cup chopped walnuts
PREHEAT THE oven to 325F. Lightly grease a 9 5-inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the soy milk, orange juice, canola oil, sugar and vanilla.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice. Mix just until smooth. The batter will be thicker than a normal cake batter, so don't be alarmed!
Fold in the orange zest, cranberries, and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 1 hour. Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Flip it right side up to cool further.
LOWER-FAT BANANA BREAD.
MAKES ONE LOAF.
TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES, NOT INCLUDING COOLING TIME.
This bread is pure, unadulterated banana goodness. No one will know it's lower in fat, swear to God. We've made this with two large or three small bananas, but don't stress about the exact measurement; it always comes out really yummy.
Never use a hand mixer for banana bread because it makes it gummy; treat it like a muffin batter and mix with a wooden spoon just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. In fact, if you would like to turn these into muffins, pour the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake for eighteen minutes.
2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
cup applesauce
cup canola oil
cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon ground nutmeg (or grated fresh)
teaspoon salt
Spray the measuring spoon with a little oil before measuring out the molasses; it will slide out very easily.
PREHEAT THE oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 5-inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really, really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.
Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean. (If you're using the chips then of course some chocolate will come out on your knife.) Remove from the oven and invert onto a cooling rack; flip the bread right side up and let cool.
APPLESAUCE-OAT BRAN MUFFINS.
MAKES 12 MUFFINS.
TIME: 45 MINUTES.
Apples and oat bran are as honest as a muffin can get. These may be our favorite in this triptych of well-behaved baked goods. These little muffins have a special moist texture and a distinctive applesauce aroma and oat bran's hearty texture. Oat bran can be found in the cereals section; it's sold as a hot cereal but also leads a secret double life of lending plenty of heart-healthy fiber to baked goods.
cup soy or rice milk
teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
cup brown sugar, packed
1 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
cup oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
teaspoon ground nutmeg
teaspoon salt
cup raisins or dried cranberries or dried apple pieces