Recipe: Weight Watchers Low-Fat Brandied Fruit Cake

LOW-FAT BRANDIED FRUIT CAKE

"Though the ingredients list seems long, this holiday staple is a breeze to make and gets results even fruit cake loathers will love."

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reduced-calorie tub margarine
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger 1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (orange part only)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (yellow part only)
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 dried apricot halves, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
6 large pitted prunes, chopped
6 dried dates, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons brandy, bourbon or rum

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; spray a 9-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the margarine until creamy; add the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, beating until fluffy. Add the buttermilk, egg substitute, orange peel, lemon peel and vanilla, beating until well-blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Gently stir in the apricots, raisins, prunes, dates and brandy. Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Note: If you have the time, soak the dried fruit in the brandy for a few hours -- or a few days -- in a tightly covered container.

Makes 18 servings

Per serving: Calories: 141 (10% from protein, 78% from carbohydrate, 12% from fat); Protein: 3.5 grams Total fat: 2 grams Saturated fat: .4 gram Cholesterol: 1 mg Sodium: 175 mg Carbohydrate: 27.1 grams Fiber: 1.8 grams

Exchanges: 1/4 fruit, 1 starch, 1/4 fat

Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook