Apple flaxseed bread

This is a hearty snack bread that is great for packing in school lunches.  Ground flax adds texture and fibre. I generally buy whole flax seeds and store them in the freezer until I need them.  I’ll grind them in my Magic Bullet – about ¼ cup at a time – and then store the ground seeds in a small mason jar in the fridge.  Interesting thing about flax seeds – when you grind them their volume increases. ¼ cup of whole seeds will yield almost half a cup ground.

This recipe was based on a Zucchini bread I often make.  I shredded the apples using my food processor.  I found shredding them with my box-grater was messy.  And using the food processor meant I could leave the skins on. I laid the shredded apples in a dish towel, folded it up and squeezed out some of the extra juice.  This bread is lovely with pecans on top, but since we can’t take nuts of any kind to school, I usually omit them.

Apple flaxseed bread

• 1-½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ brown sugar
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded apples (3-4 apples, squeezed dry)
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup egg whites or equivalent in whole eggs (2 large)
• 3 T canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare 8 x 5 loaf pan.  I’ve lined mine with parchment paper – avoiding the cooking spray.

Mix dry ingredients with a whisk: flours, sugar, baking powder, flax, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and nutmeg.

Lightly beat eggs, and mix in yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Stir in apples. Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and back for 55-65 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 mines before removing from the pan.  If you have used parchment, it will lift right out.