How to Bake with Fruit Puree Instead of Fat

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How to Bake with Fruit Puree Instead of Fat

Excerpted from Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks, by David

Joachim David Joachim.

Simple Solution

Fruit purees can be used successfully to replace some of the fat in

baked goods.

 

Drained applesauce, strained baby food fruit, or a puree of prunes

and water all work well. You can also use a puree of water and any

dried fruit, such as dried apples, apricots, or peaches. The

quickest option: a product called fruit puree fat replacement,

carried in most supermarkets. It's a combination of pureed fruits

and lecithin, a natural emulsifier found in corn, soybeans, and egg

yolks.

 

Homemade Fat Replacement

Cut 2 apples and 2 pears into chunks and place in a saucepan with

2/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon each lemon juice and lecithin

granules (available in health food stores). Bring to a simmer,

cover, and cook 40 minutes, mashing occasionally. Press through a

sieve or food mill. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 6

months. To use, substitute fat replacement for about two-thirds of

the total amount of oil, butter, or shortening in baked goods,

adding 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil. For example, to replace 1

stick (1/2 cup) butter, use 5 tablespoons fat replacement and 2

tablespoons oil. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

 

Prune Puree

Puree 1/2 cup pitted prunes (or equal amounts of prunes and dried

apples) and 1/4 cup water in a blender or processor until smooth.

The dark color and strong flavor of this fat replacement make it

best suited to chocolate-based or heavily spiced baked goods. To

replace 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, use 1/3 cup prune puree. Makes

about 2/3 cup.

 

**NOTE-I wouldn't try this with cookies. But it works wonderfully

for cakes! And, it adds to the fluffiness of the cake!

-Diana