A recipe – baby friendly Bara Brith

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Sugar free baking?

For the last year, I have not had a huge amount of time for baking, partly because of actual lack of time, partly also because since moving temporarily to a much smaller home, even my trusted KMix has been in a cupboard, unused, due to lack of space.

Yet, since little O’s weaning efforts, I have been trying to cook some decent food for him, to educate him to different flavours despite the ‘no salt, no refined sugars’ rule. 

Searching for cake recipes that I could use to make him something nice to munch on, I remembered that I used to love making the British Bake Off book (1st edition) version of Welsh classic fruit cake Bara Brith, which was a virtually fat free cake (as well as egg and dairy free). The only ingredient I needed to replace was the actual sugar!

I also changed the fruit types, so rather than just using vine fruits, I used a mix of large and small dried fruit to include orange, cranberries as well as apricots and dates. Indeed, the sugar was not missed at all!

I used maple syrup to sweeten a little bit and to moisten the dough which is otherwise quite dry (takes ages to actually mix everything up). I did use real tea to infuse the fruit rather than caffeine free, as I figured once cooked it would not affect the little one too much, but I am not sure (bad mum alert!)

This loaf is delicious with a cup of tea, toasted with a layer of jam (for adults only of course) or a layer of butter too. So easy to make! 

Does anyone have any baby friendly recipes to share? Would love to hear more

Bara brith

 

Baby friendly Bara Brith
A refined sugar free version of the classic welsh fruit load
Ingredients
  1. Mixed dried fruit 250gr
  2. Maple syrup 3 table spoons
  3. Strong hot tea 225ml
  4. Ground cinnammon 1/4 tea spoon
  5. 1 large free range egg (beaten)
  6. Self raising white flour 250gr
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Instructions
  1. Put the dried fruit into a large bowl and pour over the hot tea, stirring well. Cover and leave for a few hours or even over night.
  2. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 160c (gas 3). Add the cinnamon, the egg into the beaten fruit and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and then the maple syrup. It will be a dry mixture at first, but keep going as it will mix in the end (patience!). Add a little maple syrup if needed.
  3. Pour in a 450gr load tin, greased with butter and lined with a strip of greaseproof paper or a silicon mould, and bake in the heated oven for about an hour, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out dry. Stand on a wire rack to cool and leave for about 15 minutes before slicing.
  4. Enjoy with butter, or with jam or your favourite spread or even on its own. Keeps well for a few days.
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Adapted from Great British Bake Off book
Adapted from Great British Bake Off book
Pastabites https://blog.pastabites.co.uk/

8 comments A recipe – baby friendly Bara Brith

Galina V says:

Lovely fruit cake. What did little Mr think of it? I don’t think a bit of tea would do him any harm.

pastabites says:

He liked it! And indeed, hopefully the tea was fine, I guess I could use caffeine free options like rooibos next time

Alison says:

What a lovely looking cake. I love all the different fruits you have used, bet it was so tasty

pastabites says:

It is really good and I should make it again especially with this weather!

It looks good and sugar-free is a bonus! R

pastabites says:

It is.. and honesly, you don’t miss it. I am on the quest for sugar free recipes now (eg baby friendly).

Anna Lloches says:

Thank you for the recipe, I think there is little gain in replacing refined sugar by Maple Syrup since the syrup is essentially liquid sugar, I made it adding a little freshly squeezed orange juice instead of the syrup and daughter loves it.

pastabites says:

Oh that’s a good idea – and it would go well with the fruit too! Thank you

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