In 1988 Michael’s grandfather, Robert Frost, found himself needing bypass surgery. Fear of losing her husband, Michael’s Grandmother, Margaret Hidalgo Frost, completely changed her husband’s way of eating by changing the way she cooked. Per the Doctor’s and The American Heart Association’s recommendation, Margaret followed a low fat, low cholesterol diet. Robert now was eating less red meat, more fish and chicken with the skin removed, and low fat milk.
When writing this post, I hesitated to label her recipes as “heart healthy”, even though her self titled cookbook is called Heart Smart Cuisine. Mainly because the idea of healthy seems so subjective. Desperately trying to avoid a great debate as to whether a recipe is “heart healthy”, I decide to honor her memory and efforts and label her recipe as what she saw them as. In my personal opinion, I think it is fair to label her recipe’s a “heart healthy”. Not because my opinion is based on scientific facts and years of research but because of one man and one woman. This is the facts as I know them… Grandpa had a heart attack. Grandma made him change his way of eating. Grandpa never had heart surgery again even though doctors seem to suspect he would eventually need surgery again at some point. Grandpa is currently 97 years old and continues to follow the diet his wife instilled in him years ago.
Grandma’s Heart Healthy Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups self rising flour
- 1¼ cups reduced fat Bisquick
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup Canola Oil
- ¼ cup egg beaters
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp all spice
- 1⅓ cups fat free buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Lemon Sauce mix 1½ cups of sugar and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Gradually add 1 cup bottled apple juice. Stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat to cool. Add 1tbsp egg substitute, 1 teaspoon lemon rind and 3 tbsp lemon juice. Return to heat and cook to desired thickness.
- English Cream Recipe follows
Instructions
- 1. Set oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients ( except lemon sauce and English cream) and using an electric mixer, beat thoroughly until mixture is smooth.
- 2. Pour batter into a 9 X 13 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve with lemon sauce or English Cream.
- English Cream: Combine ¾ egg substitute and ½ cup sugar. Set aside. Warm 2 cups fat free half and half to a low simmer. Remove 1 cup cream and whisk into the egg mixture. When thoroughly mixed, add to remaining cup of cream. Do not let it come to a boil. Continue to cook and stir until mixture coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and add 1 Tbsp. bourbon.
- Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Filling: Spray tube pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside. Prepare Cream Cheese filling ( see below). Set aside. Spoon ½ gingerbread batter into prepared tube pan. Place filling in center of batter within ½ inch of edge. Top filling with remaining batter. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until done. Spoon Lemon Glaze ( see below) over top while cake is still warm. When sliced the filling appears to be in a tube surrounded by gingerbread. Serve with English Cream on the side.
- Cream Cheese Filling: Combine 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, ⅓ cup flour, and ¼ cup of egg beaters. Cook over medium heat until thickened. When cool, spread over cake or use as jelly roll filling.
- Lemon Glaze: Combine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice with 1 cup confectioner's sugar.