My afternoons often consist of “Mummy my tummy’s hungry” from Miss K (age 4) and “Mor Mor” with a sign for “Eat” from J-boy (17 months). I swear the toddler boy could graze all afternoon if allowed! I’m constantly on the look out for tasty, healthy snacks for my kids. Generally I prefer to have some savoury snacks around – with some veggies involved when I can sneak them in. However this week, after spending time talking to clients about malt loaf, I was fancying a chewy, sweet but healthy loaf cake that is dense to keep hungry tums full.
This one was knocked up in about 20 minutes with J-boy helping me. He ate some of the apricots, tipped out the flour and licked the spatula clean! I cooked at the same time as our chicken tray bake was in the oven too. That meant both the kids sneaked a piece with their yoghurt after tea 🙂 Let’s just say it was devoured pretty quickly.
Mis K: “It’s the goodest cake Mummy, its the goodest cake with fruit in it”
Although I made this for the kids, I made it wheat and gluten free so that I can join in the fun too!
- 200g dried apricots
- 2 oranges
- water
- 225g rice flour
- 1 tsp xanthum gum
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 50g ground almonds
- 350g raisins
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a loaf tin.
- Cut up the apricots into small chunks and place in a small saucepan.
- Juice the 2 oranges into a measuring jug, make up to 350ml with water and add to the saucepan. Heat to boiling and then turn the heat off.
- Mix the flours, xanthum gum, baking powder, cinnamon, ground almonds and raisins together.
- Now add the apricots and liquid in, mix well.
- The mixture will be thick and sticky (but tasty). Spoon into the loaf tin and bake.
- Leave to cool a little in the loaf tin if you can before cooling properly on a wire rack.