Holiday Gingerbread Loaf 

By Jessica Rizo, Dietetic Intern

'Tis the season to indulge in the sweet symphony of holiday desserts! While store-bought treats may glitter on the shelves, there's nothing quite like the joy of crafting your own sweets in the warmth of your kitchen. One delightful reason to opt for homemade treats is the power to control sugar quantities, ensuring your treats are just the right amount of sweet. It's not just about the final product; it's about the magical journey of measuring, mixing, and marveling at the transformation of simple ingredients into festive confections. So, this holiday season, ditch the store-bought goodies and embrace the joyful chaos of creating your own sugary wonders—it's a festive adventure for the whole family!

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup maple syrup or 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup cashew butter, or sub with any nut/seed butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups super fine almond flour
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

For Frosting:

• 3 cups heavy whipping cream.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Chopped pecans or walnuts for garnish

Instructions:

For the loaf:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs followed by the maple syrup (or mushed bananas), cashew butter, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add a large fine mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour and coconut flour. Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined.
4. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and the middle is set.
5. Remove pan from the oven and let loaf cool completely before adding the frosting.

For the Frosting:

1. Place all ingredients (heaving whipping cream, maple syrup, vanilla) into a mixer or a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk or beat with a whisk on high for about 1 minute or until stiff peaks form (thickens)
3. Place frosting into refrigerator while loaf bakes and completely cools.
4. Spread the frosting on the loaf with a spatula and top with chopped walnuts or pecans.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more techniques to help build a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, contact one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy Office or our Diabetes Self-Management Program located in the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 335, Torrance. Call 310-891 6707.

 Visit https://www.torrancememorial.org/Nutrition for upcoming classes and programs!