Fig, Date, and Walnut Bread

(Makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup water or tea (black, green, herbal, whatever you like)
• ½ cup dried figs (chopped and any tough stems discarded)
• ½ cup dried dates (pitted and chopped)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, all-purpose flour)
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup almond butter (or ¼ cup almond flour mixed with 2-3 TBSP plant-based milk) or sunflower seed butter (nut-free option)
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup date paste (or 1/2 cup chopped dates blended with a couple of TBSP of water)
• ⅔ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 to 3 oranges)
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• ¼ tsp salt

Optional:

• Top with sunflower seed “cream” cheese and a few dashes of cinnamon.*

Directions:

• • Preheat oven to 350º F.
  • Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small saucepan, heat water or tea over medium-high heat.  When it just starts to bubble, turn off heat, and leaving pot on the burner, add chopped dried figs and dried dates.  Leave them to soften while you continue with the recipe.
  • Put chopped nuts into a shallow baking pan and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until walnuts are brown and rich smelling.  Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, sift together whole wheat flour and oat flour, baking soda, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • In another bowl, mix together orange juice, date paste, almond butter, and apple sauce. 
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ones.
  • Drain figs and dates and add to batter. 
  • Gently add walnuts and stir just till combined. 
  • Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until top is golden and puffed and an inserted tester comes out clean.
  • Enjoy!*

   

  *Notes:

  • For a sunflower seed “cream” cheese recipe click here – Omit the garlic! And, you can use raw sunflower seeds instead of “sprouted.”
  • Wrapped well, bread freezes well or keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, but judging by the audience last week, tends to be consumed immediately.

   

• Adapted from: VegKitchen