Dear Jeanne: This is an old family recipe. We love it, but we need to watch our fat and cholesterol. Could you please revise it? Thank you. — Marge Schram, Grand Blanc, Mich.
Dear Marge: This is a nice, light loaf cake, which is called "bread." I have lowered the fat by more than 60 percent and reduced the cholesterol by 80 percent. I think the results are great, and you could even omit the nuts and remove another gram of fat per serving if you wish.
LEMON BREAD
3 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 lemon (grate the rind, save the juice for the topping)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts)
TOPPING:
Juice from the lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1. Cream the shortening, butter, sugar and lemon rind. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the milk, flour and baking powder, alternating as you add. Add the nuts. Pour into a loaf pan (4 1/2 by 9 inches) and bake at 350 F for 60 minutes or until done. Remove the bread from the oven and poke holes in the top. Squeeze the lemon juice and add 1/4 cup sugar. Heat on stove or in microwave to dissolve. Pour on top of bread. Let sit in pan 30-45 minutes before removing. Makes 16 servings.
LIGHT LEMON BREAD
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), optional
LEMON SYRUP:
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a loaf pan (4 1/2 by 9 inches) with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with flour. Knock out the excess flour and set aside.
2. Mix the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until they are well-combined. Add the egg whites and beat for about two minutes.
3. In one bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then combine the milk and buttermilk in another bowl. Add these to the butter mixture by first adding some of the flour, then some of the milk, in three parts, mixing well after each addition. Add nuts, if desired. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 1 hour. Test to see if it's done by inserting a sharp knife into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, it's done. Set pan on a rack to cool.
4. To make the syrup to pour over the top of the cake, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice over low heat on the stove, or in the microwave. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick or skewer, and slowly pour the syrup over the cake so that it is absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for about half an hour, then run a knife along the edges before you take the cake out of the pan. Wrap with plastic wrap when cool. Makes 16 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 181 calories; 8 gm fat; 30 mg cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 26 gm carbohydrates; 3 gm protein; 1 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 126 calories; 3 gm fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 75 mg sodium; 21 gm carbohydrates; 3 gm protein; negligible fiber.
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