Cranberry-Cornmeal Quick Bread

• nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• unbleached all-purpose flour↗1 cup
• whole wheat flour↗1 cup
• medium-grind whole grain cornmeal or 1 cup regular cornmeal↗1 cup
• Splenda sugar substitute↗1⁄2 cup
• salt↗1 1⁄2 teaspoons
• baking powder↗1 1⁄2 teaspoons
• nonfat milk↗1 1⁄4 cups

  (soured with 2-3 tsp of lemon juice)

• heart healthy margarine↗1⁄4 cup

  melted

• unsweetened applesauce↗1⁄4 cup
• sugar-free maple syrup↗1⁄2 cup

  (E.D. Smith brand will have 16g sugar in 1/2 a cup)

• egg white1⁄2 cup

  (or 2 large eggs if you wish)

• maple extract↗1⁄2 teaspoon

  (or up to a tsp depending on how strong to would like the flavor to be)

• chopped pecans3⁄4 cup

  plus

• pecan halves↗10

  (to garnish)

• cup unsweetened dried cranberries (about 3 ounces)↗2⁄3

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

2. 2

   Spray 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray.

3. 3

   Whisk both flours, cornmeal, Splenda, salt, and baking powder in large bowl.

4. 4

   Whisk buttermilk, melted margarine, maple syrup, egg whites, and extract in medium bowl.

5. 5

   Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended.

6. 6

   Stir in chopped pecans and the cranberries. Spoon batter into pan.

7. 7

   Arrange pecan halves in row down center of batter.

8. 8

   Bake bread until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into center of bread comes out clean, tenting bread loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool.