anunrefinedvegan

The Early Spring issue of The Baking Sheet came in the mail recently and – as usual – it had me primed to tie on the apron and let the flour fly.  But this issue has even more recipes that I absolutely need to try, so dear reader, you will be seeing quite a few here on these “pages.”  I get a real kick out of veganizing KAF recipes.  They are, after all, the masters and I just a humble, bumbling home baker.  They would be appalled, probably, at how I substitute whole grain flours, nix sugars and halve fats.  But it is so much fun and for the most part, the results are delicious.

This particular issue is also filled with maple-flavored recipes.  I can’t resist maple.  This quickbread promised to be very mapley – but not too sweet – and the loaf lived up to that promise.  This is a wonderful tea bread, but would also be scrumptious lightly toasted and spread sparingly with jam or peanut butter for breakfast.

Maple, Bran & Date Quickbread
12-15 slices, one 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf

2/3 cup soy milk
1 cup oat bran
1 tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until foamy, then let set for a minute)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. pure maple extract
1/4 cup vegan “butter”
1/4 cup prune puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dates, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, pour the soy milk over the oat bran.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer mixture, maple syrup and maple flavoring.  Stir in the melted “butter,” and then stir this mixture into the oat bran/soy milk.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and dates.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is firm, brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then invert and let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack.

(Instead of a loaf pan, use muffin tins, if you like.  For this recipe, I halved the amount of butter and added prune puree – because I thought it would work well with the dates – to make up for the “missing” fat.  Egg replacer and soy milk, of course – and instead of “bran flakes,” I used oat bran which adds very nicely to the bread’s texture – and boosts the nutritional content as well.  I completely omitted the addition of 3 tbsp. sugar – so not needed.  Finally, I replaced the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.)