Chemical reactions can be a thing of beauty

I always have trouble when a recipe calls for honey. Can't use it. But it's liquid not solid and some "experts" say no worries, sugar melts into liquid. Same thing. Others say whoa not so fast, add some liquid and extra sweetness.

I don't pay attention. I half read it, nod and figure, I'm gonna throw something together and see if it explodes. Which would be somewhat humorous and all that, if in fact my bread batter didn't do just that today. My intention was to make almond butter bread. I'd seen a headline saying Almond Butter Bread... and thought hey I can do that. It was paleo, and filled with weird things like flax seed and chia gel. But it seemed to me that almond butter is nothing more than almonds ground so fine that they become butter and I bake with almond flour all the time. I'm smart. I can figure this one out.

Since I'd already determined I wasn't going down those roads, chia street and flax boulevard, (but certainly if that's your thing do not be offended) I sat and contemplated over a glass of moscato. Red wine is allowed on my new eating regime. And technically the bottle was labeled Red Moscato. That counts.

So for those who know me, you know my tolerance for wine is minimal at best. Actually for any alcohol. Just a few sips and my brain starts to wander and wonder. What if. What if I did add liquid. One time I made zucchini bread and it called for a tablespoon of cider vinegar. I have cider vinegar I thought. OK. Good enough. 

So in went my ingredients. Almond Butter, eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, cocoa, the kitchen sink, whatever was handy. I mixed and mixed until the batter was beautiful. Then I added a tablespoon of cider vinegar. The batter literally started to bubble and turn an odd color. I mixed faster and harder, in my imaginary culinary world, that would stop it. But, not unlike the tar pits, it just kept going. At his point I wondered, should I have taken the chemistry class? Would that have helped demystify the conundrum I was in? Too late. Too old. I poured it all in the pan, threw it, well, placed it in the oven, shut the door and set the timer. And had another glass of wine.

I'm still sitting here debating if I should cut into it now or wait. It smells divine. And I'm not much for willpower. I'm thinking of just slicing a few pieces off just for a photo op. :)

Almond Butter Bread out of the oven

As you can see, waiting isn't my strong suit. But I did discover that the recipe needed a few more minutes, so at least I can give you the correct instructions. Taste wise (come on, you know I had to make sure it was safe) it's pretty good. Not going to lie and say it's comparable to my almond fudge brownies, nothing is. But for a breakfast bread or snack time, it'll do. Actually as spice breads go this is a very good one. Considering you're looking at around 100 calories a serving (16 servings) and just over 1 carb each... not bad. As always, no grain, no gluten, no sugar.

Almond Butter Spice Bread

Recipe:

1 cup almond butter, stirrred. 

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 to 2 tsp cinnamon if you want a spicier flavor

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup swerve or sweetener of your choice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients together, really well. Pour into greased 8 x 8 dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick is clean and the center has begun to deflate!!! The edges should begin to separate from the edge of the dish. That's it. Let cool and enjoy. Or just cut into the darn thing and eat.

Next time, I'm going for a loaf pan, let's see if this stuff holds up to the promise of a true bread. I've seen blogs touting it, but not convinced. Anyone game for trying it, let me know!