Honey Fruit Loaves Food

PORTUGUESE HONEY BREAD

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter loaf pans.
• Bring cranberries, candied fruit, and Port to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside, covered.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until just coarsely chopped. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and spices and pulse to combine.
• Beat together butter (2 1/2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 with a handheld. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Add one third of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined, then add molasses and mix until incorporated. Add half of remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then add honey and mix until incorporated. Add yeast mixture and remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then stir in candied-fruit mixture.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. (Do not let batter rise.) Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.

FRUIT LOAF

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl mix wheat, saltanas and sugar. Stir in milk, cover and leave to soak for at least 1hr - 2hrs.
• Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and mixed spice, stir well. The mixture will be quick thick and sticky.
• Transfer mixture to well greased loaf tin.
• Place in a moderate oven 150-160C for 1hr - 1hr 15mins. check with skewer to ensure cooked.
• (Tip: half way through cooking time, cover with foil to prevent over browning)
• Allow to cool for 5mins before turning out of tin and onto a baking tray.
• Notes;
• This cake is a lovely lower fat alternative to fruit cake. Its wonderful sliced warm with low fat spread/butter.

RUSSIAN HONEY AND DRIED FRUIT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• In a small saucepan, heat the honey, bringing it just to the boiling point. Remove from heat and stir in the spices and baking soda. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and yogurt and beat together until smooth. Add the honey mixture and mix in thoroughly, then stir in the dried fruit and nuts.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the honey-nut mixture. Stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Pour into an oiled 9-by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center tests clean. Cool on a rack, then cover tightly with foil to store.
• Makes one loaf (recipe can easily be doubled).

HONEY SPICE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and lightly grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Stir together the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add the milk, honey, egg, orange zest, and melted butter, and stir with a wooden spoon just until mixed. (The batter will be very liquid!) Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Cool 15 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients, then pour over the loaf. Let the glaze set for 1 hour, slice, and enjoy!

GINGERBREAD & HONEY LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter and line a 900g loaf tin. Put the honey, butter and sugar in a saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the milk and vanilla, then set aside to cool.
• Tip the flour into a bowl with the baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt. Add the egg, then gently fold in along with the melted butter mixture. Once combined, tip into the prepared tin, place on a baking tray, and bake for 40 mins until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then place on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

BELGIUM LOAF

Steps:

• Put in large pan milk, sugar, fruit and butter. Melt all on stove top so that sugar dissolves. Cool.
• Add egg to mix.
• Add all other ingredients and mix.
• Bake in a greased fruit loaf tin and bake for 1-1 1/4 hrs in moderate hot oven or until skewer comes out clean. I put it at 160 degrees.
• Cool and enjoy. Great with butter.