Spiced Fruit Loaf Food

SPICED FRUIT LOAF

Steps:

• Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for about 30 mins, then sieve, reserving the juice.
• Put the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp salt into a large mixing bowl with the spices and soaked fruit and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, reserved orange juice, the beaten egg and the melted butter. Mix everything together to form a dough - start with a wooden spoon and finish with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add a little more warm water; if it's too wet, add more flour.
• Knead in the bowl or on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Transfer to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in size - this will take about 1 hr depending on how warm the room is.
• Knock the dough back by kneading for a few secs. Dust 2 x 2lb loaf tins with flour. Halve the dough. Use a little flour to help you shape each half into a smooth oval, then pop them into the tins. Cover both loosely with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for about 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake for 20 mins, then cool in the tins before turning out and slicing.

SPICED FRUIT SOURDOUGH LOAF

Steps:

• Dissolve the honey in the hot tea.
• Combine the raisins, currants and orange zest in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot tea over. Cover and leave for 3-6 hours.
• Using a fine sieve, strain the fruit over a jug, reserving the soaking liquid. Set fruit aside, covered in the fridge, until the next day.
• Measure the soaking liquid and make up to 400 ml with tap water if necessary. Set aside until you're ready to make the dough.
• In a large bowl, stir the flour, salt and spices together.
• Dissolve the sourdough starter in the reserved soaking liquid.
• Stir the liquid into the flour, salt and spices. Bring together into a rough dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight or 14-16 hours.
• Scrape the dough out of its bowl onto a well-floured worktop and flatten out.
• Spread half the soaked fruit over the dough. Fold over the sides of the dough to cover the mix and flatten the dough again.
• Spread the rest of the fruit over the dough, fold over the sides again and continue folding until it's distributed evenly
• Shape your loaf to the proving vessel, cover with cling film and leave to rest 10 min.
• After 10 min place the dough into lined, floured proving basket or tea towel-lined bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 90 min.
• After 60 min preheat oven to 250C/500F/Gas 10 and put a cast iron pot with lid into the oven.
• After 90 mins, carefully flip the dough from the proving basket into the pot, slash the top, replace the lid and put in the oven. Turn heat down to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Bake for 30 min.
• After 30 min remove pot from the oven, take bread out and put bread directly on the oven shelf. Bake for 10-20 min until the bread is cooked through, turning down the oven if necessary to stop the outside burning
• Leave on a wire rack to cool.

MOROCCAN SPICED FRUIT & NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine apricots, dates and orange juice; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes., In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and spices. In a another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter and orange zest until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in coconut, pecans and apricot mixture., Transfer to a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool., In a small bowl, beat remaining ingredients until blended. Serve bread with orange butter.

SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place cinnamon sticks and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag., In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, raisins, brown sugar, salt and ginger. Add spice bag; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add fruit; simmer for 3 minutes. Discard spice bag. Serve fruit warm or cold with a slotted spoon.

EASY FRUIT LOAF

Steps:

• Heat gently together in a pot on stove top the water, sugar, dried fruit and butter until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes then stir in flour and spices and baking soda.
• Pour into a large loaf pan which has been greased and floured or bottom lined with baking paper and bake at 350'F for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Serve cut in slices and buttered.

TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas, raisins and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the tea and cover the bowl. Leave to sit for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Add the eggs, flour and sugar to the soaked fruit, ensuring everything is well combined. Spoon the mixture into the tin and place in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 30 mins or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack.
• Cut into thick slices and serve with butter. To store, wrap tightly and keep in an airtight container for up to five days. The loaf will taste even better after a few days.