Cranberry Walnut Bread

[Nancy542]

Cranberry Walnut Bread

8 eggs

½ cup coconut oil or butter, melted

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup sugar substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup sifted coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Blend together eggs, oil, coconut milk, sugar substitute, vanilla, lemon extract, and salt. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk thoroughly into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in cranberry sauce and nuts. Pour into greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 60 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Nancy <;0)

[Dorijane]

Nancy542,

What is the carb count for this bread? It sounds delicious!

Dori

[Nancy LC]

Fold in cranberry sauce and nuts.
Did you forget an ingredient? I don't see cranberry sauce in the ingredient list. Looks yummy!

Oops, I see this recipe was posted almost 2 years ago.

[Dorijane]

My goodness you are right Nancy LC! I didn't notice the date posted when I commented on the recipe....

[Gypsybyrd]

I'm glad you posted Dorijane. I'd never have seen the recipe any other way.

Nancy - I think the directions meant to say "fold in cransberries" not c-sauce. JMO though.

[Nancy LC]

Yeah, after re-reading it a few times I figured that must be it.

[Gypsybyrd]

I made this tonight. It's moist. The flavor is pretty good but it needs more to balance the flavor of the coconut flour. And, when I went to remove the loaf from the (well-buttered) pan, it split in half, horizontally. Maybe I didn't let it cool enough before trying to get it out of the pan but I always thought breads should cool on a wire rack? Anyway, it's pretty good. And it's super easy to make.

The cranberries are high carb (I used dried) but I think other flavors could easily be substituted in for the cranberries.

[Dorijane]

:) Nancy and GypsyByrd, I am glad that I posted too!
GypsyByrd do you know the carb count on the loaf you made?

I will need to go to the store to get coconut milk and coconut flour
(I wonder, could I use 1/2 coconut flour and 1/2 soy flour...)

:idea: As for the cranberries - maybe if I put them thru a food
processer I could use less of them and maybe as they would be
smaller pieces they should more evenly distribute thru the bread...

:wave: Thank you ladies for allowing me to bounce ideas. once my
hubby has his low carb homemade Artisan Bread recipe 'fine-tuned'
I will post it here! :wave:

[Nancy LC]

You might not be able to find coconut flour in a store, I order off the Internet.

I think maybe adding some xanthan gum might make the bread stick together a little better. They usually add it in gluten free recipes.

Yeah, I can imagine that you'd probably need to let it cool entirely before removing. Coconut flour doesn't have any "glue" in it like wheat flour does.

Sometimes I like to put a strip of parchment paper in pans and let the tails hang out of the pan. Then I can kind of lift it out more easily. I use butter to glue the strip of parchment to the pan.

[Gypsybyrd]

Those are great ideas for keeping it in one piece and removing it from the pan Nancy!

As for the carb count, I have not inputted it into MyPLAN but will do so some time thise week.

Btw, it tasted excellent this morning as I grabbed a piece of it out of the fridge. :)

[Gypsybyrd]

I just inputted the recipe (I actually used an entire can of coconut milk instead of 1/2 cup) and came up with this:

105.4 carbs total
67.45 net carbs

I figure 16 servings so 6.6 carbs per serving (or 4.2 net carbs per serving).

[Dorijane]

:idea: There are some 'Whole Foods', Vitamin Cottage stores around where I live, I will check there for coconut flour...

GypsyByrd - what is the difference between carbs per serving and 'net carbs' per serving :q:

[Gypsybyrd]

Some people subtract fiber from the total carbs to get "net" carbs. It's a version of Atkins (2002 and more recent I think).

I used Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour, which happens to be available in my local grocery store (Publix).

[Nancy LC]

I've heard the Bob's Red Mill brand of coconut flour is nasty. How'd it work for you, Gypsy? I get aloha nu online. Various places, google for the best price.

My bread came out great! I put in 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum and I let it cool completely in the pan. I used a strip of parchment down the middle of the pan that covered the bottom and ran up 2 sides. I'm glad I did because it stuck. I just had to loosen the two sides that weren't covered and turn it upside down to get it out.

