The following recipe makes two delicious loaves of quick breads, or five quart jars. Bread in a jar, you ask? WHAT? Yes, you heard that right! This is a delightful way to present any kind of quick bread for gift giving. This method requires no actual canning, but it will extend the shelf life of the bread for weeks. This is particularly handy when you wish to send a baked good by mail, and it also allows any recipient to not feel obligated to eat your offering right away, at a time when their house may already be overflowing with goodies. You can dress the jars up with a circle of cloth around the lid and some batting or cotton balls for padding, gathered with an elastic band, but I prefer to keep it simple and just affix a colorful, custom label to each jar. If you can get your kids to color you some labels, all the better! The label can be as simple as scratch paper you’ve written on and attached with tape, or you can buy full sized sheets of adhesive-backed stickers to customize and use with an ink-jet printer.

To bake any quick bread in a jar, use clean quart size wide-mouth “tapered” jars. Tapered jars are slightly wider at the mouth than at the bottom, and they will allow the bread to slide out easily for serving. They will be labeled as suitable “for Canning or Freezing”. You should use new sealing flats, and you will need a ring closure for each jar. Oil the jars well. I like to drizzle a little oil in the bottom of each jar and then spread it around evenly using a pastry or barbecue brush. Fill jars with care, and use a wet, clean paper towel to remove any batter that may drip onto the rims or tops of the jars while you are filling them. You will need to adjust the cooking times and fill levels for each individual recipe, since results will vary depending on the density of each batter. (It can be helpful to bake off one test jar first, when trying a new recipe.) Immediately after removing the jars from the oven, put the sealing flats in place on the top and hand-tighten the ring closure snugly (do not over-tighten). The steam that builds up inside the closed jar will actually vacuum seal the jar for you.

Low carb baked goods tend to stick more than traditional recipes, so for best results, when baking in loaf pans, grease the pans well and line the bottom with a piece of oiled parchment paper too. Use paper liners in muffin tins and oil glass jars well. Allow loaf pans and muffins to cool in the pans for five to ten minutes, then run a knife around all the edges, remove from pans, and cool on racks. For longest shelf life, refrigerate this bread after cooling.

VERSION #1
(Using fresh or frozen cranberries):

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened, canned - could substitute 3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup oil)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 1-1/2 cups granular Splenda™
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 Tablespoon baking powder (reduce to 4 teaspoons in high altitudes)
• 1 cup vanilla flavor protein powder
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten or gluten flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour (or other nut flour/meal)
• 2 cups unsweetened dried coconut (could substitute additional nut flour - ups carbs by approx. 2 per serving)
• 2 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare desired baking pans as needed. In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs. Add coconut milk, oil, cream, water, extract, and Splenda™ and blend well. Add salt, baking powder, protein powder, and nut flour; blend again. Fold in cranberries and coconut, divide between pans and bake approximately 35-40 minutes for standard loaves, 20-25 minutes for jars, and 12-14 minutes for muffins.

Yield: 30 - two standard loaves with 15 slices per loaf, five quart jars with 6 slices per jar, or 30 muffins 125 calories, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated) 4 grams carb, 1 gram fiber, and 5 grams protein, each.

VERSION #2
(Using dried cranberries):

• 1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1 cup orange flavor sugar free syrup (may substitute one cup of water mixed with 1/2 cup granular Splenda™, and 2 teaspoons orange extract.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened, canned - could sub 3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup oil)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp. orange extract
• 1 cup granular Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder (reduce to 4 teaspoons in high altitudes)
• 1 cup vanilla flavor protein powder
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten or gluten flour n.. 3/4 cup almond flour (or other nut flour/meal) o.. 2 cups unsweetened dried coconut (could substitute additional nut flour - ups carbs by approx. 2 per serving)

Bring orange syrup to a boil, add dried chopped cranberries, and set aside to soften for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare baking pans as needed. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add coconut milk, oil, cream, water, extract, and Splenda™ and blend well. Add salt, baking powder, protein powder, nut flour, and softened cranberries. Fold in the coconut, divide between pans, and bake approximately 35-40 minutes for standard loaves, 20-25 minutes for jars, and 12-14 minutes for muffins.

Yield: 30 - two standard loaves with 15 slices per loaf, five quart jars with 6 slices per jar, or 30 muffins. 125 calories, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated) 4 grams carb, 1 gram fiber, and 5 grams protein, each.