Lemon Bread Can Satisfy Your Craving For Sweets

When an irresistible craving for sweets strikes, give in to a slice of Lemon Honey Cranberry Bread instead of a doughnut.

This delicious, sweet-and-sour quick bread tastes as refreshing as a glass of fresh lemonade, but it’s far more satisfying because each slice is also studded with tart dried cranberries.

It’s exceptionally low in fat, too. A serving has just 137 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, which means that just 10 percent of the calories come from fat. The recipe makes two loaves but uses only two tablespoons of oil and one egg.

Because the high proportion of honey in the recipe results in a sturdy texture, it’s ideal for picnics and other outings.

Lemon Honey Cranberry Bread

Nonstick cooking spray

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

Grated rind of 2 medium lemons (about 2 teaspoons fresh rind or 1 teaspoon dried lemon rind)

1 egg

2-1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup lemonade

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 by 2-1/2-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the canola oil, honey, sugar, lemon rind and egg. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and lemon colored and the sugar has dissolved.

In a separate bowl, combine 2-1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, combine cranberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and toss to coat. (This helps keep the fruit from falling to the bottom of the loaf during baking.) Set cranberries aside.

With the electric mixer set on low speed, add the flour mixture to the honey, alternately with the lemonade. Beat 1 minute, or until the flour has been incorporated into the batter. Do not overbeat. Stir in the cranberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

Yield: 2 loaves or 24 slices.

Nutrition information per slice: 137 calories, 2 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 grams fat (10 percent fat calories), 8.8 milligrams cholesterol, 105 milligrams sodium.

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