Dear Jeanne: This is a recipe I make all the time. I realized one day that it has a lot of fat. I would like you to make it less fattening. Can it be just as good? — Helen Anderson, Sarasota, Fla.
Dear Helen: Banana bread is a perennial favorite in this column. Every recipe is a little bit different, and every time I change my version a little bit, I think it's the best one yet.
The bananas add moisture and sweetness. I substituted butter for the oil because you get a lighter texture with butter. The best results are achieved with ripe bananas, which means very soft bananas speckled with brown.
BANANA BREAD
2 cups mashed bananas
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1. Combine the banana, eggs, oil and vanilla, and mix well. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, and add to the banana mixture.
2. Pour the batter into a greased-and-floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes or until done. Makes 16 servings.
LOW-FAT BANANA BREAD
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 3
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a standard, 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour, then knock out excess.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy; add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Then add the egg and egg whites, and beat again (all this beating adds air to keep it light). Add the vanilla, yogurt and bananas, and combine.
3. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl. Quickly mix into the wet ingredients, stirring only until moistened; do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. This can also be made into 16 muffins. Bake about 25 minutes. Makes 16 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 265 calories; 15 gm fat; 35 mg cholesterol; 223 mg sodium; 31 gm carbohydrates; 3 gm protein; 1 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 146 calories; 3 gm fat; 20 mg cholesterol; 161 mg sodium; 26 gm carbohydrates; 3 gm protein; 1 gm fiber.
Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web Site, jeannejones.com. Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light, Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope. © King Features Syndicate Inc.