Apple and Sharp Cheddar Buckwheat Mini Breads

It had been a while since I’d made little breads like these. I remember a time when I would make a different batch every.single.week-end.

I had a blast creating all sorts of different flavor combinations.

But then I started easing up on grains… so I started making them less and less often.

The thing is I don’t find it *AS* easy to bake without grains, you know. And the results aren’t always as good. No… good isn’t quite the right adjective, here. Make that, erm… light? Or maybe fluffy? Or is that airy…

I don’t quite know exactly how to put it.

Maybe it’s just that I’m so used to cooking with regular wheat flour that I find myself a little bit “crippled” when trying to bake without it.

Could be the pastry chef in me…

But in all honesty, I think it might be that I’m a bit of a grain aficionado. Yeah. I happen to really love my grains.

I also happen to believe that, if eaten in moderation, they are good for me. Removing them completely from my diet hasn’t made any significant difference, so I can’t think of any reason why I’d want to completely rule them out.

Why do it, then? Why torture myself in vain?

I still think that I want to do LESS of them, because I do believe that our modern diets tend to include WAY too many grains and other starchy carbs. That’s something that I DO want to keep in check.

But I will not deny myself of beautiful, healthy little breads such as these ones here.

I firmly believe that food, no matter how healthy or clean you want to keep it, still has to send you straight to seventh heaven, sometimes. Make that REGULARLY.

Your daily diet HAS to include food items that will have you look forward to eating them, that will make you salivate when you think of them, when you think of this time of day when you will finally get to sink your teeth into them.

These breads totally fit that description for me.

They turned out amazingly good! Dense, but still airy and fluffy. Sweet, but not overly so. In fact, they sit right on the fence between sweet and savory.

Did I mention they contain NO ADDED SUGAR whatsoever? Yep. Really! Not one single grain. I’m still on that 30 day sugar free challenge, you know! 😉

I tried these babies straight out of the oven, straight out of the fridge and I also cut them into cute little slices which I popped in the toaster until they became all nice and warm and crispy and golden and oh so fragrant!

I’ve but one thing to say: BLISS!

The toasts were amazing on their own, but there was this one time where I spread a very light coat of hazelnut butter on them. Oh my word! It was like the breakfast of the gods!

If like me, you are a muffin junkie, here is one “muffin” that you can enjoy without feeling guilty in the least!

These breads are HUGE yet, they still will set you back way fewer calories than your average muffin. Also, they contain MUCH less fat and carbs PLUS they will provide you with an VERY GENEROUS dose of protein.

Quite simply, they are the perfect “on-the-go-breakfast” or “grab-a-snack-real-quick” for when you are in a hurry.

Of course, you can still enjoy them in the comfort of your home, quietly sitting at the dining room table on a Saturday morning while reading the paper and lazily sipping a hot cup of coffee or tea.

There are absolutely no rules against that, you know…

If you’re gonna do that, tough, I strongly suggest you pop them in the toaster beforehand. Your house will then smell soooo deliciously good.

And THAT’S what I call added bonus!

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Apple and Sharp Cheddar Buckwheat Mini Breads

Servings: 6 mini breads

Ingredients

Wet

• 1 very ripe plantain banana
• 1½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup egg whites
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Dry

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 scoops unflavored whey protein powder
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Add-ins

• 85 g sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1 apple, skin on, cut into small cubes (I used Granny Smith)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425F and coat your mini bread (or muffin*) pans with cooking spray or olive oil, or line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mash plantain with a fork until creamy. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Reserve.
• Add cheese and apple cubes to dry ingredients and lightly toss until all the pieces are evenly coated. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined, no more.
• Pour mixture into prepared pans and bake for 5 minutes at initial temperature of 425F, then lower oven temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes until breads look nice and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from pans then place on on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. (if they last that long, that is!)
  

Notes

*Although I haven't tried it myself, I'm pretty sure that these could be made into smaller muffins instead. However, you'll need to adjust cooking time accordingly. I'm estimating that you would need to decrease by 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of your muffins. Just make sure you keep a close eye on them.

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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