Gluten and Casein Free, Vegan Apple Bread

Making apple bread has been on my to do list all day. However, it is after 9:00pm and I just took it out of the oven. That is a consequence of spending the afternoon absorbed in the adventures of Peter Blood, Arabella and the vicious Colonel Bishop in Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini.

The apple bread recipe is from Babycakes by Erin McKenna. Babycakes has several recipes I like including gluten free, vegan brownies and frosting. I've found that many gluten free baked goods do not taste pleasant when fresh from the oven. This recipe is an exception. It is delicious warm or cold and freezes well. Part of this batch is going in the freezer for an upcoming camping trip.

Apple - Cinnamon Toastie

Babycakes by Erin McKenna

1 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour

1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice (I use less than 1 cup)

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup melted coconut oil (We had macadamia nut oil open, so I used that.)

1/3 cup applesauce

2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups hot water

1 cup roasted apples - (You may roast apples in the oven, but I've found that chunky applesauce with extra cinnamon works well. Slice the apple chunks before mixing in.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 7 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan or four mini loaf pans.

Mix dry ingredients then add wet ingredients and fold in applesauce. Place in loaf pan and bake at 325 for 25 minutes then brush top with oil. Continue baking for 15 minutes or until crunchy and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand in pan for 20 minutes. Cover the cooled uncut toasties with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 3 days.

I bake this bread much longer than called for - until the top is well browned. In Babycakes there are a few extra steps to create a swirl in the bread. I skip that to save on time and dishes and it does not change the flavor.

Kudos to my mother who cleans up all the mess I make!