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Craisin and Apricot Loaf July 12, 2007 Fruit loaves have been a traditional part of the communal tea-drinking landscape for decades. They pop up at christenings and funerals and all those get-togethers in between. You’ll find them on the table at the bowling club tea break, committee suppers, bridge lunches, in the picnic basket, on the fund-raising cake stall. Slices of loaf can be warmed through and topped with a scoop of ice cream for a quick dessert. Elderly people with capricious appetites and teeth that can’t cope with crunchy biscuits can usually be tempted with “a nice piece of loaf, dear” and a cuppa. One of my earliest memories of fruit loaves was watching my mother coax them out of the tall cylindrical tins she baked them in. I’m pretty sure these were empty baking powder tins that worked admirably in post-War years when there wasn’t a lot of choice in baking hardware. Today we don’t have that problem and we can choose from silicon loaf pans, non-stick ones, glass pans and ones made of various metals. However, the recipes have remained much the same over the years. Generally the dried fruit of choice is soaked or simmered in water, cooled and mixed with spices and dried ingredients. You can use the fruit of your choice – raisins, dates, sultanas. Just make the amount up to about a cup. You can also add walnuts or pecans if you fancy. I like the contrast of tart craisins (dried cranberries) and dried apricots.
Craisin and Apricot Loaf 1 cup water Place the dried fruit, sugar and water in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes then stir in the baking soda and butter and set aside to cool. Sift the dried ingredients into a bowl then add the cooled fruit mixture and stir gently until just combined. Don’t overmix. Pour into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out and cool on a rack. Slice and butter to serve.
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