I ran out of almond flour a few weeks ago, but had a bag of Amaranth flour that a friend gave to me before she moved. I decided to try and come up with a recipe for this 'mystery' flour. After doing some research I discovered that amaranth is a seed, but is often referred to as a grain. It is both grain free and gluten free, which makes it perfect for someone trying to avoid both of these in their diet.
I tried a recipe I found online http://bit.ly/pKx2XQ, but was not impressed with the results. I made a few changes to the recipe and tried again. The result was perfect (or at least what I consider perfect). Michael and I tried a slice of this bread with MaraNatha's Dark Chocolate Almond spread and it was very yummy!
Amaranth Flour Banana Bread
1/2 cup ground almonds (or walnuts)
2 cups Amaranth Flour
1/4 cup Arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/8 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350'F.
In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients (ground almonds, amaranth flour, arrowroot powder and baking soda). In a small bowl, combine the mashed bananas, grapeseed oil, honey, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together - be careful not to overmix.
Pour into a greased loaf pan lined with parchment paper (bottom).
Bake at 350'F for 55-60 minutes. Bread will be done when a toothpick is inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Serve with butter or your favorite jam.
