As many of you heard, the weather in Chicago is nutty today! As I walked into work, boots soaked through and hair wind whipped, all I could think about was a warm bowl of soup and a hearty piece of bread. Inspired by the season - apples and Octoberfest beer - I bring you a booty-fied beer bread.
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| Serving suggestion with fresh pumpkin soup |
Let's talk about cooking with beer for a moment. Beer can replace the liquids and yeast in many baked goods, which can reduce calorie content and provide some extra flavor. Bonus. You'll notice this bread recipe is vegan-friendly, and the apples can be replaced by a seed or nut. Although this recipe looks like it will taste sweet, it actually has a rich grain flavor.
Apple Beer Bread
Ingredients:
3 small apples peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 Tbs. honey (vegans sub agave nectar or sugar)
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. rosemary (crushed in hand)
12 oz. Magic Hat Ourtoberfest Beer (this is a vegan beer, but another beer of your choice would work)2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. rolled oats (plus a bit to dust the top of the loaf)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit
2. Mix first 5 ingrediets, then slowly stir in beer.
3. Gradually add flour and oats in 1/2 cup increments. Be careful not to overstir.
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| I'm hungry Mom! | Is it done yet? |
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| Apple Beer Bread Loaf |
I have some confusion about vegans since you mentioned this bread is vegan. Is honey truly a vegan substance since it is produced by bees? Also, is yeast in beer considered vegan? Yeast is eukaryotic so it is a living organism, so it would seem it should not fall under the vegan category. Though yeast is in the kingdom fungi with mushrooms, and mushrooms are still OK. I guess the broader questions is what exactly can vegans eat? Nothing derived from "animals" or a byproduct of "animals" and what does "animal" constitute? Can you clear some of this up Miss M? Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat question! True vegans do not eat anything made from or a part of an animal. That said, some vegans vary in their handling of insect products. In the strictest sense honey is not vegan - so, I've noted an easy substitution.
ReplyDeleteAs for liquor, all beers and wines are not created equal in the eyes of the vegan world -or even vegetarian world. Some brewers use whole chickens to flavor a brew! Yuck! Generally, sticking with an organic beer or wine is the safe bet; however, there are listings of veg-friendly beer and wine, such as http://barnivore.com/beer/m-r. The beer used in this recipe is a vegan-friendly beer.