As I mentioned in my Lumberjack cake blog post, my plan is to gradually share more and more of my recipes with you via this new recipe blog rather than continue to leave you drooling, as I have been, with just a photo on Instagram . . .naughty me! Speaking of Instagram, it has been very handy to scroll back through earlier posts as a guide for which recipe I will share with you next. It certainly makes life easier when I already have a pretty photo to attach to my recipe, like this one! Plus being as my clients have requested the recipes early on for some of my Instagram pics, I even have a recipe sheet I can cut and paste from . . . winning!
I hope that you enjoy this paleo-style fruit loaf which I created back in April 2019. According to my Instagram post I had been “dreaming about this loaf for quite a while [and after] having a play and making it . . it was a winner first go!” You’ve got to celebrate achievements in the kitchen like this right? I am no chef but having a food technology background is very useful when it comes to recipe development and understanding how ingredients work together. Which is of course, considerably more challenging when you are baking without gluten or even grains! I do love a challenge and I hope you enjoy the results of my kitchen play time :)
You’ll need:
30g flaxseeds (I like to use golden flaxseeds)
100g raw or blanched almonds (or almond meal)
1 sml-med apple, quartered (110g)
1 sml-med banana (130g) ripe, roughly chopped
4 large pastured eggs
40g virgin coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
20g apple cider vinegar
10g raw honey
50g tapioca flour (or add extra 20g ground flax for GAPS)
50g desiccated coconut
½ tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
Chai spice mix: 2 tsp cinnamon + ¾ tsp ground ginger + ¾ tsp allspice
80-100g dried fruit of choice (e.g. figs, apricots, sultanas, prunes)
How to make it:
Preheat fan-forced oven to 170C and prepare a small loaf pan. Grind the flaxseeds in a coffee grinder and whole almonds if you are using, and set aside. Next, grate the apple and mash with the banana in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs (room temp for best results) in a separate bowl or large jug and add to the mashed fruit with the remaining liquid ingredients (oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and honey). Combine well. Next add all of the dry ingredients except the dried fruit (ground flaxseeds and almonds, tapioca flour, coconut, salt bicarb, baking powder and spices) and mix until well combined. Lastly, fold through your dried fruit of choice. Pour the mixture into prepared loaf pan and cook for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Enjoy fresh out of the oven or cool and slice for later. Can be frozen and is lovely heated up or toasted and smothered in butter or smashed avocado. Yum!
Thermomix method:
Preheat fan-forced oven to 170C and prepare a small loaf pan.
Grind flaxseeds and almonds (or use almond meal) for 8-10 seconds on speed 10 into a fine meal. Decant and set aside.
Grate the apple on speed 8 for 3 seconds, scrape down sides then add the banana and mash together speed 4 for 3 seconds.
Add the eggs. vanilla, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and honey (if using) to the TM bowl, and whisk together for about 2 minutes at 40C on speed 3.
Return the ground flaxseeds and almonds with the bicarb and baking powder, tapioca flour (or coconut flour), dessicated coconut and spices. Combine on speed 5-6 for 8-10 seconds, scrape sides and mix again if needed. Stir through the dried fruit with a spatula or use reverse speed 2.
Pour the mixture into prepared loaf pan and cook for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Enjoy fresh out of the oven or cool and slice for later. Can be frozen and is lovely heated up or toasted and smothered in butter or smashed avocado. Yum!
Hi I’m Paula!
I’m a Functional Nutritionist, Health Coach & Certified GAPS Practitioner. I’m also a mum of two teenage girls and a real food foodie!
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