Green Tea Ginger Orange Bread 11. July 2012 William Davis (4) How about all the health benefits of green tea in wheat-free bread form, spiced up with the magical combined flavors of ginger and orange?Frequent consumption of green tea accelerates loss of visceral (“wheat belly”) fat, increases HDL and reduces triglycerides, reduces blood pressure, and may provide cardiovascular benefits that go beyond these markers such as reduction of oxidative stress. In this Green Tea Ginger Orange Bread, we don’t just drink the tea—we eat it! This provides an even more powerful dose of the green tea catechins believed to be responsible for the health benefits of green tea. You can grind your own green tea from dried bulk leaves or it can be purchased pre-ground. I’ve used sencha and matcha green tea varieties with good results. The Teavana tea store sells a Sencha preground green tea that works well. If starting with bulk tea leaves, pulse in your food chopper, food processor, or coffee grinder (cleaned thoroughly first!) to generate green tea powder. You will need only a bit, as a little goes a long way. The entire loaf contains 26 grams “net” carbohydrates; if cut into 10 slices, each slice therefore yields 2.6 grams net carbs, a perfectly tolerable amount. Bread:1¼ cup almond meal/flour½ cup coconut flour2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed1 teaspoon baking powderSweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar1 tablespoon ground green tea1½ teaspoons ground ginger1½ teaspoons ground allspice1½ ground cinnamon2 large eggs, separated¼ teaspoon cream of tartar1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon almond extractGrated zest from 1 orange + 2 tablespoons squeezed juice1/2 cup coconut milkFrosting:4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature1 teaspoon fresh lemon juiceSweetener equivalent to 1 tablespoon sugarPreheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9” x 5” bread pan. In large bowl, combine almond meal/flour, coconut flour, flaxseed, baking powder, sweetener, green tea, ginger, allspice, and cinnamon and mix. In small bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. At low mixer speed, blend in egg yolks, vanilla extract, almond extract, orange zest and juice, and coconut milk. Pour egg mixture into almond meal/flour mixture and mix by hand thoroughly. Pour dough into bread pan and place in oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick withdraws dry. Remove and cool. For frosting, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and sweetener and mix. When cooled, spread frosting over top of bread.