Cranberry Almond Loaf
I am thrilled to let you all know that I am working with the Almond Board of California to promote healthy and delicious eating. Why am I doing this? As you can imagine, I love almonds. They are a superfood and of course one of my favorite things to nibble on. I like almonds so much that I wrote an entire book about them. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook uses almonds in all of its recipes and is a wonderful symbol of my love for that most nutritious of all nuts. In my work with the Almond Board, I have written 4 recipes just for them (and you all, of course). Here is the first one for a Cranberry Almond Loaf.
I am thrilled to let you all know that I am working with the Almond Board of California to promote healthy and delicious eating. Why am I doing this? As you can imagine, I love almonds. They are a superfood and of course one of my favorite things to nibble on. I like almonds so much that I wrote an entire book about them. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook uses almonds in all of its recipes and is a wonderful symbol of my love for that most nutritious of all nuts. In my work with the Almond Board, I have written 4 recipes just for them (and you all, of course). Here is the first one for a Cranberry Almond Loaf.
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/4 cup dried apricots chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
- olive oil for greasing
- blanched almond flour for dusting
- Carbohydrate 7.69301041969483 g
- Cholesterol 115.917708333333 mg
- Fat 13.6664750038139 g
- Fiber 1.72785418645532 g
- Protein 6.23943958486775 g
- Saturated Fat 4.14345708391696 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (54g)
- Sodium 162.139583334534 mg
- Sugar 5.96515623323951 g
- Trans Fat 1.12065791683748 g
- Calories 170 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, blend almond butter, olive oil and eggs with a hand blender until smooth
- In a medium bowl, combine arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda
- Blend arrowroot mixture into wet ingredients until thoroughly combined
- Fold in apricots, cranberries, seeds and sliced almonds
- Grease a 7.5 x 3.5 magic line loaf pan with olive oil and dust with almond flour
- Transfer batter into loaf pan and sprinkle remaining sliced almonds on top
- Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted into center comes out clean
- Let bread cool in pan for 1 hour, then serve
Managing the Batter Consistency
Room temperature almond butter mixes readily with liquid eggs and olive oil, whereas cold nut butter seizes and creates greasy pockets that prevent the arrowroot and baking soda from dispersing evenly. Incorporating the dry powders thoroughly into the wet emulsion ensures the chemical leavener activates uniformly when exposed to heat. Folding the chopped dried apricots, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds gently at the very end distributes heavy mix-ins without sinking them to the bottom of the pan.Baking and Cooling Mechanics
Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for forty to fifty minutes requires vigilance, as nut-based batters brown much faster than traditional wheat doughs. Testing doneness with a knife inserted into the center guarantees the interior has set completely. Allowing the loaf to rest undisturbed in its pan for precisely one hour lets the internal starches retrogradely cool and firm up, preventing the crumb from crumbling apart under the knife.
