"Have a Cuppa!" Tea Loaf - Refined Sugar Free

I'm not one to go completely all out with this "sugar free" lifestyle thingy'. BUT, when I do come across a recipe that I might actually like, then it's well worth trying some alternatives out every once in awhile. Plus, it makes eating it feel a whole lot more satisfying knowing there's no guilt involved! A bonus of course!

I wouldn't bake something if I thought it wasn't worth it without sugar, because frankly it's a waste of good ingredients and it just won't get eaten in my house. With my last post  - beetroot cake also being refined sugar free, it seems as if it's becoming a dietary habit of mine, but I can assure you it won't... Let's face it, no matter how many other ingredients you can add to rectify the no added sugar, some things just won't turn out half as good because it's needed!! (For sweetness and texture too sometimes.)

Having said all that, this recipe doesn't need it. Thankfully. (Otherwise it would've been pointless for me to even write this recipe on here, never mind try and persuade you to make it!) The reason why it works is because there are two forms of sweetness, one coming from the fruit because it's a tea loaf, whereby British tradition requires this, otherwise it's not classed as one. The second coming from the alternative sweetener of maple syrup. (I did say it's refined sugar free, not altogether sugar free!)

This recipe is adapted from Davina Mccall's 5 Weeks to Sugar-Free [Book], where I suggested other less 'traditional' dried fruit options (below) which I used, upped the syrup quantity ever so slightly (I'm not gonna lie this was actually mistake, it poured out of the bottle way too quickly for me to handle - ooops! But it worked fine). And swapped wholemeal spelt flour for regular plain wholemeal. All of which made for a lovely, sweet, moist loaf which is great at any time of the day. Especially at breakfast (that's if it lasts a few days, and you get to that stale 'ish stage where nobody seems to eat that last end bit, this is perfect toasting time.) 

Tea  Loaf  [ Refined  Sugar  Free] 

Recipe adapted from Davina Mccall

Ingredients:

Makes 1 loaf 350g dried fruit (I used a mixture of cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, sultanas, inca berries, cherries & blueberries) 200ml freshly brewed tea 70ml maple syrup 250g plain wholemeal flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp mixed spice 2 eggs

Method

Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the tea and maple syrup. Leave the fruit to soak in the tea and syrup for at least a few hours and preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4/ 350°F. Line and grease a 1kg/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the flour into the bowl with the soaked fruit mixture, stir in the baking powder and mixed spice. Add the eggs. Mix everything thoroughly, then spoon into the prepared loaf tin. Bake the tea loaf in the oven for about an hour. Remove and leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out and transfer it to a cooling rack. Serve thickly with lashings of butter.