Recipe Redux

Lest you think it’s all buttercream frosted cupcakes around here, I thought I’d share a favorite recipe with a little less fat – Blueberry Banana Bread.

Blueberries signify spring to me and I eat them every chance I get, tossing them in yogurt, pancakes and muffins.  In an effort to reduce fat and calories and increase fiber and protein, I’ve remade my favorite banana bread recipe by adding blueberries and replacing some of the all purpose flour with a combination of whole wheat pastry flour, oats and cornmeal.  The oats and cornmeal give the bread a really nice texture and a little bit of chew.

This is a quick bread, so no need to break out anything more than a couple of bowls, a fork and a wooden spoon.  Mix the wet ingredients separate from the dry ingredients then stir the wet into the dry, just until moist.  Over mixing will develop the glutens, and you don’t want to do that.  Also, when baking with agave nectar, I generally have the oven temperature about 25 degrees cooler than standard because the agave can brown too quickly.

Blueberry Banana Bread
8 servings

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about two medium)
3/4 cup blueberries
2 large eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325F and spray 9 x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.

Into a large bowl add both flours, oats, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Combine completely and make a well in the center.

Combine agave, banana, blueberries and eggs in a small bowl and mix well.  Add these to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake 55 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack then remove from pan and cool completely.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus – 6

Nutrition Information:
Calories – 211
Total Fat – 2.1 g
  Saturated Fat – 0.6 g
Cholesterol – 46.3 mg
Sodium – 260.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate – 44 g
  Dietary Fiber – 3.6 g
  Sugars – 15.7 g
Protein – 5.6 g