Skinny Strawberry Bread

So moist and full of strawberry flavor, you would never think its been slimmed down.  I love to bake banana bread.  I am not sure which is better, the smell that takes over the house for hours while and after it cooks, or savoring that fresh out the oven melt in your mouth first piece.  Any who, I have been working on a skinny banana bread recipe when today I thought to myself why can't I just use over ripe strawberries and make strawberry bread!  Omagosh! I have to say that I like strawberry bread just as much as and maybe even more than banana bread.  I used some overly ripe strawberries I had in the fridge, but I think frozen strawberries (thawed) would work as well.

 Skinny Strawberry Bread

Servings: 10 • Calories: 107 • Fat: 3g • Carbs: 19g • Fiber: 1g • WW Points: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups over ripe strawberries, halved
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sugar  
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with your choice of non stick spray.  (I like to use a butter flavored one.)

Mash strawberries to desired consistency.  I like chunks in my bread, so I left it pretty lumpy.  The 2 cups of halved strawberries turned into just over a cup of mashed chunky strawberry liquidy goodness.  Add splenda and mix. Set aside strawberries.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter, and egg on medium.  Add apple sauce and almond extract to bowl and mix.  

Sift in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix on medium a minute or two until well incorporated.  Pour in strawberries and mix on low or by hand, careful to not over mix strawberry chunks. 

                                                       

Scrape all the batter into the pan, taking care to not get any on the sides to prevent from burning.  Once in the pan, I like to give the pan a quick tap or two to make any bubbles come out and help the batter distribute evenly in the pan.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.  This can vary greatly depending on your oven.  (When I make banana bread, it usually takes about 55 minutes in my oven if that helps any.)

Resist the urge to cut into it right out the oven!  (Your house is definitely smelling good right now by the way.) Oh and if you are not the only one in the house, tell them to get out the kitchen... it needs to cool for 10 minutes. :)

Using a butter knife, gently make sure none of the edges are stuck to the pan.  Flip bread onto your hand and then flip the bread onto a plate. Voila! As my four year old would say the "strawberry cake is done"!  Let me know what you think of it.  My whole family just loves this stuff!