As a nutrition consultant, Sandra Woodruff talks to a lot of people who are having trouble losing weight. They often say they're on a fat-free diet -- and as proof, they point to all the fat-free cookies, muffins, crackers and such that they buy. They're surprised, Ms. Woodruff said, when she tells them "they're eating a lot of fat-free junk food that's full of calories."
In fact, many fat-free products have as many -- or more -- calories than their fattier counterparts, she said. And, in the case of sweets and crackers, the fat-free foods often have few nutrients.
But that's not to say that Ms. Woodruff isn't hooked on the idea of fat-free foods. In fact, she's well on her way to helping the entire country make fat-free baked goods; her book "Secrets of Fat-Free Baking" sold 200,000 copies in its first three months of publication. The book, a 232-page softcover (Avery Publishing Group).
The book is more than a cookbook; Ms. Woodruff helps cooks learn how to adapt their own favorite sweet recipes to make them virtually fat-free. Each of six chapters describes a different kind of fat substitute and how to use it, then gives recipes using that kind of substitute. These categories:
* Fruitful fat substitutes: Fruit purees, applesauce, and fruit juices can replace all of the fat in cakes, muffins, quick breads, scones and brownies, and at least half the fat in cookies.
* Dairy fat substitutes: Non-fat yogurt and buttermilk can replace all of the fat in cakes, muffins, quick breads, scones, biscuits, and brownies, and at least half the fat in cookies.
* Sweet fat substitutes: Liquid sweeteners like honey, molasses, jam, corn syrup, and chocolate syrup can replace all of the fat in cakes, muffins, quick breads, scones, biscuits, brownies, cookies, crumb toppings, and sweet crumb crusts.
* Prunes: Easy-to-make Prune Butter and Prune Puree can replace all the fat in cakes, muffins, quick breads, scones, brownies, cookies, and sweet crumb crusts.
* Squash and sweet potato: Mashed pumpkin and other mashed squashes, as well as mashed sweet potatoes, can replace all of the fat in cakes, quick breads, muffins, biscuits, scones, and brownies, and at least half the fat in cookies.
* Reduced-fat margarine and light butter: Contrary to popular belief, reduced-fat margarine and light butter (the kind that has 5 to 6 grams of fat per serving and 50 calories per tablespoon) can be used for baking, and can cut the fat in biscuits, scones, cakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies, brownies, pie crusts, and crumb toppings by more than half.
Ms. Woodruff says the first step to choosing a fat substitute is to look at the original recipe. If the ingredients include something such as applesauce, fruit juice, buttermilk, or yogurt, that's the substitute to use. And, you should use a flavor that goes with the ingredients -- maple syrup would be great in a spice cake but probably too strong for biscuits, where the blandness of non-fat buttermilk or yogurt would be better.
Ms. Woodruff found the fiber of whole grains helped disguise the lack of fat -- and, of course, added greatly to the nutritional value of the recipe. "Fiber, like fat, interferes with the development of gluten, the protein in wheat flour that can cause a tough texture, tunnels, and peaked muffin tops when batters are overmixed," she writes. Foods that are higher in fiber also help you feel more filled-up when you're on a low-fat diet, she said.
Through experimentation, Ms. Woodruff reduced the refined-sugar content of recipes by 25 percent to 50 percent compared to traditional recipes. She prefers sweeteners such as fruit spreads, jams, preserves, honey, maple syrup, molasses and fruit-juice concentrates.
Heavy-textured baked goods, such as carrot cake, are the easiest to remove fat from, Ms. Woodruff said. A fat-free cookie, she said, will be chewier than the same cookie with fat, but "It will still be very good." Not one to sit still, Ms. Woodruff has four more books in the works, including two books for diabetics and one focusing on ingredients. Her "Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking" is due out this month.
From "Secrets of Fat-Free Baking," here are samples:
Peachy Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1-pound can peaches packed in juice, undrained
2 egg whites
1/3 cup chopped dried peaches or chopped pecans
Combine the flour, wheat bran, sugar and baking powder and stir to mix well. Set aside.
