Tea Soaked Raisin and Walnut Bread with no added sugar
I was caught out last week running from one meeting to another and found myself hungry, low and needing some fuel (yes I know I tell all my clients the importance of 5 minutes preparation the night before to make sure you don't get caught skipping meals and making poor food choices throughout a hectic day), so found myself in the only place I might get something homemade, a local coffee shop. With lots of sugary cakes and biscuit on offer, I came across a no added sugar, home made tea brack with only 6 ingredients: dried fruit, walnuts, flour, eggs, butter and spices. Ok, maybe doesn't tick the box for a perfectly balanced lunch, but made a good choice where limited options available and I had forgotten how delicious a good tea brack is!
With a slice of tea brack being a healthy lunchbox filler, sports snack and perfect choice to replace the bar of chocolate or bag of jellies if you are feeling like something sweet, I am posting a very simple and basic recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
There is no added sugar needed in this recipe as the natural sugar in the dried fruit gives plenty of sweetness and the addition of wholemeal flour and nuts helps boost nutrition further and give you a slower releasing energy snack.
Ingredients
150g raisins
150g sultanans
300mls hot tea
150g wholemeal flour
170g self raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
30g butter melted
100g walnuts (in small pieces)
2 eggs
1 rind of an orange
Method
Pour hot tea over dried fruit and leave for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight if you can.
Preheat the over to 170 degree Celsius. Line a loaf tin. Sieve the white flour, baking powder and spices into the fruit mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Transfer the mixture to your loaf tin. Bake in centre of the oven for approximately 50 minutes. Test by inserting a clean sewer or knife into the middle of the loaf and it is comes out clean the bread is ready.
I left the loaf cool completely and sliced it up and put it into the freezer in portions ready to grab and go each morning.