Strawberry Surplus

It’s that time of year again! The time of the year when the strawberries are fresh, plentiful and alluring. So alluring in fact, that this past week I found myself with a huge strawberry surplus.

We Sweet Peas love strawberries and have been feasting on them fresh for a few weeks. I’ve added them to spinach salads, pancakes and desserts, but I was looking for a new recipe to use the copious amounts of strawberries in our home.

This recipe is a Sweet Pea original recipe geared for those families who might be trying to limit their child(ren)’s sugar intake. This quick bread recipe is naturally sweet, but only includes ¼ cup sugar (plus 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a topping, if you choose to do so), a mere fraction of a traditional quick bread recipe. With whole wheat flour and applesauce and egg whites replacing the oil and whole eggs, it is healthful too.

Spring Strawberry Bread

1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour (or you can use all purpose flour)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 egg whites
¼ cup applesauce
¾ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of diced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites and add the applesauce, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mixing only to incorporate. Add the strawberries and mix just a few times, to ensure good distribution throughout the batter.

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Add the batter. If desired, top the batter with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 12 slices.

SPC