Healthified Chocolate-Almond Pudding Cake

9 servings | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Start to Finish: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup chopped almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup fat-free (skim) milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1¾ cups water
• Vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, if desired

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2 In medium bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar, almonds, ¼ cup cocoa, the baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla and almond extract until blended. Spread batter in pan.

3 In 1-quart saucepan, mix brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa with whisk. Stir in water; heat just to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour over batter.

4 Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes.

5 Spoon warm cake into individual dessert bowls. Spoon pudding from baking dish over cake. Serve with ice cream.

1 Serving: Calories 240; Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

Sweet Secret To toast almonds, heat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in ungreased shallow pan. Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown.

Sweet Secret For a mocha-flavored dessert, add 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules to the batter mixture.