DIABETIC-FRIENDLY PINEAPPLE-PECAN BREAD

I made this bread several years ago as a birthday gift for a friend who loves pineapple and eating sugar-free.  I decided to experiment and see what I could come up with. It turned out to be quite tasty. If you enjoy 'sweet' breads, give this a try.

1/4 cup pecans, chopped fine
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/8 tsp lemon juice or 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
3/4 cup Splenda granulated
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
8 1/2-oz can crushed pineapple in it's own juice (no syrupy pineapple!)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch* loaf pan with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans over the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle a pinch of Splenda over the pecans and spray lightly with the cooking spray.  Set pan aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, blend the canola oil and flaxseed; add the lemon juice or peel, Splenda, and egg.  Mix until well blended.

Combine the flours, baking soda, and baking powder in another bowl.  Add flour mixture to the Splenda mixture alternately with the pineapple, mixing until well blended after each addition.  Begin and end with the flour mixture.

Mix in the milk until blended then stir in the  1/2 cup of pecans.

Spread the mixture over the pecans in the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Note: For health reasons, I do not add salt to most of my baking.  If you want to add salt, I would only add a pinch! Also, I used a 9-inch loaf pan and that is the bread pictured below. I have since decided than an 8-inch pan allows for a thicker bread.