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The perfect treat for your sweetheart

A great way to satisfy your sweet tooth is with this reduced-sugar zebra biscotti.

Celebrating Valentine's Day with tempting chocolates, cookies and heart shaped cakes can be challenging on New Year's resolutions, but now you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a little less guilt.

For anyone who likes to indulge while controlling their sugar intake, the maker's of Pillsbury baking products, one of the biggest names in baking, recently introduced reduced sugar cake mixes and frostings. Sweetened with Splenda instead of sugar, these delicious desserts have 50 percent less sugar than regular Pillsbury cake mixes and frostings, but still have the same great taste. So, this year, you and your sweetheart can have your cake and eat it too.

"We're excited to introduce reduced sugar cake mix and frosting," says Maribeth Badertscher, director of corporate communications for The J.M. Smucker Company. "We strive to offer consumers a full range of choices while maintaining our commitment to quality. Now, they can enjoy the same great taste with half the sugar."

Pillsbury offers two cake varieties to mix and match with frosting flavors. Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix is available in Classic Yellow and Devil's Food, and Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Reduced Sugar Frosting is available in Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge. Try them alone or as part of a delicious new recipe like this one for a reduced sugar indulgence any time of the day:

Non-stick cooking spray1 (18.25 ounce) reduced sugar devils food cake mix½ cup butter-flavored shortening2 large eggs1 tablespoon water1/3 cup reduced sugar vanilla frosting1/3 cup reduced sugar chocolate fudge frostingHeat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray large cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Place cake mix in large mixing bowl. Melt shortening in microwave-safe bowl in microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.Add melted shortening, eggs and water to cake mix. Stir with wooden spoon until evenly moistened. Batter will be stiff. Spray hands with no-stick cooking spray. Work dough with hands until cake mix is totally absorbed.Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 9x3-inch loaf on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Cut each loaf into ¾-inch slices. Stand upright on cookie sheet. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes.Place each frosting in a separate quart-size resealable freezer bag. Close. Microwave on high for 8 seconds or just until soft. Knead gently in bag. Press frosting to one corner of bag. Cut very small opening off the corner. Drizzle each frosting over cooled biscotti to make stripes.

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