For a long time we were using Fleischman's low-sodium margarine, as it was the only vegan margarine we could find easily at the grocery store. However, the more I read about genetically modified soy, the more wary I became of a margarine made from non-organically grown soybean oil. At the same time, I became queasy a few times after eating something made with Fleischman's. I don't know if there was any cause and effect, but I decided it was time to try something different.
We've switched over to Earth Balance Shortening, which is sold at Whole Foods and other natural food stores. Earth Balance also sells Buttery Sticks, but I find them tricky to bake with because they are so salty. My daughter refused to eat some cookies because they were too salty, and she was right. The shortening is unsalted, so there's better control over the final product. If you can only find the Buttery Sticks, I suggest cutting the recipe's salt in half or even less, depending on your tolerance for a salty flavor in your baked goods.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Applesauce Bread
If I call this bread, I can eat it for any meal, but if I call it cake, it's only for dessert. So let's call it bread, shall we?
Now, why would we want to eat this bread for any meal? Because, in the words of my daughter who can eat whatever she wants, "I thought this was just going to be another one of your boring crumbly things, but it's delicious!" Today, I was walking along with some chips in a bowl, and she looked eagerly at me and asked what I had. When I said it was chips, she looked at me with forlorn brown eyes and said "oh, I thought it was going to be that cake." I quickly whipped up another pan for her!
What I love about this recipe is that it never called for eggs or milk, so it was easy to adapt to be gluten-free. I've been able to lift some of my salicylate restrictions, but if you are a fail-safer, the cinnamon and cloves are out...
Beat:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine (we use Earth Balance shortening)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Add in:
2 cups gluten-free flour blend: I recommend using 1/4 cup each of rice flour, potato starch, teff flour, and sorghum flour, plus 1 scant tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Spread into a 9 inch round pan, or whatever size/shape suits you, and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!
Now, why would we want to eat this bread for any meal? Because, in the words of my daughter who can eat whatever she wants, "I thought this was just going to be another one of your boring crumbly things, but it's delicious!" Today, I was walking along with some chips in a bowl, and she looked eagerly at me and asked what I had. When I said it was chips, she looked at me with forlorn brown eyes and said "oh, I thought it was going to be that cake." I quickly whipped up another pan for her!
What I love about this recipe is that it never called for eggs or milk, so it was easy to adapt to be gluten-free. I've been able to lift some of my salicylate restrictions, but if you are a fail-safer, the cinnamon and cloves are out...
Beat:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine (we use Earth Balance shortening)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Add in:
2 cups gluten-free flour blend: I recommend using 1/4 cup each of rice flour, potato starch, teff flour, and sorghum flour, plus 1 scant tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Spread into a 9 inch round pan, or whatever size/shape suits you, and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!
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