When I was growing up, my mum (bless her) wasn't a great cook nor did I come home to cookies or cakes straight from the oven with a glass of milk. I instead usually was home alone until Mum came home from work or I was with my mama (our maternal grandmothers name for us grandies thanks to the first cousin in a long line that couldn't wrap his lips around 'nana') along with a gazillion cousins. Mama raised 11 children on her own in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Could you even imagine? Yep, on...her...own...11 under 11 ~ a set of twins came late down the line just to throw a spanner in the works! She is a modern day saint that woman. She has also had a wonderful hand at helping raise all of their offspring. So you can understand when I say my cousins and I after school at Mama's place was like feeding time at the zoo. She had a way of whipping up something out of nothing for us all - either her family famous scones, pancakes, spaghetti and potato soup (I must share that frugal recipe), grated potato cakes or she would just put out a loaf of white bread, butter, jam and let us devour the whole loaf before we went outside and left a trail of destruction for her to clean up.
Now that I'm a Mum, and a stay at home Mum, I do make most things from scratch for her lunchbox and a cooked evening meal yes I nearly always have on at the ready, but I don't always have sweet treats just out of the oven for my girl when she arrives home from school, but I try and do it at least once a week as the pleasure it brings her is worth it :)
I do try and be a bit sneaky and get in as much fruit or healthy items as possible so when I found this recipe here for coconut bread that also contains no egg, I thought I'd give it a try. I thought I'd give it a whirl, with my own twists of course. I couldn't not use some of my home clucked chook eggs though so I just added one. I'm thinking I will have this toasted for breakfast this week too with some slices of banana....ok probably not as I don't think it will last that long.
Coconut, chia and strawberry bread
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup agave syrup or sugar
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries (you could use any berries or banana even)
1/cup frozen or fresh strawberries to decorate the top
into your 1 cup measure, crack 1 egg-whisk well- then top up with soy milk or a milk of your choice - coconut milk would be sublime
1. Pre-heat oven to 170c and line a loaf/bread tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flour and add all ingredients and mix thoroughly just with a spoon will do, but don't over work it.
3. Pour batter into the tin and smooth the top - use a spatula to get all of the batter out of your bowl. Top with 1/2 cup of remaining berries.
4. Bake for approx. 35 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a baking tray.
5. Devour with hot cups of tea and conversation.
Truth be known, I'd happily bake something every day for after school but unfortunately between me and my darling heart we would devour it as we both love food so that is why I show some restraint! Another bonus about this recipe as it seriously took me 2 minutes to whip it together and was ready by the time I'd walked up to the school gate....and there really is nothing like cups of tea or hot chocolate, a warm slice of somethin' somethi'nto get your kids to talking about their day - bribery all the way!! Although we did fight over another slice...
What do you like to bake that's in the oven in minutes?
Ciao, Jan x
