Buckwheat & Oat Loaf with Peaches

We really struggled with what to call this loaf. The ingredients suggest a decadent breakfast item but the flavour says surely this is a dessert. The crispness of the coconut sugar topping with the moist cake and sneaky cinnamon middle make this recipe a keeper. Plus, the fruit you use can be switched out to make it seasonal.

Originally created as an apple loaf, we are using peaches (or nectarines) since they are what is ready on the trees right now. The fall would suggest crab apples followed by your favourite apple variety that keeps well throughout the colder months. When local apple stores dwindle, you could use those cherries that you pitted and froze (do that now!) and probably rhubarb in the spring…

Cinnamon is a remarkable ingredient. Did you know that a sprinkling of cinnamon on almost anything may lower the glycemic load felt by the body? This means that some studies show that cinnamon may help to decrease how much a food will affect your blood sugar. A 1/2 tsp on your berries, your morning oatmeal or even sprinkled into your almond butter and banana sandwich is all you need. After you have made the loaf once, try increasing the cinnamon content to your liking.

There is a component of cinnamon called coumarins that can be toxic in large amounts so if you are exploring consuming more than a teaspoon of cinnamon per day, we do carry True Cinnamon from Harmonic Arts which naturally contains much lower amounts of coumarin. Your natural health practitioner can help you to find the balance.

Grinding your own flour may sound daunting, but when it comes to the buckwheat and oats in this recipe, it the easiest thing you will do all day. When the inside of a grain or seed has been exposed to light and air, it starts to oxidize rather quickly. This means that the vitamins decrease and the fats start to spoil. Freshly ground flour has more flavour and nutrients and … wait for it… it also costs less because you aren't paying for the grinding service.

The secret to grinding your own is to not put too much in the blender at once. Put one cup of buckwheat grouts (the light green looking ones that haven't been roasted) in the blender (no special blender required) and pulse or run the motor until the flour is pretty much flour. A course grind works well in this recipe so don't worry about trying to make it perfect. You can do the exact same thing with rolled oats. Skip the instant or quick oats and go for the rolled oats and grind them just the same as the buckwheat.

You are going to cut the fruit to the texture that you desire. We diced up our peach into really small little pieces for less chunks of fruit and more of an even distribution of peach flavour. You can keep the pieces bigger so that you have soft pieces of fruit that add more texture to your bites. This is your loaf and do it as you please. Note that larger pieces of fruit can make it a bit trickier to slice the loaf for serving.

Buckwheat & Oat Loaf with Peaches makes 1 8x4 loaf

2 TBSP coconut sugar 1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup oat flour (see notes above about grinding it yourself) 3/4 cup light buckwheat flour (see notes above about grinding it yourself) 1/2 cup coconut sugar 1 TBSP baking powder 1/2 tsp each cinnamon, ginger and sea salt (pink is nice) 1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if possible), cardamom would be a tasty substitute 1/8 tsp xanthum gum (optional)

2 eggs 1/2 cup of milk or milk substitute, buttermilk would also be nice 1/2 cup lightly melted coconut oil or butter (or a combo of the two) 1 medium peach cut to your liking (see note above)

Preheat your oven to 350 Mix your sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and in a separate bowl, whisk your eggs and milk together and slowly add your melted (but not hot) coconut oil or butter and your cut up peach and whisk well. Add the dry and the wet together (not the cinnamon/sugar topping) until well combined. Let it sit for 2 minutes for the whole grain flours to absorb some of the liquids.

Lightly grease an 8x4 loaf pan with butter or coconut oil and using a rubber spatula, scrape about half of your batter in. Wet your spatula (or your fingers) and spread out the batter so it is even. Sprinkle half of your sugar/cinnamon mix over the batter (it might seem like a lot but trust us). Scrape the rest of the batter over top and repeat the spreading and the sprinkling. Bake for 25 minutes, then increase the heat to 375 for another 10 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when the loaf is done.

Allow your loaf to cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting around the edge, placing your hand on the top of the loaf and overturning the pan to release the masterpiece. Slice each piece about 2-3cm wide. Enjoy as is or topped with more cinnamon and whipped coconut cream (chill a can of unshaken coconut milk, metal bowl and beaters overnight, scoop out just the solid mass at the top and whip the cream in the cold bowl with the cold beaters. Add maple syrup and vanilla to taste). Loaf is best enjoyed within 1-2 days.

Recipe doubles well if you are cooking for a crowd and the news of good whole food travels better through sharing!

Recipe and post by Amy Buckman, Community Ambassador, Amaranth Stores