Saturday, December 11, 2010

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal


One of the great things about Costco is that you can buy huge bags of frozen unsweetened blueberries for a low price. The bad thing about this is that it takes quite awhile to get through a bag. Fortunately, blueberries pair well with a variety of baked goods, and one of my favorite presentations is this blueberry baked oatmeal. These bars smells heavenly and are a tasty snack or breakfast with a low calorie count.


Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (sugar-free, whole grain, low-fat):
1 medium egg
1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C. skim milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 C. granular Splenda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 C. rolled oats
3 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 C. frozen unsweetened blueberries
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F./175 degrees C.  
  2. Grease and flour a loaf pan or spray with cooking spray. 
  3. Whisk the egg, applesauce, milk, Splenda, vegetable oil, salt, and lemon juice together until thoroughly mixed. 
  4. Add the oats, sprinkle the flour and baking powder on top and mix with a spoon until the flour and baking powder are mixed in and the oats are thoroughly moistened. 
  5. Stir in the frozen blueberries. 
  6. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set (check with a toothpick or tester). 
  7. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, remove from the loaf pan and allow to cool completely before cutting. 
Nutrition information courtesy of the SparkRecipes calculator:

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Lemon Anise Cake


I've been experimenting with cake recipes, which may seem like a strange thing to say considering that I've made a lot of muffins and they are probably just another type of cake to most people. To me, "cake" has more moisture and is meant to be lighter. For the first time, I considered using white flour instead of whole wheat, but the truth is that I'm concerned that applesauce as a substitute for sugar and fat won't work quite as well with white flour. I'm afraid it'll drag the cake down, and since whole wheat is better for you, I just went with what I knew.

This cake is not the same as a normal white flour, sugar, and full fat cake. I want that to be clear up front. It is spongier in texture, but it's still good, moist and pleasant. You can see the detail of the texture in the detailed picture below. The flavor is fabulous and this is definitely one of the best results I've had with a particular flavor combination. It's really delicious, at least to my taste buds! My husband also really liked it.


Lemon Anise Cake (sugar-free, whole wheat, reduced fat):
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup granular Splenda
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (half a small lemon)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. anise extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
  1. Spray a round cake pan with cooking spray.
  2. Whisk milk, applesauce, egg and egg yolk, oil, Splenda, lemon juice, vanilla, anise extract, almond extract, and salt together until well-blended.
  3. Sprinkle the whole wheat flour into the liquid ingredients and stir until just moistened. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
  4. While the batter rests, preheat oven to Bake at 350 degrees F./175 degrees C.
  5. Stir in the baking powder until thoroughly incorporated.
  6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs).
Nutrition information courtesy of the SparkRecipes calculator: