Strawberry Banana Bread

This is moist bread. Very moist. It's so moist that when you bite into your sweet, cakey, fruity slice the bread becomes a pudding which you will allow to dissolve on your tongue as you contemplate why anyone would ever eat raw fruit when you can pour sugar on it. Never fear for your thighs, though. This is also very healthy, rather low-calorie bread.


Strawberry Banana Bread
makes two smallish loaves with about 12 slices each

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Splenda for baking
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed Banana, the older the better (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat applesauce with splenda, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in banana and strawberries. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into banana mixture. Pour into two greased loaf pans and allow to sit for a bit before baking, like you would with pancake batter. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

By my rough estimates and rather meager serving sizes, this bread has about 62 calories per slice. That's pretty darn good for a sweet bread that requires no topping whatsoever. To do so would really be overkill. I like this recipe because there are no additional spices, so all you taste are the fresh strawberries and very ripe bananas, a combination perfect for a lovely summer evening spent watching a thunderstorm from the relative safety of one's living room.