts will add a pleasant finish to your meal.  They are also made to work into a diabetic food plan.  

BAKED PEAR DESSERT

1/3 cup unsweetened apple cider or apple juice, divided
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium (6 oz) unpeeled pear, cut in half lengthwise and cored
½ cup vanilla low-fat sugar-free ice cream or frozen yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine 1 teaspoon cider, cranberries, almonds, and cinnamon in small bowl.  Place pear halves, cut sides up, in small baking dish.  Mound almond mixture on top of pear halves.  Pour remaining cider into dish.  Cover with foil.  Bake pear halves 35-40 minutes or until pears are soft, spooning cider in dish over pears once or twice during baking.  Serve warm and top with ice cream.  YIELD: 2 Servings.  Dietary Exchange is 1 Fruit, ½ Fat

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CHEESECAKE PARFAITS

1½ cups nonfat cottage cheese
4 packets sugar substitute or equivalent to 8 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons semisweet mini chocolate chips, divided
2 cups fat-free chocolate ice cream or fat-free frozen yogurt
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

Combine cottage cheese, sugar substitute, brown sugar and vanilla in food processor or blender; process until smooth.  Stir in 1 tablespoon mini chips with spoon.  Spoon about ¼ cup ice cream into each stemmed glass.  Top with heaping tablespoon cheese mixture; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons graham cracker crumbs.  Repeat layers.  Freeze parfaits 15-30 minutes to firm slightly.  Garnish each parfait with remaining 1 tablespoon mini chips and remaining crumbs.  YIELD:  4 servings (two for now, two for later)
Dietary Exchange is 1 ½ Starch, 1 ½ Lean Meat