Vegan Apricot-Almond Loaf - wheat-free!!!

This is by FAR my favorite dessert bread that is more healthy than not, AND tastes GREAT! I admit, 16 ingredients IS a bit intimidating but well worth it friends! I am 99% sure that this recipe comes from Vive Le Vegan! Simple, Delectable Recipes for the everyday Vegan.

Apricot-Almond Loaf

• 1/2 cup ground oats (rolled oats ground up in your coffee grinder or food processor)



• 1/2 cup unrefined sugar (I use less)



• 1/3 cup toasted almond silvers



• 1 1/4 cup spelt flour



• 1/2 cup barley flour



• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder



• 1 tsp. baking soda



• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg



• 1/4 tsp. sea salt



• 1 cup plain or vanilla non-dairy milk (rice,almond or soy!)



• 1 tbsp. flax meal (ground up flax seeds coffee grinder is excellent for this job)



• 1/2 cup applesauce



• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (I started using orange cranberries from trader joes )



• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract



• 1/2 tsp. almond extract



• 2 1/2 tbsp. canola oil



• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, almonds, nutmeg, and sea salt and sift in the flours, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine the milk with the flax meal and stir though. Add the applesauce, apricots, vanilla and almond extracts and canola oil and mix well. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring through until just well combined. Pour mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining almond slices down the center of the loaf, patting them in lightly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into thick slices. Now the fun pictures to go along with the recipe. This is all you need (minus two bowls, a whisk and stirring utensil)! NOTE: Always make a double batch! I mean shoot - once you have found all 16 ingredients from various locations in your kitchen save yourself some time baby and make a double batch. Plus, you'll save money b/c your oven is only cooking one time. Bless someone else with your second loaf OR slice and freeze it for that occassion when a friend pops over for a chat and you make some tea/coffee and really wish you had a little something to nibble on. {Truth be told - more often than not, my family eats through the first loaf within 24 hours and then a tad more slowly enjoys the second loaf if I haven't already given it away.} Add the oats, sugar, almonds, nutmeg, and sea salt and sift in the flours, baking powder, and baking soda In another bowl, combine the milk with the flax meal and stir though. Add the applesauce, apricots, vanilla and almond extracts and canola oil and mix well. looks like this... While I was mixing these - I was toasting these - multitasking... about 5 minutes but watch them...perfectly toasted one second and burnt the next. Parchment paper is perfect for this task and you can reuse the same piece over and over again. Hurray for recycling. lightly oil pans...I will give a shout out to The Pampered Chef at this point... I do love their products. For those of you unaware of the greatness of these products that darken color all around the one of the right is a good thing. I know you were tempted to think - washing the pans here is optional but really we wash them...never with soap though.. I digress... We are almost there friends, stay with me... Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring through until just well combined. If you happened to forget to add the apricots (or orange cranberries) a few steps ago - now is good time to add them. Pour into pans. Confession - forgot to add the cranberries to the batter before I poured into the pan on the right. But once I add the almonds on top...who know...who really cares anyway...it's delicious!!!! Top with toasted almonds and bake for 45 minutes.

And then my favorite part!!!!