I didn't know this but apparently it's true. Got this tip from a healthy eating book and then looked it up on the internet. Bet it makes great scones. It must be a similar consistency to margarine, but it would also replace some of the sugar needed through it's natural sweetness. And of course prunes are great for you and help keep you regular.

Combine 1-1/3 cups (8 oz.) pitted prunes and 6 Tablespoons water in container of food processor. Pulse on and off until prunes are finely chopped. Makes 1 cup.

This mixture can be used as a substitute for fat in baking - use 1 tablespoon puree for 1 tablespoon fat. Stores very well in refrigerator.
Suittabe for Vegetarians and vegans

Here's a bit more info:

Prune purée, which can be found in jars in most supermarkets, is broadly touted (primarily by the California Prune Board) as a fat substitute. In baked goods, substituting prune purée for butter or other fat can reduce cholesterol to zero and calories by up to 30 percent. The purée contributes moisture, a slightly chewy texture and a pruny flavor that can range from mild to moderately aggressive, depending on the other flavors in the food.

Andrew, you're a star! I usually only have prunes the evening before weekly weigh-in for obvious reasons

Now I have an excuse to eat them more often

I also read that the same can be done with apple sauce, though it's a partial substitute, you have to use half the fat and half sauce.

Also, you can buy prunes in fruit juice in tins, though you have to remove the stones. I'm not sure whether the puree is made from dried ones or the fresh/tinned variety.

... these are what I usually buy but you can get them without stones - can't remember which make. In your first post you could use the juice instead of water, but I think you'd need to use a bit less.

Will give your idea to my veggie, always-baking friend who is into fat-free recipes and ask her to try it out!

I would have thought the tinned prunes contain too much water to make a decent enough 'fat sub', would it be solid enough to bind other ingedients?
Interesting post - will have to give this a go. Thanks.
Emm

This thread inspired me to dig out a recipe that I'd never got round to trying - fat free healthy chocolate fudge brownies, from Anita Bean's Food for Fitness:-

Melt 100g of plain chocolate.

Puree 100g of prunes with 3 tbls water until roughly smooth. Mix with 3 egg whites, 200g light brown sugar, pinch of salt and tblsp vanilla essence.

Add melted choc and stir until smooth.

Fold in 65g of sieved plain flour. Pour into lighly oiled 15cm/6in square baking tin and bake at 180 C for 1 hour. When cool, vut into 16 squares.

Each square is 118 cal (there is quite a lot of sugar - you could try and experiment perhaps with Canderel or Splenda?).

I made them last night. They are quite rich and chewy, and don't taste of prunes particularly, although my husband wasn't impressed by them (but then he's not into healthy stuff generally). Unfortunately I do keep picking at them...

Do the brownies taste 'healthy'? Sounds like something worth trying anyhow!

Dunno, what about cubs, scouts and guides , I'm not a cannibal so I cant say. Kudu are quite nice, a bit rich though.

I guess the puree would also work very well as a fat replacement in Flapjacks as you'd get the sweetness (you'd need less syrup or honey), the taste of the fruit and the chewy texture all in one.

I'm not sure what you mean by "healthy" - as in do they taste like rabbit food that I really wouldn't be eating by choice save for the fact that I am trying to lose weight... well, no, they don't. Do they taste like your favourite chocolote brownie from your favourite restaurant, probably not.

I thought they tasted nice for what they were - a healthy-ish alternative to an unhealthy snack (and they have lots of extra vitamins and fibre from the prunes too)

Will def try it.

I have to say that these have probably improved now they are a day or two old.

Got the prunes today going to bake later on! xx

Just took them out of the oven. They do smell good and I tasted the raw mix - was good. However my boyfriend pointed out that the batch producing 16 means they are going to be rather small - about 4cm x 4cm. So I don't know how good I'll be at just having one!!

Would be interesting to try with splenda as suggested by Teresa, it is quite a lot of sugar considering the volume you get. My 'full fat' brownie recipe which makes a huge roasting tins worth (probably about 4 times as much as this recipe), uses 375g sugar (but of course a lot more fat with egg yolks and a load of butter!!).

And....?

I think they're really good - stodgy and rich like brownies should be and the prunes aren't really noticeable.

My only issue with them is the number you get out of the batch - I would need 2 to satisfy and that's 236 cals... I reckon it could be amended though as you suggested, replacing some sugar with splenda.