For shortening, I use good ‘ol Crisco. You can use regular, or the new trans fat free sticks (which are also very easy to measure).

The brand of white whole wheat flour I buy is King Arthur. I really like white whole wheat flour as it has a taste and texture very similar to white flour, yet the benefits of whole wheat (fewer calories and carbs, and more protein, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus).

Two other brands are Hodgson Mill and Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find white whole wheat flour, no worries. You can simply replace the white whole wheat flour in my recipes with either all-purpose flour or a 50/50 blend of all-purpose and whole wheat.

All oils are comprised of a combination of fats ~ saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. When it comes to vegetable oils, olive oil and canola oil have the highest ratio of monounsaturated fats. This makes them good for you as mounsaturated fats help to lower your LDL and cholesterol (fats in your bloodsteam that can be harmful), while helping to raise your HDL (a protective blood fat).

While corn, safflower, sunflower oils do not help to raise HDL, they do help to decrease LDL and cholesterol, and thus are also healthy choices.

The fats you really want to minimize in your diet are saturated and trans fats — found in meat, butter, and full fat dairy products. Margarine and shortening have also been on the no-no list for a while due to trans fats but you can now buy both shortening and margarines that are low in both saturated and trans fats.

Any light or reduced-fat no-sugar ice cream will work. There are lots of brands to choose from. I used several brands when I tested the recipes. The nutrition information is based on a brand with 90 calories per 1/2 cup.