Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Almond Butter Bread - Grain-free, Gluten-free


Gluten-free, Grain-free, Sugar-free, Dairy-free, Yeast-free, Low Carbohydrate, and a Good Source of Protein

Notes from Lois:
Cancer can't survive without sugar, so just in case there may be a minute amount of cancerous cells lurking in my body, I don't want to give it fuel.  Having seen my mother and others suffer from cancer, let's just say I want to do all I can to avoid that dreaded disease.

Since going sugar-free, gluten-free and grain-free, I have come to really enjoy a slice of this toasted bread with eggs.  A teaspoon of almond butter on top is delicious!


This recipe does not fall as some similar recipes do. 

Another way to add extra flavor to this bread would be to toast it and sprinkle a cinnamon and stevia mixture over the buttered bread.

Trader Joe's or Costco's carries almond butter at good prices.  The only ingredient should be almonds - no sugar or other sweetener.  I prefer the crunchy in this recipe.  If you don't use crunchy almond butter, you may want to add slivered almonds for some crunch!

I buy coconut oil at Vitacost, iherb, or Costco.  It should be organic, extra virgin, and cold pressed oil.  Whole Foods is another good source.


Real salt, tapioca flour, and stevia (I use Nustevia which is super sweet - use very little) are purchased from i-herb.    There is no shipping fee when ordering a relatively small amount, and the package arrives in just a few days.

When I make this recipe, I mix enough ingredients for 4 loaves and place the batter into 3 large loaf pans.  


The almond butter from Costco's contains 3 cups, so no stirring or measuring is necessary when going by the 4 loaf recipe.

I still use my aluminum bread pans, but line them carefully with parchment paper, so the batter doesn't touch the pan at all.  And with no greasing, they lift right out of the pan when removed from the oven!

After the loaves cool completely, I slice them and place them into freezer bags and freeze.  I keep the loaf I am using stored in the refrigerator.


I also add 4 to 8 oz. dried cranberries, sweetened with apple juice to a 4-loaf batch.  Delicious!  Most dried cranberries have sugar, so I avoid those.

I also add doTERRA essential oils to the batter ~ 10 drops each of wild orange and lemon essential oil for delicious flavor.  It must be a brand that is therapeutically safe to ingest.

Wet ingredients:

Yield: 1 loaf                                               Yield: 4 loaves 
                                                                    I put this into 3 pans)

3/4 cup crunchy almond butter           (3 cups)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted                   (1 cup)
4 eggs, organic, pastured                       (16 eggs)

10 drops wild orange essential oil, therapeutically pure
10 drops lemon essential oil, therapeutically pure


Dry Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. baking soda                                 (2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (I use Real Salt)            (2 tsp.)     
1/4 cup almond flour                               (1 cup)
1/4 cup tapioca flour                                (1 cup)

1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)                   (1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.)
stevia to taste                                             (to taste)
dried cranberries, sweetened with apple juice  (4-8 oz.)


Instructions:
1.  Turn oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Grease or line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 bread pan with parchment paper, covering all aluminum.
3.  Blend the wet ingredients in a mixer.
4.  Add the dry ingredients and mix only until blended.  The batter will be thick and quite sticky.
5.  Spoon into prepared bread pan, and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the dough pulls away from the edges of the pan and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6.  Allow to cool on a rack.  After cooled completely, slice into 16 slices and store in a Ziplock freezer bag in freezer.  Store the one you are using at the time in the refrigerator.



Three loaves (using the 4-loaf recipe), will last 39 days (16 slices each).