Lighten up! Cut fat, not necessarily flavor
Fat is the source of controversy aplenty. Consumers are caught in a "fat is good"/"fat is bad" tug of war. Fact is, some fat is essential for the smooth functioning of many of our body's systems.
It is also true that fat, be it butter, oil, or solid shortening, adds flavor to food and has properties that are important in baking. Magazines such as Eating Well and Cooking Light provide low-fat recipes and strategies for reducing fat or making substitutions.
Kathryn Conrad is a baker in the test kitchens of Cooking Light. To make a recipe "lighter," she aims for 30 percent or less total calories from fat. Conrad said Cooking Light prefers not to make substitutions but to make reductions. She knows home bakers who take a recipe and start substituting or eliminating ingredients are often disappointed in the results. She advises that if you are trying to lighten up a recipe, start with one that you know very well.
She suggests desserts are an obvious place to make changes. Her apple pie is made with butter and lots of Granny Smith apples, but it has only one crust. She doesn't dot the apple and sugar mixture with butter, and mixes in only three tablespoons of flour to thicken the filling. The crust is laid on top of the heaping mound of apples and brushed with egg whites and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar (large crystals). The smell is pure apple pie, and with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt, there's really no compromise.
"It doesn't feel like a punitive act," Conrad said.
Still, if you want to make substitutions, you can. One common substitute for fat in low-fat baking is applesauce or a fruit puree. Since you are not replacing one fat with another, however, your result will be different from what you may expect. Fat in a recipe adds flavor, but it also makes a cake moist or a cookie crisp. The result without fat can still be delicious. The home economics department at Oregon State University recommends replacing half the fat in a recipe with the equivalent amount of applesauce.
The Droste Cocoa box has a recipe for low-fat brownies made with applesauce and a bit of oil, which produces a tasty brownie that is somewhat flat and more cake-like than fudgy. The August 2003 issue of Gourmet magazine has a recipe for chocolate cupcakes made with date puree and no fat. Even the biggest fuss-budget can't tell there are dates in this moist confection. Prune puree is another popular fat substitute in baking with chocolate; for a convenient source, try baby food jars.
Some butter and margarine substitutes are on the market; however, not all are good for baking. Many have a fair amount of water, which precludes their use in baking. The label on Earth Balance, a natural vegetable oil spread that is non-hydrogenated and has no cholesterol or transfats, says it "bakes and fries perfectly and deliciously." (It's available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Stop & Shop.)
K.C. Hayes, a biology professor at Brandeis University, developed the science behind Earth Balance. When asked how the product performs in baking, Hayes offered his wife, Bobbie's, shortbread cookie recipe. We tested it, and it made a delicious cookie.
Bobbie Hayes' no butter shortbread cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
11/2 cups of Earth Balance tub margarine or buttery sticks
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cream the Earth Balance and sugars together.
4. Add the vanilla and mix.
5. Add the flour, one cup at a time, and mix well. The dough will be very soft.
6. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, waxed paper, or foil, and leave in refrigerator for several hours.
7. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll dough to desired thickness.
8. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet.
9. Repeat with second half of dough.
10. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Sophia's yogurt cake
Makes 16 squares
For the cake:
1/2 unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated, reserving two yolks and three whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1 cup lowfat yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the sugar and spice mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Add the two yolks to the sugar mixture one at a time, beating thoroughly after each one is added.
4. Add the vanilla and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Beat all three egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.
7. Add flour and yogurt alternately to the butter mixture, beating after each addition.
8. Fold in egg whites.
9. Spray a 9-by-9-by-3-inch pan with cooking spray. Pour in half the batter. Sprinkle half the sugar and spice mixture over the batter.
10. Pour on remaining batter. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar and spice mixture over the top.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
