So Pedestrian

messing about

March 8, 2007

I really love to bake. It's probably because I love to consume sweet things, and that's pretty much all I bake, but I enjoy the process, too. I haven't done much baking in the last couple of years because: 1) our kitchen is tiny!; 2) we're trying to be healthy, which generally means fewer sweet things; and 3) I've been busy; all of which means I've been missing baking for awhile. However, I shouldn't have worried about it, because when it rains it pours: I baked brownies yesterday and cookies and zucchini bread today.

Yesterday's treats were for "my" Somali kids. Three of their five birthdays fall within three months of each other and we're right in the middle of it, so I took over some brownies to celebrate. I didn't actually make them, I just assembled the package (Ghiradelli's double chocolate brownies), but I replaced the oil with applesauce (unsweetened) and the egg with 1/4 of a banana, which is the whole point of this post. Both replacements worked really well.

We've been trying to be healthy, still, not just because it's a good thing to do, but because one of the less pleasant family history pieces David learned from his newly (re)discovered family is that there's a shockingly long line of paternal deaths due to sudden, massive heart attacks, hence David's need of a stent in November. David's been doing what he can to keep it from happening to him. And one of the things he can do is eat better. So, less fat and very little cholesterol is in order, which makes baking just a tad difficult. BUT, applesauce is an amazing fat replacement and using 1/4 banana instead of an egg works wonders. I did the same thing in the chocolate chip cookies I made this morning and they're fabulous! The zucchini bread is a little less fabulous: it still tastes really good, but there's something just a bit off about the consistency. Maybe it's because I used whole wheat flour instead of white?

At any rate, hopefully, both the cookies and bread will be crowd pleasers at our friend Haein's tonight. She's making Korean food, and we volunteered to bring some desserts, hence the frenzy of baking. Not that either is the least bit Korean, but still.

Posted by Leah | Permalink

Comments

megan made a pudding cake a couple of weeks ago and used whole wheat flour instead of white flour...it tasted good, but there was something off about it too. i think that can actually make a difference, depending on what you're making. we also just tried a brownie mix from trader joe's-the name was something along the lines of "no pudge". it was fat free and only had one additional ingredient, which called for vanilla yogurt. they were very good and extremely moist. we might have ruined the entire "healthy" component using them for brownie sundaes, though...

Posted by eleanor on March 9, 2007 10:48 AM

hee! david and i actually tried that last weekend: they're "no pudge fudge brownies." yummy! i used applesauce in that too and wow, were they amazing. but yeah, the sundae part probably nixed the overall healthy status.

Posted by leah on March 9, 2007 2:17 PM

My "secret" for brownies is to buy the cheapest brownie mix on the shelf, and when preparing it I mix in 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa and a small (6 oz) bag of mini-chocolate chips. They are wonderfully chocolaty, which is what I like, and, naturally sweet. But, to your point(s) substituting the entire amount of flour is usually ill advised, try using half and half next time.

Also, one can make really healthy cornbread by substituting rye or whole-wheat flour or even oatmeal for the white flour. One can also use molasses for the sugar (reduce the amount of liquid). I used to use non-fat dry milk and water for the milk sometimes, too. One can add seeds or nuts to the cornbread, too. Sesame seeds or broken nut bits if one so desires.

Posted by Papa on March 11, 2007 12:14 AM