I used a little more sweetener than the recipe called for because I goofed on the calculation of my drops, but it tastes great anyway!

I dare say, this is one of my greatest successes with coconut flour so far. I made a crust once that was really awesome.

[Gypsybyrd]

I don't have any other coconut flour with which to compare Bob's Red Mill. I don't have a problem with BRM. I may try another brand.

What recipe did you use for the awesome pie crust?

[Nancy LC]

I don't have any other coconut flour with which to compare Bob's Red Mill. I don't have a problem with BRM. I may try another brand.

What recipe did you use for the awesome pie crust?
It's my own recipe. I think it's in my blog... looking...
http://mostlypaleo.blogspot.com/2009/01/coconut-flour-crust.html

[Gypsybyrd]

Hmmmmm, interesting recipe for the crust. Will have to try that, maybe for Christmas pumpkin pie (if I can convince my sister to not BUY a pumpkin pie again). Do you buy your lard or make your own?

[Gypsybyrd]

Nancy, do you think the cranberry bread could be made with fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)? The recipe works with dried cranberries but those are sweetened and I'd like to make a loaf that is even lower carb. What do you think?

Also, do you think my lack of adhesiveness was contributed to b/c I added an entire can of coconut milk? I will say the moisture level of the loaf was perfect (as you are WELL aware, coconut flour absorbs liquid like the Sahara).

[Gypsybyrd]

I took some of the bread to my family's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It got rave reviews and people couldn't believe how moist it was - especially considering I made it on Sunday ($ days ago!). Nor could they believe it was gluten free and low carb (except for the dried cranberries). :-)

There aren't a lot of recipes I rave about, but this is an excellent recipe!

[Nancy LC]

Nancy, do you think the cranberry bread could be made with fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)? The recipe works with dried cranberries but those are sweetened and I'd like to make a loaf that is even lower carb. What do you think?

Also, do you think my lack of adhesiveness was contributed to b/c I added an entire can of coconut milk? I will say the moisture level of the loaf was perfect (as you are WELL aware, coconut flour absorbs liquid like the Sahara).
Why did you use a whole can? I didn't add any extra moisture and it came out plenty moist. It might have contributed to the lack of adhesion but the xanthan gum, if you add it, will help a lot too.

I was toying with the idea of using fresh berries too. Definitely cut back on the liquid though, a lot of juice in berries.

Everyone really liked this recipe! My guests couldn't believe it was gluten free. Yeah, this recipe is definitely a keeper! Even without the berries it'd be good. Grated apple would be good too.

[Gypsybyrd]

lol ... I used a whole can because I wasn't thinking. I read the recipe (which was on the computer in another room) but when I opened the can of coconut milk, I just dumped the entire can in. :lol:

[1annewil]

Gypsy, I have bought dried cranberries at whole foods that are unsweetened. They have 32 g of carbs and 12 g fiber for an entire cup as opposed to 99 g of sweetened per cup. I want to make fruitcake-type cookies at Christmas with them. Can't remember what I paid but I remember they are pricey. This recipe looks very good.
Anne

[1annewil]

This looks do-able

Sugar-Free Dried Cranberries

Cranberry
It took awhile to get this method down, but now that I know what to do, it's easy. The important thing is not to be afraid to squish them down in the first phase, or they won't fully dry - the soluble fiber in them "gels" and retains water unless it's exposed to the air.

These are great as part of a low carb trail mix.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: ~8 hours
Ingredients:
1 bag (12 oz) fresh whole cranberries
1 C sugar substitute of your choice (can vary to taste)
1/2 C water
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200 F.
1. Put cranberries in large skillet, and pick through to remove soft and/or brown ones.

2. If sweetener is powdered, dissolve in water. (comparison of sources of "liquid Splenda"). Pour over cranberries and stir.

3. Heat on medium high until cranberries pop, about 4-5 minutes. Stir every minute or two. When all seem popped, turn off the burner and let them cool for 10 minutes.

4. Squish them down with the back of a large spoon. Don't worry if it seems they are melding together. Let cool another 5 minutes or so.

5. Cover baking sheet with three layers of paper towels and a piece of parchment paper. (I'm sure this would work great in a food dehydrator, but I don't have one.)

