Steamed Apricot Bread

This is a wheat-free recipe. It is NOT a gluten-free recipe.

3/4 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup almonds
3/4 cup boiling water
1/3 cup molasses or honey
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup dried apricots

In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice flour, amaranth flour and baking soda.

Grind the almonds to a fine powder in a blender. Gradually add enough water to bring the level up to 1 cup. With the machine running, add the molasses or honey and almond extract. Add the apricots and process with a few on/off turns to chop them; do not puree. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour bowl. Stir to mix. Turn out into an oiled 1-quart mold or 1-pound can. Cover with a square of wax paper or foil (shiny side down); tie wax paper securely with a piece of string. Place the mold on a wire rack in a Dutch oven or large stockpot. Add enough boiling water to the pot to come halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover the pot tightly, and steam the bread over medium-low heat for 2 hours Do not remove the cover during the cooking time.

Remove the mold from the pot. Cool the bread in the mold for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. For best results, slice with a serrated knife.

Variations:
Replace the rice flour with 1/3 cup rice polish and 1/3 cup rice bran. You can also replace the amaranth flour with either 1/4 cup soy flour, 1/4 cup white buckwheat flour or 1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds.