Oils and fats are essential ingredients for baking breads and cakesto keep your product moist. Shortening is fat that is a solid at room temperature and is used to make brownies, cakes, bread or muffins. Examples of shortening include butter, margarine, vegetable oils and lard. All of them are wrong for your waistline. But you can make muffins and quick breads with less saturated fat and trans fat and fewer calories to enjoy lighter foods and to keep your weight in check. Use three ripe, very well-mashed bananas instead of 1/2 cup butter or shortening or oil. The creamy ripe mashed banana puree is perfect for replacing fat in baking recipes. This will work especially well in spice-infused breads or carrot cake.