Treat yourself to guilt-free gingerbread: you can indulge in old-fashioned flavor and forsake the fat with these healthy squares - A Better Way to Cook

ON COOL AUTUMN DAYS I love to bake gingerbread. Not only does it perfume the kitchen with warm, fragrant spices, but it brings back childhood memories of homey desserts made with real butter, thick cream, and fresh eggs. I set out to remake this popular molasses spice cake, and came up with a version without all the fat, cholesterol, and refined sugar.

Skip the Butter and Eggs

Pure butter gives baked goods a rich flavor and a light texture. However, it also gives them a dose of unhealthy saturated fat. And margarine, which contains heart-damaging trans fatty acids, is no better. So I used Spectrum Spread, a semisolid nonhydrogenated spread with a buttery smell and flavor. The spread made the gingerbread tender and infused it with a nutty essence.

Eggs play many roles in a cake recipe: They help bind, thicken, and tenderize a batter; act as a leavening agent; and impart flavor and depth. In the past, I've substituted pureed fruit, such as applesauce, because it is similar in thickness to beaten eggs. First I tried unsweetened applesauce, and it tasted wonderful. Then I tried unsweetened apple butter, which is thicker than applesauce. I much preferred the apple butter because it intensified the spicy boldness of the gingerbread.

Add Sugar and Spice

Now that I'd improved the fat profile of the recipe, I turned to the sweeteners. Molasses is one of gingerbread's most distinctive ingredients. I chose blackstrap molasses because its hearty, slightly bitter flavor gave the gingerbread a dark, heavy richness. (Blackstrap molasses also gave the recipe an impressive dose of calcium and iron.) Most cooks temper the sharp tang of molasses with sugar. As a healthier alternative to refined white sugar, I chose granulated cane juice, which has not been stripped of all its nutrients. Its light caramel flavor complemented the robust molasses, and its sandy texture gave the cake a springy touch.

When it came to spices, I chose fresh gingerroot rather than ground ginger. I found that fresh gingerroot added vibrancy to the cake and gave it a truer ginger flavor. A touch of salt accentuated the spice and brought out the cake's sweetness.

Make It Bold or Delicate

Many gingerbread recipes call for hot water, which I used when testing my recipes. However, I also tried low-fat vanilla soymilk to see whether it would improve the flavor. The hot water creates a dark, almost fudgy molasses spice cake that's perfect for those who want a knock-your-socks-off gingerbread experience. The soymilk, on the other hand, yields a softer, gentler gingerbread that is ideal for those who prefer a more delicate-tasting confection. I've included both versions in the master recipe below, so you can make whichever cake sounds most appealing to you. I've also offered several variations using fresh and dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Moist, Rich Gingerbread

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

Boiling water creates an especially potent
gingerbread with a fudgy texture. Soymilk
yields a milder flavor and a more tender
crumb. If you like raisins, add one cup to the
finished batter. For an added treat, serve with
Warm Orange Sauce (see next page) or a
spoonful of nondairy sour cream sweetened
with pure maple syrup or honey to taste.

  Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose
  flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nonaluminum
  baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated spread
  (such as Spectrum Spread or
  Earth Balance)
1 cup granulated cane juice
1 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup unsweetened apple butter
3 tablespoons grated fresh
  gingerroot (peeled)
3/4 cup boiling water or 3/4 cup
  room-temperature low-fat
  vanilla soymilk

1. Adjust rack to center position and preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9-inch
baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Sift together flours, baking soda,
baking powder, cinnamon,
cloves, nutmeg, and salt in
medium bowl.

3. Stir together nonhydrogenated
spread and
granulated cane juice
in large bowl. Stir
in molasses, apple butter,
and ginger. Stir in boiling
water or soymilk until
combined.

4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and
stir until well combined. Pour batter into
prepared pan and bake until cake tester
inserted into center of cake comes out
clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool pan on rack
for at least 30 minutes before cutting into
15 squares. (Tightly wrapped in pan, gingerbread
will keep at room temperature for
several days.)

PER SERVING (WITH WATER): 237 CALORIES,
3 G PROTEIN, 6 G FAT, 1 G SATURATED FAT, 45 G CARBOHYDRATES,
2 G FIBER, 269 MG SODIUM, 21% CALCIUM

Apple-Pecan Gingerbread

Follow recipe for Moist, Rich Gingerbread,
stirring one peeled, cored, and finely diced
apple and 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans into
finished batter.

PER SERVING: 267 CALORIES, 3 G PROTEIN, 8 G FAT,
1 G SATURATED FAT, 47 G CARBOHYDRATES, 2 G FIBER,
269 MG SODIUM, 21% CALCIUM

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread

Follow recipe for Moist, Rich Gingerbread,
stirring one cup nondairy chocolate chips
into finished batter.

PER SERVING: 295 CALORIES, 3 G PROTEIN, 9 G FAT,
3 G SATURATED FAT, 52 G CARBOHYDRATES, 2 G FIBER,
269 MG SODIUM, 21% CALCIUM

Lemon-Pear Gingerbread

Follow recipe for Moist, Rich Gingerbread,
stirring one peeled, cored, and finely diced
pear and the grated zest of one lemon into
finished batter.

PER SERVING: 243 CALORIES, 3 G PROTEIN, 6 G FAT,
1 G SATURATED FAT, 47 G CARBOHYDRATES, 2 G FIBER,
269 MG SODIUM, 21% CALCIUM

Orange-Prune Gingerbread

Follow recipe for Moist, Rich Gingerbread,
substituting 3/4 cup orange juice for water or
soymilk and stirring one tablespoon grated
orange zest and one cup finely diced pitted
prunes into finished batter.

PER SERVING: 272 CALORIES, 3 G PROTEIN, 6 G FAT,
1 G SATURATED FAT, 55 G CARBOHYDRATES, 3 G FIBER,
270 MG SODIUM, 22% CALCIUM

Warm Orange Sauce

MAKES 2 1/2 CUPS

This sauce becomes gelatinous as it cools, so
use it while it's still warm. Kudzu powder, a
nutritious thickener made from a root, can
be purchased at natural food stores and Asian
markets.

2 tablespoons powdered kudzu
2 cups fresh orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup

1. Stir kudzu and 1/2 cup juice together in
small bowl until kudzu dissolves.

2. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups juice in small
saucepan over low heat. Whisk in kudzu
mixture. Cook, whisking occasionally, until
mixture thickens and becomes translucent,
about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat
and whisk in maple syrup. Immediately
spoon warm sauce over gingerbread.

PER 2-TABLESPOON SERVING: 37 CALORIES, <1 G PROTEIN,
<1 G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT, 9 G CARBOHYDRATES,
<1 G FIBER, 1 MG SODIUM, 1% CALCIUM

Victoria Abbott Riccardi is a food writer in Newton, Mass., and a frequent contributor to Natural Health. Ginger is one of her favorite spices.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group