B&B Bread

Well, Gluten. Apparently when I broke up with you, and we divvied up our things, you thought you could take the bread. All the delicious bread. Well today I take it back, because this stuff rocks the socks.

Of all the recipes I've worked on, this one has been the most tweaked and adjusted. Loaf after loaf; too dense, too moist, too spongy, wrong flavor... until this! This fabulously easy recipe that only requires you to blend and bake. And then munch.

I really wanted something so tasty I'd be happy to eat it on it's own, but also flavor-neutral enough to use for other things like sweet loaves and bread pudding. And this checks all the boxes. Welcome back toast, sandwiches, bread pudding and french toast! You've been missed.

* B&B = Blend and Bake = Super Easy

Served here with raw crystalized honey (...not applesauce)

* This makes a small loaf, with slices about 2" x 4". For us, this means a couple little sandwiches instead of one big one. No biggie.

YIELD 16 slices

INGREDIENTS

Wet:

        3/4 cup raw cashews (soaked is best, but unsoaked will work too - read note on blending below)

        3 eggs

        2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

        1 teaspoon honey

Dry:

        1 cup almond flour

        1 tablespoon flax meal

        3 tablespoons tapioca flour

        3/4 teaspoon baking soda   

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        Coconut oil to coat loaf pan

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Put wet ingredients (including cashews) in a high powered blender or food processor and process until thoroughly combined

    2.    Add dry ingredients and process until smooth-ish (see blending note below)

    3.    Pour batter into oiled loaf pan and bake at 325F for 40 minutes

    4.    Allow to cool before removing loaf from pan and slicing

NOTES

Blending: There may still be a "grainy" texture when you're done blending, but that's okay. You just want the texture to be consistent, without big lumps. I personally don't mind if there are little bits of cashew in my slices of bread, but if that bugs you, be sure to soak the cashews in filtered water with a tablespoon of salt for several hours prior to baking, then rinse and pat dry. That will smooth the texture even further (and decrease phytic acid content).

B&B Cashew Flatbread

I can't tell you how much I love this recipe. It's just scrumptious. Chewy, crunchy, bready scrumptiousness. I love it as an alternative to serving bread with soup, chili, salad, or grabbing and munching on the go. And it freezes well, if you decide to make several batches at a time. Our favorite is this basic recipe, but there's so much room for play here! Herbs, garlic, parmesan... think of it as a delicious blank canvas.

B&B = blend and bake = super easy

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 cup raw cashews

        2 tablespoons tapioca starch

        1 egg, beaten

        3 tablespoons full fat canned coconut milk

        1 tablespoon ghee, butter or coconut oil (I love ghee with this one!)

        1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Blend all ingredients until smooth (should be sticky and hummus-like) - I use my immersion blender in a glass jar

    2.    On a silicone baking mat or wax paper, spread into 2 disks, about 6" diameter each

    3.    Bake at 350F for about 15 min (more time = crispier, less time = chewier)

    4.    I slice each round into 4 pieces and serve 2 pieces per person

NOTES

You can control how crunchy or chewy it gets, depending on how thick it is when you bake it. This means it can also make great crackers! Just spread into 4 very thin disks and bake 10-12 minutes, or until it's as crunchy as you prefer (probably not more than 18 minutes)

If you choose to soak the cashews first, do so in filtered water with 1/4 tablespoon of salt, then rinse and pat dry before using.