6. Spread cranberries on the parchment. Have faith -- they will mostly "individuate" again as they dry. If unpopped ones remain, squish them down now.

7. Put in oven and turn heat down to 150 F.

8. In 2-4 hours, replace parchment and flip paper towels over. (You don't have to do this, but it speeds up the process.)

9. Start checking after 6 hours. Total time depends upon humidity and other factors. It usually takes me about 8 hours. It also depends on whether you want to dry them to the point where they still have some "give" or whether you like them "crispier".

10. Separate them, and store covered (zip-type bags work well).

Carb Count:The whole recipe has 25 grams of effective carbohydrate and 16 grams of fiber.

User Reviews

[Nancy LC]

I think last year I tried to dry my own cranberries and I didn't realize you had to break the skins (i.e. squish them) to get them to dry! I tried for a day or two and finally realized they needed to be squished. Only then was I able to dry them.

[Gypsybyrd]

Thanks Anne! I'll take a look for those.

[Nancy LC]

Kumquats would be really good in this bread!

[Gypsybyrd]

Never had kumquats. I'm still thinking strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. :yum:

[Nancy LC]

Kumquats are tart but have a sweet peel. I made muffins from them once and they were really good. They have a rather citrus-y taste.

I used a granny smith apple in my last batch and it was so-so. It really needs more tartness.

[Gypsybyrd]

I had some excellent bread the other day with roasted garlic in it. I think I'm going to try that with this recipe. It should be yummmmmmmmy. :yum:

[Gypsybyrd]

Well, I didn't add garlic, roasted or otherwise. BUT, I halved the recipe (in case it didn't work), left out the cranberries and walnuts and made the following changes: I used 4 drops of Sweetfreeze and 5 teaspoons of Truvia (erithritol), 1/2 teaspoon of Key Lime juice instead of lemon, and added 1/4 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum. I lined three 4.5" diameter round cake pan with parchment paper, a plopped (literally "plopped") 3-4 fork-fulls into each pan. I tossed (it really was pretty close to "tossing" them) into a pre-heated 350 oven.

Because I was in a hurry (I needed them for a restaurant dinner at 7 and I didn't start until 6:15), after about 25 minutes I turned the oven up to 400-425 (my oven is not very exact) for five minutes. One pan got added late so I removed the two that were done (knife inserted came out clean) and turned the oven off while I left the last one in the oven to continue cooking while the oven cooled. The other two I wrapped in foil and took them with me to the firm holiday party at a local Italian restaurant. They were still warm when I got to the restaurant.

These were the PERFECT texture for dipping in oil and herbs. They might've been a *touch* too sweet for a dinner roll but otherwise, PERFECTION!!!!!! I'm sooooo stoked about this.

I am so making these for Christmas dinner. Although I will try a smaller size -- maybe 2.5" diameter.

Fair warning - they are very filling!

Nutritional counts, when halving the original recipe and making my changes:
Carbs: 46.61
Net carbs: 14.94
Fat: 35.95
Protein: 31.65
Calories: 633

[Nancy LC]

Since this is the "sweet treats" section, why don't you post your new recipe to the bread section? Sounds like it would fit perfectly there!

What a great idea, I'd love to have a new bread idea for eating with savory things.

[Gypsybyrd]

Excellent idea Nancy - I'll go post it right now. :)

[Nancy LC]

Oh... except this isn't the sweet treats section. I am a dufus! :lol:

But your bread deserves it's own thread!

[Gypsybyrd]

:lol: I didn't even realize that this wasn't Sweet Treats! hehehehehehe

[Nancy LC]

Ok, I made this but instead cut down on the sweetener, used lemon juice instead of extract and baked it in a cake pan to make "shortcake". I've been eating it with berries, lemon custard and creme fraiche. It's fabulous!

[Nancy LC]

I found this recipe again and just made my third loaf for the season. This time I used fresh orange peel and then squeezed some juice from the orange in. I didn't use cranberries.

Oh yes, a truly delicious mistake was using almond extract instead of vanilla. Oops-Yum!