Q: One of our favorite foods to have at summer cookouts is S'more Brownies. It's a recipe from the Food Network kitchens. Can you please do your thing and give it a makeover?

A: S'more Brownies. What a wonderful concept. Of the three layers that make up this fun dessert, I will be able to lighten two — the graham cracker crust and the brownie. There's not much I can do about the ooey, gooey, toasted marshmallow topping, nor would I want to.

Elaine Magee (ENLARGE)

S'more Brownies

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The graham cracker crust calls for 6 tablespoons of butter, and instead I used 4 tablespoons of a lower-fat margarine blended with 1 tablespoon of light pancake syrup. The original crust also called for 2 tablespoons of sugar, but I deleted this altogether.

For the brownie, instead of 1 stick of butter I used 4 tablespoons of canola oil and 4 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream. I substituted 1/2 cup of egg substitute for two of the four eggs and used higher omega-3 eggs for the remaining two. And to bump up the fiber and phytonutrients, I used 2/3 cup of whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour for the cup of all-purpose flour in the original recipe. I also trimmed the brown sugar and the granulated back 1/4 cup each. It turns out having a barely sweet brownie was nicely complemented by a supremely sweet toasted marshmallow topping.

To make the crust: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with foil (so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch). Coat the foil with canola cooking spray.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl. Place margarine and pancake syrup in a small, microwave-safe cup and cook on low in microwave, watching carefully, until margarine is melted. Drizzle mixture over the graham crackers crumbs and stir until crumbs are completely moistened. Press the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes).

While that's baking, start the brownie batter: Place canola oil and chopped chocolate in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50 percent power until chocolate is melted (about 2 minutes); stir as needed . Spoon mixture into a large mixing bowl. On low speed, beat in the sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs and egg substitute, beating well after each. Add the whole-wheat and all-purpose flour and beat on low just until incorporated.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (with a few crumbs), about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

To make the topping: Position the rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Layer marshmallows across the top of the brownies. Place the pan under the broiler and toast the marshmallows, watching constantly, until golden. Cool the pan on a rack. Use the flaps of the foil to lift the brownies from the pan. Pull the sides of the foil away so they are flat. Cut the brownies into 4 sections in each direction (to make 16 brownies). Store in the refrigerator, if desired.

Per serving: 260 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 5 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 182 milligrams sodium, 1 gram omega-3 fatty acid, 1 gram omega-6 fatty acid, 6 Weight Watchers points.

S'more Brownies 16 servings

Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: about 1 hour

The original recipe contains 335 calories, 16 grams fat (9 grams saturated) and 80 milligrams cholesterol per serving (if 16 per recipe).

For the crust:

1 1/3 cups crushed low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole low-fat graham crackers)

4 tablespoons lower-fat margarine (about 8 grams fat per tablespoon)

1 tablespoon light pancake syrup

For the brownie:

4 tablespoons canola oil

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, higher omega-3

1/2 cup egg substitute

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

For the topping:

4 cups large marshmallows

Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian and author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking. Need us to help make your recipes healthier? E-mail at betterhealth@ajc.com.