How to Make Reduced-Fat Chocolate Frosting

Most frostings are full of butter; sacrifice the fat but not the flavor with this alternative. (Well, kind of.) Yields 1 1/4 c. frosting.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Glass Containers
• Plastic Wrap
• Rubber Spatula
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. low-fat milk
• 1/4 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
• 4 oz. Neufchatel cheese

1. Stir together powdered sugar, cocoa and milk in a heatproof glass container. Stir until mixture is smooth.
2. Cover container with plastic wrap and microwave on high until mixture boils and rises to the top of the container. This should take about 2 minutes.
3. Put the Neufchatel cheese in a glass bowl. Microwave the cheese until it softens, about 10 or 20 seconds.
4. Stir cheese with a spatula until very smooth.
5. Stir in some of the hot cocoa mixture, then slowly add the rest of it, stirring until smooth.
6. Add vanilla and stir in well.
7. Let frosting cool until it is spreadable.

Tips & Warnings

• Frosting will keep in the refrigerator one week, or in the freezer three months. Soften and stir until smooth before using.
• Neufchatel cheese can usually be found near the cream cheese in the supermarket. In fact, you could use reduced-fat cream cheese, too.