The Return of Low Fat Baking

“You’ve opened up a whole new world for me.”

“You’ve changed my life.”

“You’ve saved my marriage.”

These were some of your responses to our first article on low fat baking. The overwhelming enthusiasm for that first batch of desserts was so encouraging that we decided to do even better the second time around.

Welcome to our spring collection of low fat desserts. This time, we did more than simply replace butter with fruit purees. To reduce cholesterol, we eliminated egg yolks altogether; instead we used egg whites or egg substitute in our cakes.

We discovered that nonfat milk worked as well as whole milk in our rice flan. And that was so rewarding, we decided to tackle cheesecake.

It turned out to be even easier than we hoped to replace the rich sour cream and cream cheese, both high in saturated fats, that go into traditional cheesecakes. Our solution was nonfat yogurt “cheese” made by straining yogurt to drain the whey. The result is a thick creamy cake with almost no fat.

This time we decided to cut back a bit on sugar as well as fat, meaning that these cakes are lower in total calories than our first batch. In place of sweet frostings, we’ve used fresh fruit toppings and simple glazes.

To reduce fat even more, we didn’t grease our pans, but sprayed them lightly with a no-cholesterol vegetable spray. If you find the flavor objectionable, you could substitute parchment paper. And if you don’t want to spend the money for parchment, try using plain old bond paper to line your baking sheets.

Our biggest challenge, though, was pie crust. What tender-crisp, flaky pastry can be made with absolutely no fat? Fat not only provides tenderness but flakiness and flavor. It leavens the crust. It shortens the dough by lubricating the gluten strands in the flour and keeps them from bonding together and getting tough. Not one recipe from the pastry cookbook gurus offered even a hint.

The simple single-crust one-cup flour formula demands at least 6 1/3 to 7 tablespoons fat; classic butter versions are even higher in fat. Our fruit-for-fat method didn’t work--what came out of the oven was closer to cement than pie crust.

Could we use a little fat, maybe? We tried light sour cream, light cream cheese, nonfat yogurt. They all rolled out smoothly but came out tough. We tried adding baking powder in hopes of lightening the dough, but the dry, cake-like result made an unacceptable crust.

How about adding dietarily useful fat? Oil-shortened crust seemed like a healthful solution, since canola, safflower and corn oils are mono- and polyunsaturated oils that can help lower blood cholesterol. We also tried diet margarines and the new spreads, and while the texture was satisfactory, none had the flavor we wanted.

But there was still a cry for the taste of butter. So how about cutting the butter by about 50% and add a little oil for that flaky feel? Several pastry shells later, we still had tough dough. With so little fat, we needed to use a low-protein flour such as cake flour to retard gluten development. (Pastry flour, which is ideal, is not always available.)

We used a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour. We did everything according to the books: resting the dough before rolling, handling as little as possible, adding just enough water to moisten the flour. The resulting pastry was somewhat better--but still a bit firm.

Then, trying to improve the nutritive value of the pastry, we got lucky. When we mixed oat flour blend into our pastry flour formula, we ended up with softer crust. This is because oat flour does not have the gluten-forming properties of wheat flour. We then adjusted for crispness by varying all-purpose and cake flour measures. (The oat flour blend, fairly new in the supermarkets, is also a good source of oat bran.)

This is just the beginning: Starting with this issue, we begin a weekly column on low-fat baking.

This cake is remarkable; no one would ever believe that it is so low in fat and calories. Depending on the sweetness of the fruit you use to garnish the cake, you may wish to increase or decrease the sugar in the lemon syrup.

LEMON POPPY SEED TART

2/3 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 (4-ounce) jar baby food pear puree

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1 1/3 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 pint raspberries

2 kiwi fruits, peeled and cut into thin wedges

10 small papaya balls

Lemon zest rose, optional

Lemon leaves, optional

Combine nonfat milk and poppy seeds in bowl. Let stand about 15 minutes. Stir in pear puree, egg white, vanilla and lemon zest.

Sift together cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder in another bowl. Stir in nonfat milk mixture just until blended. Pour into 9-inch indented, fluted shortcake pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 375 degrees about 20 minutes or until cake tests done in center. Let cake cool in pan 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn out onto wire rack with wax paper underneath.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Simmer about 1 minute or until syrup is clear. Brush syrup over top and sides of cake while cake is still warm.

