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Uneaten bananas? They'll eat 'em after this transformation
BANANA BARS LIGHT BANANA BARS
Dear Jeanne,
I would like to reduce the fat and replace the white flour in this recipe with whole-wheat flour. Can that be done and still retain a good outcome? Thanks so much! -- Jodi, San Antonio
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup margarine
1 cup mashed banana
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Powdered sugar
Cream the sugar and margarine. Add the banana, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and nuts. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until combined. Pour into a greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. When cool, cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 40 servings.
Dear Jodi,
I think you will love this revision. Everyone who tried it loved it. I beat the egg whites separately to help lighten it. It is very light and moist. I always have frozen bananas on hand that I put in the freezer when they begin to over-ripen. They are very useful for recipes like this.
3 egg whites
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-by-15-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add the mashed banana and beat thoroughly. Add the yogurt and vanilla, and beat well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nuts, and quickly combine with the banana mixture. Fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites, then the rest of the whites, until no streaks of white remain. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. When it is done, the top will spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. Cut the long side into 5 pieces and the short side into 8 pieces.
Makes 40 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 99 calories; 5 g fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 98 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; negligible fiber. Revised Recipe: 58 calories; 2 g fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber.
Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). Her column appears Wednesday. For more information, you can go to her website, jeanne jones.com.
Send your recipe for revision to:
Cook It Light
(Lancaster Newspapers)
P.O. Box 1212
La Jolla, CA 92038
Please include a stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope.
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