Super bran breakfast loaf

Name: Super bran breakfast loaf
Yield: 1 large loaf
Ingredients: 1 cup Dates, chopped; ½ cup Water; 1 tsp Baking soda; 1 tsp Vanilla essence/extract; 50 g Butter, softened; 1 cup Brown sugar; 1 tsp Vanilla essence; 1 Egg, beaten; 2 Bananas, very ripe, mashed; 1 cup Carrot, grated, a loosely-packed cup; 1 cup Walnuts, or other nuts, chopped; 1 ½ cups Wholemeal flour (Main); ½ cup Bran (Main); 1 tsp Baking powder; ½ tsp Mixed spice

Makes: 1 large loaf

Tam West

Nadia Lim

Food writer and author

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I like to call this high-fibre loaf my “breakfast loaf’’, because all I have to do is slice off a piece and a nutritious breakfast is served! It’s a life-saver for those very rushed mornings.

Ingredients

1 cup	Dates, chopped
½ cup	Water
1 tsp	Baking soda
1 tsp	Vanilla essence/extract
50 g	Butter, softened
1 cup	Brown sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla essence
1	Egg, beaten
2	Bananas, very ripe, mashed
1 cup	Carrot, grated, a loosely-packed cup
1 cup	Walnuts, or other nuts, chopped
1 ½ cups	Wholemeal flour (Main)
½ cup	Bran (Main)
1 tsp	Baking powder
½ tsp	Mixed spice

Directions

Heat the oven to 180C. Place dates and water in a small pot and boil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to mash up the dates. Add baking soda and mix well — it will froth up a bit.
Beat butter with sugar and vanilla until thick, light and creamy, then beat in egg. Mix in mashed banana, carrot, nuts and dates.
Stir flour, bran, baking powder and mixed spice together. Add to wet mixture and fold the two mixtures together (with a large metal spoon) until well combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon batter into a greased loaf tin and smooth out the top a little. Bake for 45 minutes or until loaf springs back when lightly touched. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. This loaf freezes well.