Fruit and Nut Whole Wheat Bread

I am always drawn towards bread with fruit in it for some reason. Not for sandwiches of course, but it is so nice with breakfast or as a quick snack. I found this a recipe for healthy breakfast bread at Spoonful of Sugar Free and have been wanting to try it out for a while. I made a few modifications, but her idea was great and the bread is fantastic. Very hearty and healthy tasting and definitely quite filling! It was great right out of the oven, but since then I have been just slicing off pieces and eating them cold. Maybe I will try toasting a piece, but it definitely doesn't need butter/spread or honey. 

Fruit and Nut Whole Wheat Bread

How I did it:

2 apples, chopped and peeled
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup dried apricots, thickly chopped
1/4 cup dates, thickly chopped
1/4 cup dates, chopped into small pieces
1/8 cup dried apple slices, chopped
3/4 cup nuts, chopped (almonds and pecans)
1 1/8 cup water
topping:
1/4 cup rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a bread pan and set aside.

2. Pour 1/8 cup water in a medium frying pan and add in the chopped apples. Leave covered until apples begin to soften and then mash with a potato masher until it looks like fresh apple sauce (leave some apple chunks remaining). Take off the heat and set aside.

3. Pour 1 cup of rolled oats into a food processor until the oats turn into a fine powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flaxseed meal. Once well combined, mix in 1 cup of water and the apple sauce. Stir in the dried fruit and nuts and make sure they are well distributed throughout.

4. Pour into prepared bread pan evenly. Sprinkle oats on top and lightly press down. Cook for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out (almost) clean.