The last six months have been quite a journey for me and my kitchen. I discovered that I am allergic to dairy, and that even the smallest hint of casein, lactose, and whey will give me side effects. I did not realize quite how big the mountain before me was. But scale it I did! I could not have done this without Alisa Marie Fleming’s “Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living.” You can also visit her website: http://www.godairyfree.org/Go-Dairy-Free-Guidebook.html. The great thing about her recipes is that so many of them come with alterations that can take other allergies into account. For instance, I always make this bread with the banana instead of the eggs or yogurt. One, it’s cheaper. Two, it makes this bread vegan (which just impresses people when they bite into it).
This bread recipe has been one of my favorites. If I invite you to my house, you will probably eat it. I’ve made this with both the Carrot and Zucchini, and love both in their own ways. I included the recipe for the glaze, but I’ve personally always found it so moist that I never felt it needed it. There is also a pretty small amount of sugar for the type of bread it is, and the fruit adds such good sweetness that I’m going to start experimenting without the sugar. I’ll let you know the end result. Enjoy!
Carrot or Zucchini-Pineapple Bread
Bread: 2 cups all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. allspice 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ¾ light brown sugar, firmly packed ½ cup grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil or dairy-free margarine, softened (or regular butter) 1 cup grated zucchini or carrot 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice (do not drain!) 2 eggs, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, or mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium), or 1/3 cup plain diary-free yogurt (or regular yogurt) ½ cup chopped raisins (omit if using zucchini) ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Optional Glaze:
1 Tablespoon pineapple juice (reserved from crushed pineapple) ½ cup powdered sugar 1 tsp. agave nectar or corn syrup (I would probably use honey) ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat over to 350 and grease the bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, blend the brown sugar, oil, eggs (or yogurt, applesauce, or banana) until smooth and creamy. Stir in the rest of the pineapple (reserve 1 tbsp if making glaze) and carrot or zucchini. Add flour mixture to your mixing bowl and stir just to combine. Be careful not to over-mix, a few lumps are okay. Gently fold in the raisins and nuts, if using. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool for 10 min. before removing it from the pan.
To make the glaze, combine pineapple juice with powdered sugar, syrup, and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Mix until smooth, and spoon over the warm loaf. For an extra-moist loaf, poke holes in the top of the loaf before pouring on the glaze. Allow the bread to cool completely, wrap, and store in refrigerator.
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