Here’s a baking trick I picked up slowly.
Substitute one-half of the butter/margerine/shortening/lard in any recipe with applesauce.
I wish this gold-nugget had been pointed out to me sooner. It was a slow recognition of this trick found in low-fat, from-scratch brownie recipes that produced this change in my baking routine. I have not changed back.
I have tried using one-half applesauce to one-half butter in the following recipes with success.
- brownies
- oatmeal bars
- cakes
- muffins
- banana bread
I’ve also tried this with a homemade chicken terayaki marinade. The recipe follows:
Chicken Terayaki
Heat oven to 350*F. Place all listed ingredients in a roasting pan. If the roasting pan is dark, decrease the oven temperature by 25*F.
5 chicken breasts, (boneless, skinnless)
1/2 cube butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh ginger (grated)
3 cloves pressed garlic
15 oz. can of pineapple chunks with juice
Place in the oven and baste about every 10 minutes. If the chicken breasts are frozen, your entree should be done in 45 mins. to an hour. If thawed, the chicken should be done in about one-half hour.
There’s only one side effect to this fifty-fifty practice; the baked result is crisp, but carries a bit softer structure and texture. I did not tell my family of my secret ingredient until I was sure it would pass the rigors of their exacting tastebuds. It passed, with compliments to boot!
This recipe is a frugaldo due to the fact that substituting shortening with applesauce is cheaper. This also sneaks healthier ingredients into your food.
Happy frugaldoings!
