657. Carrot Nut Bread#BreadBakers

Lets go Nuts!

I’m not saying that, but our Bread Bakers Group member Cindy suggested that we all go nuts in the month of June. Ok please don’t get us all wrong… didn’t mean we all go cuckoo or bonkers. Cindy who blogs at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings, has a beautiful and interesting blog. She suggested that we use nuts either as flour, meal, chopped or with nut butters.

I decided to make a carrot bread which I had been wanting to do for a long time. Living in a third world country does not allow me to buy nut flours or meals easily… they cost the earth. Nuts are expensive in this part of the world but I get my constant supply from either India, Canada or UK whenever I travel. Luckily, I’m not much into clothes, shoes and bags so my suitcase is usually filled with things all related to the kitchen!

I added fresh grated coconut along with a generous amount of nuts. Did you know that coconut is considered a fruit, nut and a seed? And that’s what the coast of Kenya has plenty of —coconuts. The coconut, carrot and nuts makes this bread quite dense.

Whenever I share a quick bread with friends and neighbours I get asked one question and that is “what is the difference between a cake and a quick bread?” I seriously don’t know as there are too many different explanations for that. All I know is that a quick bread is usually more dense than a cake and the texture can be irregular. The other obvious difference is that it is usually baked in a loaf tin. If you know the difference then please share it with me. In the meantime, lets get on with the recipe. Easy and absolutely delicious. A great bread to have for breakfast with some marmalade, jam or butter or enjoy it for tea on its own. Hubby couldn’t stop slathering the home made butter on this. Home made butter courtesy of my friendly neighbour. Thank you Priya. And he commented that he didn’t have to look for the nuts in the bread 🙂

CARROT NUT BREAD
Makes 1 loaf

1 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1 cup wheat flour (atta)
1½ tsp baking soda (soda bicarbonate)
½ tsp baking powder
1½ cup sugar
1 cup chopped mixed nuts (I used almonds, pecans, cashew nuts, pistachios, walnuts)
½ cup fresh grated coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
¾ cup carrot puree (cooked carrots)
3 eggs
¼ cup oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
   2. Grease and dust or line a 9″X 5″ loaf tin. Grease it using butter.
   3. Keep a piece of aluminium foil ready that can be covered over the top of the loaf tin.
   4. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a bowl.
   5. Add the coconut, grated carrots, nuts and mix well.
   6. In another bowl add oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and carrot puree.
   7. Whisk it till its all mixed.
   8. Add flour to the wet ingredients and mix till the flour is just wet. Don’t over mix.
   9. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
   10. Bake for 60-70 minutes. After 20 minutes check to see that the top is not browning too quickly.
   11. If it does then cover the top with the aluminium foil-tent it.
   12. After 60 minutes, check if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick or a knife into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean then the bread is done.
   13. Let the bread cool in the pan/tin for 15 minutes.
   14. After 15 minutes remove it from the tin and let it cool on a wire rack.
   15. Slice and serve with butter, jam or marmalade.

Tips:

• You may use plain flour instead of wheat flour.
• Add nuts of your choice.
• Don’t be in a hurry to remove it from the pan/tin.