Drain the peaches, reserving the juice, and puree in a blender. Add enough juice to the pureed peaches to bring the volume up to 1 1/2 cups. Add the peach puree and the egg whites to the flour mixture, and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the dried peaches or pecans.
Coat muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray, and fill 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before removing the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving (using dried peaches): 121 calories; 0.5 g fat; 3.5 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 94 mg sodium; 3.3 g fiber; 26 mg calcium; 183 mg potassium; 1.1 mg iron.
Pear-Walnut Bundt Cake
Makes 16 servings
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup apple butter
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped fresh pears (about 1 medium)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
TOPPING:
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon apple butter
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Combine the flours, brown sugar and baking soda, and stir to mix well. Add the apple butter, yogurt, egg whites and vanilla extract, and stir to mix well. Fold in the pears and walnuts (if using).
Coat a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack, and cool to room temperature.
To make the topping, combine the confectioners' sugar with the apple butter. Transfer the cake to a serving platter, and drizzle the topping over the cake. Sprinkle the walnuts over the glaze. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Per serving (not including optional nuts): 177 calories; 0.7 g fat; 3.3 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 120 mg sodium; 1.8 g fiber; 35 mg calcium; 178 mg potassium; 1.5 mg iron.
Banana Fudge Cake
Makes 16 servings
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon. salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe banana (about 3 large)
1/2 cup non-fat buttermilk
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt, if desired, and stir to mix well. Add the banana, buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla extract, and stir to mix well.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake to room temperature.
To make the glaze, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. If using a microwave oven, microwave the glaze, uncovered, at high power for 35 seconds, or until runny. If using stove top, stir glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, and let harden before cutting into squares and serving.
Per serving (without optional ingredients): 197 calories; 0.9 g fat; g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 146 mg sodium; 2.5 g fiber; 25 mg calcium; 165 mg potassium; 1.1 mg iron.
Very Best Fudge Brownies
Makes 36
4 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fat-free egg substitute
3/4 cup Prune Butter (see note)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoons salt (optional)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
If using a microwave oven to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a mixing bowl and microwave uncovered at high power for 3 to 4 minutes, or until almost melted. Remove the
bowl from the oven and stir the chocolate until completely melted. If melting the chocolate on the stove top, place the chocolate in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted.
Add the sugar, egg substitute, Prune Butter, and vanilla extract to the chocolate, and stir to mix well. Stir in the flour and, if desired, the salt and nuts.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center is almost set.
Cool to room temperature, cut into squares, and serve.
Per serving (without optional ingredients): 74 calories; 1.7 g fat; 1.3 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 21 mg sodium; 1.1 g fiber; 6 mg calcium; 72 mg potassium; 0.6 mg iron.
Note: To make Prune Butter, place 8 ounces pitted prunes (about 1 cup) and 6 tablespoons water or fruit juice in a food processor, and process at high speed until the mixture is a smooth paste. (This mixture is too thick to be made in a blender.) Use immediately, or place in an airtight container and store for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 42 cookies
6 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine or light butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons fat-free egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dark raisins, chopped dried apricots, or other chopped fruit
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds (optional)
Combine margarine or butter, brown sugar, egg substitute and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer, and process until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the margarine mixture, and process to mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, placing them 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the tip of a spoon.
Bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Cool the cookies on the pan for 1 minute. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks, and cool completely. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container.
Per serving (without nuts): 45 calories; 0.9 g fat; 0.9 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 31 mg sodium; 0.7 g fiber; 6 mg calcium; 41 mg potassium; 0.3 mg iron.
Applesauce Gingerbread
Makes 16 servings
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup molasses
3 egg whites
Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda and spices, and stir to mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake for at least 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature with a light whipped topping, if desired.
Per serving: 157 calories; 0.3 g fat; 3.1 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 146 mg sodium; 1.6 g fiber; 38 mg calcium; 255 mg potassium; 1.7 mg iron.