A sweet treat

Occasionally we all need a sweet treat. This sugar free loaf ticks every box for taste, health, portability and versatility. I bake and freeze this recipe for afternoon slumps or a quick breakfast if I am on the move early. I take it on plane, road trips, when  go bush walking and the kids love it.

Sugar free, I quit sugar, hooked on sugar, deadly fructose are all the buzz catch phrases right now. Going to extremes is not part of 70’s girl mantra. I love fruit and eat it every day. Unprocessed honey and maple syrup feature in some of my recipes.

Find a middle path with food and you will be able to sustain a healthy life without life feeling too restrictive. The apricots and honey give this recipe a beautiful flavour.

You need

1 loaf tin 21 x 11cm, 1 cooling rack, baking paper

Oven – 180oC, cooking time 30 min

Ingredients

mise en place: collect and prepare all ingredients first

 

2 cups of almond meal , or process 2 cups raw almonds in a food processor

1 1/2 cups of sweet potato, peeled and grated, I used the fine grater on the food processor

1 cup of desiccated coconut

1/2 cup coconut flower

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup diced dried apricots, soaked in 3/4 cup boiling water for 10 minutes

4 eggs

Juice and zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Topping: 1 tablespoon each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds

To make

Prepare the log tin by lightly brushing coconut oil on the base and inside of the tin. Cut a piece of baking slight smaller than the base ( about 1/2 cm) and line the bottom of the loaf tin.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. This includes sweet potato, almond meal, coconut, coconut flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and chia seeds. Toss gently to combine.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk with a fork.

Melt coconut oil on low heat , remove from stove and add honey, apricots, water from apricots, honey, apple cider vinegar, orange juice and zest.

Combine the eggs and the coconut oil mix, stir to mix.

Add this wet mix to the dry ingredients. With clean hands work the mixture so that all the ingredients are mixed together.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.

Gently press the sunflower and pumpkin seeds onto the top of the loaf.

Bake for 30 minutes, test with skewer and bake for further 5-10 minutes as needed, until skewer comes out dry

Remove from oven, cool in tin for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Don’t slice until loaf is cool. Slice and use as needed or slice loaf, place in a sealed container and freeze for up 8-10 weeks.

Serves: 8-10 slices

Bon appetite

X 70’s girl