Looking for some weekend baking inspiration? Look no further than this tasty cinnamon treat...
EVE KALINIK'S CINNAMON LOAF
This sumptuous loaf is based on chestnut flour, which is brimming with gut-friendly fibre, and almonds, which are an excellent prebiotic food. But the real hero ingredient here is warming cinnamon , one of the highest sources of chromium, which helps to balance blood sugar levels and our hunger hormones. Cinnamon also blends perfectly with the chestnut flour and almonds to provide our gut microbes with a sweet feast. Because this uses chia seeds to bind, it’s great for those who don’t do so well with eggs or are following a vegan diet. Serve it with some sliced banana or with a generous spoonful of coconut kefir. It’s great for breakfast and you can make it in advance and freeze it if you want to. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Makes 1 loaf
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons chia seeds
120ml warm filtered water
80g chestnut flour
100g ground almonds
45g flaked almonds
4 tablespoons coconut flour
45g activated pecans
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond nut butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
200ml unsweetened almond milk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2.
2. Line a 23 x 12cm loaf tin with baking parchment and grease with a small amount of coconut oil.
3. Mix the chia seeds with the water in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Place all the remaining ingredients, except the almond milk, in a food processor and pulse to combine. Then add the chia mixture and the almond milk and pulse again to get a sticky cake mixture.
5. Spoon this into the loaf tin and level the top.
6. Bake for 1 hour, then check that it’s done by turning out and tapping the bottom: it should sound hollow. If not, return it to the oven for 5–10 minutes.
7. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.
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Recipe taken from Be Good to Your Gut by Eve Kalinik, published by Piatkus. Buy online here. Images © Nassima Rothaker.