Apple Almond Gingerbread

As I've mentioned, I have a lot of apples in my yard, so I am always on the hunt for something new to do with them.  I tried this Apple Almond Gingerbread recipe from Whole Foods.  WOW!!  It's really good.  Supposedly it freezes well. 

Apple Almond Gingerbread

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing
3/4 cup slivered almonds, divided*
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Fuji or Gala apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped 
Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with butter.  Put 1/4 cup almonds in bottom of pan and then rotate pan to distribute them around the bottom and sides (they'll stick to the greased pan); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, molasses, sugar, butter, vanilla and egg.  In a second large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda and remaining 1/2 cup almonds.  Add apples and toss well.  Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture and then spoon batter into pan.  Bake until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 30 minutes and then invert onto a plate and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

I used two apples instead of one, and since there were 3/4 Cups of almonds in the bread, I used almond extract instead of vanilla.  I replaced 1/2 Cup of the wheat flour with spelt flour.

Delicious!!  You might even think you're eating chocolate bread.