lower-fat cranberry cornbread squares

Cranberry-Cornbread squares, fresh out of the oven.

Cornmeal-based baked goods are unfairly typecast. Cornbread tends to be savory or semi-savory while breakfast corn muffins usually lean on the sweet side. For this recipe, thinking "outside the savory box" required baking these tasty, sweet cornbread squares inside a box, 8" x 8" pan, to be exact. The slightly sour cranberries and orange juice and zest balance out the inherent sweetness of the cornmeal. Plus, I love how the ruby-red polka dots punctuate the sunshine yellow cake.

These Cranberry-Cornbread Squares are not exactly low fat – each square has about 4 grams. But compared to, say, store-bought corn muffins or buttery restaurant cornbread, they are practically angelic. These squares are divine for breakfast, slightly warmed with a dab of your favorite jam. They also pair nicely with a cup of afternoon tea.

Before I give you the recipe, please don't forget to enter my contest to win a $20 Gift Certificate to Allison's Gourmet. I'll be announcing the winner soon.

Bet you can't eat just one.

Cranberry-Cornbread Squares

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour [I used spelt]
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T soy flour 1 T baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 T canola oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Finely-grated zest of one organic orange
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries

Serves 9

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil a non-stick 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan.

Mix dry ingredients [first five] in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl.

Stir the wet ingredients [next four] into the dry until just combined. Do not overmix. Finally, gently stir in the zest and the cranberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.