pumpkin cranberry bread - BSI!!!

First of all, thank you all for being so supportive!  You are all so great, I really appreciate your kind thoughts and suggestions for ways to work with phyllo dough!  I meant to post a question asking if anyone had any suggestions, but I was so tired last night when I posted that I completely forgot.  Thanks for offering some up anyway!  :)  I guess I no longer see it as a complete disaster because I still like the original concept, I just need to execute it in a better way.  The flavors were great together, so I'm not ready to give up on it yet! 

Now, just to be clear, I didn't rush on to do a second BSI just because my first failed.  I would have just submitted the first but I've been wanting to try and "healthify" a classic favorite of mine and Brian's for awhile now and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Thank you Lindsay for choosing pumpkin!!!

I give you...

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread!!!



This has been a favorite in our household for a few years now.  As soon as the leaves start to change and the air cools down I am ready for this bread.  It has become a classic fall recipe for me and, until last night, has been listed under my "dessert" recipe folder rather than "breakfast" or "bread" because of its high sugar and fat content.  I've been inspired by the recipes on sweet + natural, and have really wanted to try and "healthify" this classic favorite of mine for awhile now.

I replaced all of the sugar in the original recipe with a combination of Fruit Sweet and applesauce.  Fruit Sweet (FS) is an all-natural sweetener made from concentrated pear and pineapple juices.  The ratio I use (recommended by the company, Wax Orchards) is to substitute 2/3 FS for the amount of sugar in the recipe.  They recommend to reduce all other liquids by 1/3 the amount of FS used. 



I removed all added fat from the recipe, turning 4 eggs into 4 egg whites and completely eliminating the vegetable oil required, figuring the added liquid from the FS and the applesauce would keep the bread moist enough.  I also replaced the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour (WWWF).

The result?  I think these numbers speak for themselves...

Original (per one slice of bread)

calories: 253  total fat: 5.6g  sat fat: .6g  carbs: 48.5g  fiber: 1.6g  sugar: 30.9g  protein: 3.8g

"Healthified" (per one slice of bread)

calories: 116  total fat: .4g  sat fat: 0g  carbs: 25.7g  fiber: 3.5g  sugar: 10.1g  protein: 3.6g



Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

NOTE:  this recipe is for 2 loaves of bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pureed pumpkin


• 3/4 cup applesauce


• 1-1/4 cups Fruit Sweet


• 4 egg whites


• 4 cups WWWF (I think this should be reduced to 3-3.5 cups, the dough was a bit too dry)


• 1 tbsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp nutmeg


• 1/4 tsp ground cloves


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease two standard-size loaf pans.


2. Blend together the pumpkin, applesauce, Fruit Sweet and egg whites.


3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and spices.


4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together until blended.  Do not overmix!


5. Chop cranberries and fold them into the dough.


6. Pour dough into loaf pans and bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes.


7. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before releasing.  Cool on rack out of pans for 20 minutes before slicing.

I am beyond pleased with the result.  The bread is sooooo good, and so much better for you than the original!!!  Its not too sweet, and the cranberries add a wonderful tartness.  Brian also loved the flavor, but we both felt like the bread is a bit too dense.  The flour amount in the recipe is pretty high, so I think I will try reducing it to 3-3.5 cups next time I make it.  Does anybody know if whole wheat pastry flour might be fluffier than WWWF?

For breakfast this morning I had two pieces of my new bread smeared with almond butter.  Yummy combo!



Paired with a cup of plain Oikos topped with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds.





And now I am off to yoga!  I'm sorry I haven't commented on blogs in the last day or so...I promise I've been reading!!!  Its been a whirlwind of activity around here getting ready for our Turkey Day guests, so I've been struggling just to get my posts uploaded.  I'm hoping to have some catch-up time tonight!

Enjoy your Sunday!!!  I can't wait to see all of the BSI entries tonight!  :)

Comments

[Mel]

I usually use whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat flour and the result is usually a lighter baked good. It is generally just ground a little finer, and I use it for all kinds of things, including pancakes!

[Lindsay]

quick question - what amt of cranberries did u use?

looks awesome!

[sweetandnatural]

I just got to your last few posts - that pic of your husband and pets is beyond adorable! This bread looks delish and I agree that you shouldn't give up on the other recipe just yet. It has potential for sure!

[Andrea [bellaeats]]

Thanks Ladies!

Lindsay - woops! can you tell i was in a hurry when i made that post? :) i used 2 cups of whole fresh cranberries, and chopped them in a chopper. i've modified the recipe now...

[Mariposa]

the pumpkin bread looks great! love it!

[landoffruitsandnuts]

Your bread looks amazing, and the nutritional stats are definitely impressive! I find I have better luck with baked goods (mostly muffins) using whole wheat pastry flour instead.
I've been reading and enjoying your blog for a while now and am now de-lurking and started my own blog if you wanna check it out sometime :) Have a great Sunday!

[VeggieGirl]

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!

[Andrea [bellaeats]]

Mel - I used white whole wheat flour in this recipe, do you think it is heavier than ww pastry flour too?

Ashley - Thank you!!! I definitely got inspiration from your blog! :)

Mariposa and Liz - Thanks ladies!!!

landoffruitsandnuts - I'm so glad you commented! I'm glad you enjoy my blog, and will definitely check yours out! :)

[Kelsey]

oooh wow! that looks like wonderful bread.cranberries and pumpkin are such a match made in heaven :D

[eliza]

that bread looks beautiful so seasonal and delicious ingredients.

[Danielle]

That bread is positively beautiful... and I'm sure it tastes delicious too! :)

Great blog by the way!

[Meghann]

That's so funny that you posted this. I was going to make it for Thanksgiving, but ended up making it tonight with my family. It was great except I didn't chop up the cranberries enough and they were really tart. Oh well.

[Mel]

I've never tried white whole wheat, but I would venture a guess that it is. If I don't have whole wheat pastry flour, I usually use half white and half wheat.

[Andrea [bellaeats]]

Kelsey, Eliza, Danielle - Thank you, and thanks for stopping by!

Meghann - How funny! I forgot that I sent you the original recipe a few weeks ago...did you modify the original at all? The cranberries do need to be pretty fine so as not to overwhelm with their tartness...

Mel - That's a good thought, I could try 1/2 and 1/2. But I think I'll try the WW pastry flour first. Thanks for the suggestions! :)

[Maris]

This sounds so good! Every year for Thanksgiving I make pumpkin bread and cranberry bread - maybe this year I'll just combine them!

[1 day to go… « bel]

[...] vanilla, I like that its not too sweet.  Honey is still my fave though.  I also had a slice of pumpkin cranberry bread with almond [...]

[Marisa]

I use whole wheat pastry flour all the time in my baked goods. I think it makes for a better texture and it is fluffier. Definitely try it! I used it this morning to make pumpkin pancakes and it worked out great!

[Andrea [bella eats]]

Marisa - Thank you! I'm definitely going to pick some up next time I shop to experiment with...

[BSI: GINGER round-up! «]

[...] loaf of my pumpkin cranberry bread along with a few of my favorite baking [...]