Anyone Give a Fig for Toast?

Slather it with butter!

I have a weakness for dried fruit in bread. Raisin toast, sultana bread, cinnamon buns, dare I say it….hot cross buns!?!

I just do not have an “off” switch when it comes to these yeasty fragrant fruit loaves. Especially warm out of the oven! So I limit these foods to holiday indulgences and am known to travel with my own home-made gluten-free fruit bread, packed in my suitcase or tucked under my arm!

Dried fruit is a good source of fibre and vitamins & minerals but is a concentrated source of sugar so don’t go overboard! I tend to steer clear from it unless I am on holidays and would happily buy myself some plump dried figs as a treat rather than a bar of chocolate. (Not that I would buy a bar of chocolate, I’m just sayin’!)

But not all dried fruit is the same. Dried fruit from the supermarket has been processed with additives that are not necessarily marked on the label. Manufacturers can add sugar, dextrose, glucose syrup, fruit juice, potassium sorbate (200), sulphur dioxide (220), paraffin, and vegetable oils. Yuk!

Under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Act, food additives can be OMITTED from the label if it makes up less than five per cent of the food. This is considered a conservative approach! Foods imported from overseas may not adopt this conservative approach and therefore may have a higher amount of additive without being listed on the ingredients. I know I am allergic to meta-bisulphates so I only buy organic dried fruit with no added oils.

Fruit bread is my weakness

This yeast free paleo recipe is not quite a bread and definitely not a cake. It is heavier in texture than a cake and toasts really well. Its rich with almonds and walnuts & studded with as much dried fruit as you wish. My favourite dried fruits for bread are the not-too-sweet ones; figs, apricots and prunes. I found some delicious organic dried raspberries recently and was keen to try them out but use what ever fruits you prefer. I also used a chai rooibos tea for an added dimension to the flavour but any tea works or you could just use water. Next time I will try lemon ginger or lady grey.

40g linseeds

70g hot brewed tea or water

150g almonds

50g tapioca flour

1/2 teas salt

2 teas baking powder

1 heaped teas coconut flour

20g honey

1 teas cinnamon

1 teas nutmeg

4 eggs

40g butter or ghee

20g apple cider vinegar

120g mixed dried fruit, chopped

20g walnuts (optional)

 

Soak the linseeds in hot water for 15 minutes. Set aside.

Mill the almonds for 8 seconds, SP 9. Add the tapioca & coconut flours with the spices, salt & baking powder. Mix on SP 4 to combine well. 

Add the wet ingredients and soaked linseeds and blend well on SP 5. Add the fruit and walnuts at the end and mix in REVERSE SP 1 to fold though. Scoop into a loaf pan that has been lined with baking paper and bake for about 40 – 45 minutes at 170ºC

 

This loaf freezes very well. I slice it and freeze it and then snap off slices when a tea & toast & woolly socks are required!!