I always like baking with a fresh fruit or vegetable and quick breads are so versatile that you can add pretty much anything in sight but the kitchen sink and it would still taste so good. I wanted to use up a bunch of carrots and coconut flakes lying in my pantry and thus came about this wonderful bread studded with good stuff. If you are not a coconut fan, add any nuts or bits of dried fruit to this bread, it is super versatile and would taste divine. This bread is almost like carrot cake but just much easier to put together and best of all it has cardamom, an all-time favorite spice of mine. It is not ridiculously sweet, making it a perfect accompaniment with a cup of tea or coffee. If you are in the mood, add a cream cheese glaze and voila you have an almost fancy carrot cake on your table minus all the fuss. The bread freezes beautifully, so handy for a quick breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 Egg
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely grated carrot
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup raisins
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line and grease a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place egg, oil, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until thick and slightly foamy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently stir by hand.
5. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins, coconut flakes and other mix-ins that you may choose to add.
6. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
8. Warm each slice of bread for 20 seconds in the microwave when ready to serve.