Imagine a tea loaf that has turbo charged nutrients and flavour from which you can slice a bit to pop in a lunch box or for a post swim snack with your flask of tea. This recipe yields to a fudgy texture inside but is packed with slow burn fruit and nuts giving protein, fibre and Omega-3’s.

The figs can be interchanged with prunes, dates or similar – fill your cupboard with these guys as they are so useful.

Delicious and super easy….. hold in an air tight container for up to three days.

Fig & Chocolate Loaf – Makes 10/12 servings

150g /5oz of stoned soft figs, chopped roughly  (I get mine from Lidl)

150g/5oz rich plain chocolate ( minimum 50% cocoa solids), chopped

40g/1 1/2 oz butter, softened

150g/5oz pecan or walnuts , chopped

110g/4oz wholemeal flour

110g/4oz plain flour

1 1/2 oz coconut sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 large egg, whisked with …

150ml/5 fl oz organic milk

2 tbsp local honey

fruit to decorate – blueberries or raspberries

 

Preheat the oven to 180dg/160dg fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with grease proof paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heat proof bowl in the microwave until liquid. About a minute should do it. Try not to burn it as you’ll have to start again! Col slightly.

Gently mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Spoon into the prepared tin, level off the top and sprinkle with some berries and maybe some brown sugar.

Pop into the middle of your warm oven for 45 minutes and check with a skewer to see that it comes out clean. If not, give it another few minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

‘This is obscenely good with a small slab of salted French butter on it, thick enough to see your teeth in it like our grandmothers used to do. Just not a habit for every day!

Enjoy the rest of your week

Karen x