Celebrate your sweet tooth with reduced-fat baking
Ah, bubbling blueberry cobblers and chocolate chip cookies also rate high on my list. I wish I got as excited about a stir fry as I do a batch of sugar cookies, but I don’t. In order to fulfill my fantasy of a cake on the lips without an extra 50 pounds on the hips, I have learned to modify my baking to make it healthier. Some of the tricks I use might help you out as you strive to bake a mouth-watering dessert for a loved one who is modifying their intake of fats or calories.
Excess dietary fat:
A big fat problem
Ingesting too much fat might be the No. 1 problem in America. Fat contains more than twice the calories as carbohydrates. For example, one cup of olive oil has about 1,600 calories and one cup of flour around 400 calories. Some of the substitutes for fat can include:
Envoa oil — This all-purpose cooking and salad oil is composed 80 percent of diglyceride (DAG) oil. Enova has much less saturated fat in comparison to other oils. Enova oil is the No. 1 oil used in Japan. Research suggests Enova oil helps people keep more weight off than using traditional cooking oils. How does it do this? The majority of Enova oil can’t be efficiently reassembled into fat molecules by enzymes in the small intestine. As a result, they travel to the liver to where they’re oxidized, and less is available to be stored as fat. Enova brand oil, made from soy and canola oils, is the only DAG-rich oil on the market, and it’s supported by more than 20 years of scientific research. Studies show consumption of DAG-rich oil results in lower serum triglyceride levels after a meal. And the metabolism of DAG can help you maintain healthy body weight and body fat.
Fruit or vegetable purees — From A (applesauce) to Z (zucchini) there is a rainbow of produce to work with when considering a fat substitute. Mashed banana, prune puree, squash or pumpkin all can be successfuly incorporated into your batter in place of the fat. Mashed banana also can work as an egg substitute. This is the reason many banana bread recipes don’t require eggs. Simply blend or mash half of a large banana very well. Banana works best in quickbreads, muffins, cakes and pancakes. The end result will be nicely browned as well. However, if you don’t want your baked good tasting like bananas, then use an alternate fruit or vegetable such as applesauce.
Prunes soon will be known for more than just regular pit stops. It also can be used to reduce the amount of fat used in baked goods. Use jarred baby food prunes that have already been pureed for you. Or you can make your own prune puree by blending 1/2 cup of pitted prunes with 1/4 cup of water. Caution: The final product might be too moist. If this is a problem, try reducing the amount of fruit puree used. For example, if the recipe calls for a half cup fat or fruit puree reduce to 1/3 cup instead.
How can fruit do the job
of fat in a recipe?
The pectin from the fruit grabs onto the tiny air bubbles in the batter, similar to what happens when you cream solid shortenings with sugar. This imparts moistness and flavor. Applesauce is an easy substitute to have in your cupboard. Applesauce is readily available, fairly inexpensive and versatile because it doesn’t impart any strong flavor to the final result. Applesauce contains more pectin than other fruit purees, which helps to retain the moistness of baked goods.
Just the flax
My grandfather grew flax only one year during World War II. “It clogged up the harvesting equipment,” my father told me. Farmers were encouraged to grow this linen crop during the war as the demand was up. The linen was used as an outer skin for some aircraft.
The scientific name for flax is linum Usitatissimum, meaning “most useful”. This definitely describes all the multiple uses flax has for keeping you healthy. For starters, flax is rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat that is a precursor to the form of omega-3 found in fish oils
Out of eggs? Never fear,
flax is here
Has this ever happened to you? You are whipping up a batch of cornbread, pancakes or muffins. You fling open the refrigerator only to learn that you are out of shelled eggs.
ERgh! The closest neighbor or grocery is two miles away. Simple. Grab your ground flaxseed. You buy it already ground in the baking section of your supermarket.
It makes a great egg substitute. Use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. In a small bowl, whip both together lightly with a fork. The mixture will become very gooey and gelatinous, much like an egg white. Flax has a subtle nutty or granola taste. It works best in pancakes, bran and corn muffins. It is perfect for oatmeal cookies, and the texture works for cookies in general, although the taste may be too pronounced for some. In chocolate cake, for instance, I would suggest substituting out only one egg for flax instead of three eggs because the taste can be overpowering.
Silken tofu
You also can use 1/4 cup blended silken tofu as the substitute for one egg. Whip in a blender until completely smooth and creamy, leaving no graininess or chunks.
Tofu works best in dense cakes and brownies. Blenderized tofu contributes virtually no taste, so it is excellent for replacing eggs in cake recipes. In cookie recipes, it may make the cookie more cake-y and fluffy than anticipated. Add 1 teaspoon of starch to the recipe (such as arrowroot or corn starch) to combat that. It may make pancakes a little heavy, so it is not recommended as a quick replacement for eggs in pancakes, although it could work well with a little experimentation.
Baked beyond recognition
Be careful not to over-bake your reduced-fat batters. They can quickly turn from done to dry and burned in a matter of minutes. I suggest reducing your oven temperature by 25 degrees and checking it closely toward the end of baking time.
Apple cinnamon
streusel muffins
Here is a muffin made with Enova oil and applesauce.
Serve with a cup of your favorite warm beverage.
All you need
1 (15.2 oz.) box Betty Crocker cinnamon streusel muffin mix
1 c. applesauce
2 tbsp. Enova oil
1 large egg, beaten
All you do
1. Stir muffin mix, applesauce, oil and beaten egg until blended. Divide batter among 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over batter.
2. Bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pan; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition information per serving
Calories: 190
Carbohydrate: 32 g.
Dietary Fiber: 0
Fat: 6 g.
Protein: 3 g.
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g.
Sodium: 230 mg.
Trans fats: 1 g.
Lynda Murray is a registered dietitian at the Angular Street Hy-Vee in Burlington. She can be reached at (319) 752-3657.
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