Fat Free Malt Loaf Food

STICKY MALT LOAVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and ends of two greased 450g/1lb non-stick loaf tins with strips of baking parchment.
• Pour the hot tea into a mixing bowl with the malt, sugar and dried fruit. Stir well, then add the eggs.
• Tip in the flour, then quickly stir in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and pour into the prepared tins. Bake for 50 mins until firm and well risen. While still warm, brush with a little more malt to glaze and leave to cool.
• Remove from the tins. If you can bear not to eat it straight away, it gets more sticky after wrapping and keeping for 2-5 days. Serve sliced and buttered, if you like.

CHOCOLATE & MALT LOAF TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm non-stick, loose-bottomed cake tin. Blend the malt loaf and hazelnuts to a fine crumb in a food processor. Scatter the crumb into the buttered tin and shake it so all surfaces are evenly covered. Pour out the remaining crumbs and reserve.
• Slowly melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on full speed for 5 mins until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice to ensure the batter is well combined. Tip in the remaining hazelnut and malt loaf crumb and melted chocolate. Finally, add the cream cheese. Your mixture should be smooth and glossy, like a chocolate mousse. Using a rubber spatula, transfer to your cake tin and smooth out evenly.
• Bake the cake for 35 mins and then turn the temperature down to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 for a final 20 mins. Allow the cake to rest and cool for an hour before attempting to remove the tin. This cake keeps well, so you can make it up to two days ahead. Carefully slice into wedges and serve with cream or crème fraîche.

FAT FREE MALT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C or 350°F
• Line the base of a 1lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper, cut to fit.
• Sieve flour and ground ginger into a bowl.
• Stir through bicarbonate of soda and sultanas, then bind ingredients with golden syrup and water - enough to make a fairly soft consistency.
• Turn the mixture into the tin and level off.
• Bake the loaf for about 55 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire tray to cool completely.
• Serve sliced with tea.

ALL BRAN LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and line your loaf tin, and preheat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 5.
• Use a cup to measure the ingredients (I use my small measuring jug featured in the photograph.)
• Pour the All bran and milk into a bowl. Leave the All Bran to soak up the milk (about 5-10 mins.)
• Add the self raising flour and sugar to your mixture and stir.
• Cut up your dried fruit (if using prunes and apricots) and dust with some of the self raising flour. Add the fruit to your mixture and stir.
• The mixture should be thick and gloopy, if it isn't you may wish to add a bit more milk. Transfer the mixture to your loaf tin and put in the oven for 1 hr -1 hr 30 mins. Check on the loaf after 1 hr by putting a knife through the middle, if it comes out clean the loaf is cooked, if not leave it in a little longer.