Rhubarb Bread

Don't you just love summer and all the fresh produce?  Maybe some of you that read this have the glory of fresh produce all year long, but in Northern Michigan we...don't.  Hello snow.  Anyway, now that gardens have started 'popping' with plants and goodies, we've been trying to incorporate them into our weekly diets!  This week we got some rhubarb from a plant at our cottage.

I had a recipe for Rhubarb Bread from my friend Becky that I'd been wanting to try. Note to self: all of Becky's recipes are delicious; try them immediately.  I kid you not this rhubarb bread is AH-mazing.  Let me explain:
I made it yesterday.

It made 2 loaves.

I took half a loaf to my parents.

Theirs was gone last night.

Ours (sadly) is now gone too.

I tried a few tricks with the recipe to make it a little bit better for you without sacrificing taste.  So, I added flaxseed meal instead of an egg, applesauce instead of some oil, and agave instead of some sugar.  You don't have to do that, but we thought it was delicious!

Here's the recipe:

Rhubarb Bread

(makes 2 loaf pans – can be frozen)

1 ¾ C. brown sugar divided into 1 ¼ and ½ cup measures

2 teaspoons agave syrup

¼ C. oil (just shy on measurement)

½ cup applesauce

1 egg

1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal plus 3 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 C. Buttermilk (or milk with vinegar trick)

1 tsp. baking soda

2 ½ C. Flour

2 C. diced rhubarb (1/2 inch)

1 C. chopped nuts divided into ¾ and ¼ cup measures

¼ C. butter somewhat softened

[1] Preheat oven to 350 and grease two loaf pans.

[2] Combine 1 ¼ C. brown sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, flaxseed meal mixture, salt, vanilla, cinnamon.

[3] Stir in Flour and Soda.

[4] Add Buttermilk.

[5] Stir in rhubarb and ¾ c nuts.

[6] Pour into greased loaf pans.

[7] Combine remaining brown sugar, butter and nuts.  Sprinkle over top of loaves.

[8] Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. 

**I cooked the rhubarb with some water in the microwave for 1 minute before adding it to the bread mix.  Seemed to be a good thing!**

Ok, now go find rhubarb and make this.  Feel free to send me some if you like :)  If you have questions about the recipe, I'd be happy to answer them -- or if you don't have the substitutions, I can fill you in on the original recipe!