Warm Baked Bread on a Cold Winter's Day

The holidays are almost over and I am ready for the New Year! Today I’ve taken down the decorations and am getting very excited about what this next year will bring!

            The weather here is dreary and grey which makes me long for comfort foods. One of my loves is baking, any kind of sweet or bread. Today, I began thinking about gluten free baking and how being gluten free might change my lifestyle. I’ve really been too busy this holiday season to bake like I usually do, so I decided today to try out the new baking “lifestyle”. I have decided that on a day like today, Banana Nut Bread is just what the doctor ordered! It turned out GREAT!!!!

 Here is my recipe for Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread:

3 or 4 ripe bananas mashed up

1/3 cup melted butter (I use organic unsalted)

½ cup applesauce (I use organic no sugar added)

¾ cup sugar (I use raw turbinado)

1 egg

1-teaspoon gluten free vanilla

1-teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1-½ cups of all-purpose gluten free flour (I used arrowhead but any gluten free all-purpose will do)

Walnuts (I usually use about ½ cup but feel free to add as many or as few as you like!)

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Stir in the walnuts. Pour into a well-greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let the loaf cool on a rack, turn out on plate, slice and enjoy!

This recipe can also be made with wheat flour, but I am amazed at the way the gluten free flour brings out the flavor of the bananas, apples, and walnuts!

Happy New Year, Ya’ll!!!!