Place cake on serving platter. Arrange raspberries, kiwi wedges and papaya balls in attractive arrangement on top of cake. Garnish center with lemon rose and several lemon leaves, if available. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

214 calories; 72 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.2 grams fiber.

Rhubarb, with its uniquely tangy taste, is a favorite spring fruit of many midwestern and east coast transplants. Just stir diced uncooked rhubarb into the coffeecake batter and bake.

MOIST RHUBARB COFFEECAKE

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup thawed, frozen egg substitute

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Stir in 1 cup brown sugar.

Place egg substitute in bowl. Stir in yogurt, applesauce and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture just until ingredients are almost blended. Quickly stir in rhubarb just until mixed. Turn into 9-inch-square pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray or lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tests done in center. Makes 9 servings.

Each serving contains about:

219 calories; 215 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

Raisin puree is the basis for the dough of this rich-tasting, chewy bar. The combination of orange and chocolate is a classic favorite. We considered cutting the amount of chocolate in the recipe, thereby cutting the fat, but in the end we agreed that the extra richness is worth the extra grams of fat.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE-ORANGE BARS

2 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

2 egg whites

Raisin Puree

3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, optional

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Stir in oats and brown sugar.

Beat egg whites lightly in another bowl. Stir in Raisin Puree. Stir into flour mixture along with chocolate, walnuts and orange zest just until blended. Spoon into 9-inch-square baking pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes. Cool. Cut into 24 bars. Makes 24 servings.

Each serving contains about:

213 calories; 95 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.5 gram fiber.

Raisin Puree

2 cups seedless raisins

6 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons vanilla

Combine raisins, water and vanilla in food processor and blend until smooth.

The flavor of this dark, moist, spice and buttermilk cake is so old-fashioned that it may remind you of your childhood. The orange slices add a colorful touch to the finished cake.

FOUR-SPICE CAKE

1 cup golden raisins

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup light-brown sugar, packed

2 egg whites

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Date Puree

Orange Syrup with optional orange slices

Soak raisins in hot water to cover until plump. Drain.

Sift together flour, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt into large bowl. Stir in brown sugar.

Beat egg whites lightly in another bowl. Stir in buttermilk and Date Puree. Stir into dry ingredients along with drained raisins just until blended.

Pour into 2-quart fluted tube pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done in center. Brush cake with Orange Syrup and decorate with orange slices. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

231 calories; 136 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 0 fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.54 gram fiber.

Date Puree

1 cup pitted dates

6 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine dates, water and vanilla in blender and puree until smooth.

Orange Syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon orange flower water

1 orange, sliced thinly, optional

Combine sugar, water and orange flower water in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Add orange slices and simmer 1 minute. Strain and reserve orange slices for garnish.

Sweet potato puree provides the moistness in these individual non-fat cakes. Mini-bundt pans , each containing 6 - bundt shaped cups, are available in many cookware stores.

SWEET POTATO-CURRANT MINI BUNDT CAKES

2 oranges

1/2 cup currants

2 (4-ounce) jars sweet potato baby food puree

1 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup thawed frozen egg substitute

2 cups cake flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Remove peel from oranges in large strips. Remove any white pith on orange. Finely chop peel in food processor along with currants. Stir in juice from oranges, sweet potato puree, milk and egg substitute.

Sift together cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt. Quickly stir sweet potato mixture into dry ingredients.

Divide batter among 9 mini-bundt non-stick cups sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until cakes test done. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll cakes in sugar mixture while still warm. Makes 9 mini-bundt cakes.

Each mini-bundt cake contains about:

216 calories; 300 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.44 gram fiber.

The flavor of anise in these light cookies makes them a great after-dinner dessert. Some people prefer the center to be soft and chewy, but if you prefer the dry melt-in-your-mouth type of meringue, turn off the oven and, with the door closed, let them stand 30 minutes to an hour. These cookies are generally baked on parchment paper, but we have found that regular bond paper makes a very acceptable substitute.

ANISE MERINGUE KISSES

3 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground anise seeds

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat in anise. Using pastry bag, pipe onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 275 degrees 30 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen kisses.

Note: If drier meringue is desired, turn off oven and let kisses stand in oven with door closed about 1 hour.

Each kiss contains about:

9 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; trace fiber.

