A surprising trick for healthier holiday cooking

(NC) The holidays are a time for gathering with family and friends, and indulging in seasonal treats. Many of those holiday favourites are high in fat and sugar, but there’s a substitute you can use to get that nice treat you’re looking for without feeling naughty.

Prune purée can replace some of the fat or sugar in many recipes. Made with two simple ingredients, prunes and water, the purée has a natural sweetness and a smooth texture that makes it an effective addition to many baking recipes, and a number of savoury dishes. Here’s how to sub it in:

• Sugar: You can replace from one-third to one-half of a recipe’s sugar with an equal amount of prune purée. It’s a more subtle sweetness than cane sugar, and because the purée contains water, it adds extra moisture. For these reasons, it’s best to add it gradually until you find the sweetness and consistency you’re looking for.
• Butter and oil: To cut down on fat, replace up to half of a recipe’s butter or oil with an equal amount of prune purée. The extra liquid from the purée means that you should start small, adding in more as needed.

California prune purée has some flavour of its own—a mild fruity sweetness—that can add depth to treats like cookies and brownies. Another good reason to add it gradually to recipes is to make sure that the mild taste is supporting the other flavours, not overpowering them. It’s also quite easy to make:

Simple Prune Purée

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (454 g) California prunes, pitted
• 1/2 cup (125 g) hot water

Directions:

1. Add the prunes and hot water to a blender or food processor.
2. Blend together until smooth.

Tip: You can dial in the texture you’re looking for as you make the purée by adjusting the amount of water you put in—less for a thicker mix, more for a liquidy sweetener.

You can find more recipes and tips at californiaprunes.ca.

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A surprising trick for healthier cooking

(NC) Healthy eating starts with healthy cooking. Unfortunately, many favourite foods and treats are high in fat and sugar, especially baked goods. There’s a substitute that lets you enjoy your favourite treats in a healthier way.