So what's a chocoholic to do? Learn to bake healthier with a lesson from dessert diva Alice Medrich. "This is one of the quickest, richest-tasting lowfat chocolate desserts," says Medrich of the Chocolate-Pecan- Bourbon Cake she created for American Health. "The texture changes subtly depending on whether it's served warm, room temperature or cold, but it's excellent all three ways."

Medrich, author of the award-winning Chocolate and the Art of Lowfat Desserts, doesn't use artificial sweetener or fake fats. She takes advantage of the volume and lightness of egg whites and rich-flavored cocoa powder. This ingenious cake contains fewer than 200 calories and less than 7 grams of fat per slice. Now that's cause for celebration!

Ingredients
vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 cup pecans (1 oz.)
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped fine)
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. bourbon
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 to 3 tsp. powdered sugar

Step 1:
Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 x 2-1/2-in. springform pan lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Step 2:
In a food processor or blender, pulverize pecans and flour until the mixture has the texture of fine meal. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup sugar. Add boiling water; whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in egg yolks and bourbon. Set aside.