Light and smooth, this cheesecake isn’t missing anything but calories and fat. This is accomplished by using strained nonfat yogurt, low-fat ricotta and egg whites. To reduce fat and cholesterol even more, use fat-free cottage cheese in place of ricotta. Make the topping pretty with a lacing of pureed and sweetened fresh fruit: mangoes and strawberries make a delightful combination. If you want crisper crumbs, sprinkle them on top instead of the bottom.

FRUIT-LACED YOGURT CHEESECAKE

1 cup graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs

2 tablespoons peach or any flavor baby food fruit puree, optional

2 cups Yogurt Cheese

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese or fat-free cottage cheese

3 egg whites

2 1/2 tablespoons cake flour

1/3 cup nonfat milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup Fresh Fruit Puree

Sprinkle crumbs in bottom of 10-inch springform pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Or lightly mix crumbs and 2 tablespoons fruit puree and press onto bottom and about 1 inch up sides of pan. If using puree bake at 350 degrees 5 minutes.

Combine Yogurt Cheese, ricotta cheese, egg whites, cake flour, nonfat milk, sugar and vanilla in food processor bowl. Process only until smooth and blended. (Over-blending will produce bubbles). Turn into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes or until just set. Cool on rack.

Remove sides of springform pan. Cover cheesecake and chill until serving time. Lace some Fresh Fruit Puree on top or garnish with thin slices fresh fruit. Serve with remaining fruit puree. Makes 16 servings.

Each serving contains about:

133 calories; 107 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

This thick, creamy and tangy concoction makes a wonderful substitute for sour cream in many dessert recipes. You may sweeten it with low-sugar fresh fruit preserves or fruit juice concentrate.

Yogurt Cheese

1 quart nonfat plain yogurt

Place yogurt in fine strainer lined with cheesecloth and place over deep bowl. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or until thick, or yields 2 cups. Discard whey liquid (about 2 cups) or use as substitute in recipes calling for nonfat milk as in baking bread.

Fresh Fruit Puree

1 1/2 cups hulled strawberries, mango pulp or other fresh fruit in season

2 tablespoons sugar or to taste

Puree strawberries with sugar until smooth. Makes about 1 cup.

Note: Two kinds of fruit may be pureed separately and spooned in spiral or lattice fashion over cheesecake.

The low-calorie rice pudding flan is so delicious by itself that you may want to save the calories and fat in the crust, and serve it without the pastry.

RICE FLAN TART WITH CANDIED GINGER

3 cups nonfat milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split

1/4 cup medium-grain rice

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar

1 (8-ounce) carton frozen egg substitute, thawed

1/3 cup low-fat ricotta cheese or pureed fat-free cottage cheese

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons finely slivered candied ginger

Low-Fat Sweet Pastry

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon powdered sugar, optional

Sliced candied ginger, optional

Bring nonfat milk to boil in medium saucepan. Add vanilla bean and rice. Cover partially and simmer until rice is almost tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and continue cooking 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove vanilla bean.

Blend egg substitute with ricotta cheese. Stir into rice mixture with candied ginger. Carefully pour into prepared pastry shell, filling almost to top (if there’s any flan mixture left from incomplete reduction in cooking, place in small custard dish, cover and microwave 40 to 60 seconds or until set.)

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Serve warm and garnish with sliced candied ginger if desired. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

183 calories; 102 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.25 gram fiber.

The use of oat flour blend and cake flour is what gives this low-fat crust its tenderness. It also makes it more difficult to roll, but don’t despair: The dough is easily patched.

Low-Fat Sweet Pastry

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons oat flour blend

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons very cold water

Sift flours, cardamom and sugar into large bowl. Rub in butter with fingers or cut in with pastry blender until size of small peas. Using fork, stir in oil. Slowly add cold water, 1 teaspoon at time, tossing with fork until flour is moistened without being wet.

Gather dough with moist hands, shape into flattened round and let rest about 15 minutes. Roll 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured board. (To facilitate rolling, dough may also be rolled between sheets of wax paper. Or unrolled dough may be placed in pan and gently pressed to cover inside of pan.) Gently lift and press onto 9-inch square tart pan with removable bottom. Cut off dough edges. Bake at 425 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 servings.

Note: Unsalted butter will give a more delicate fresh flavor in this pastry. Add a dash of salt if using.