Tea Breads are part of the “quick bread” genre. Quick breads are considered “quick” because they don’t require kneading or rising time. Instead of yeast, usually baking powder or baking soda or a combination of both are used as the leavening agent. This group includes most biscuits, muffins, popovers, and a wide variety of sweet and savory loaf breads. This tea bread includes carrots, an excellent source of beta-carotene, a nutrient converted into vitamin A in the body. Also included in the recipe are strawberries, rich in vitamin C, and walnuts, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Both vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids have been found to reduce the risk of AMD.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 4-5 medium)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries (6-8 medium)
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 8 x 4 –inch loaf pans. Set aside.
- *To toast the walnuts, spread nuts evenly on a baking sheet and place in the 350 degree F. oven and bake for approximately 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool before they are chopped.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the oil and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well. Add the yogurt, water, and vanilla, continuing to mix. Add the carrots and blend.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice until thoroughly blended. Add the dry ingredients to carrot mixture, blending until batter is smooth. Gently fold in strawberries and walnuts.
- Divide batter between the two loaf pans. Bake approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges of the loaves and invert the loaves onto the cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
You can place batter in a 10-cup greased and floured bundt pan and bake as one “loaf”, baking for approximately 50-55 minutes. Using a regular muffin tin and 1/3 to ½ cup of batter for each muffin, you can get about 1 ½ dozen muffins. (Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.) You can substitute toasted pecans for the walnuts. Leftover bread can be frozen for future eating.
Recipe source, Discovery Eye Foundation
