photography by: Nicholette von Reiche
These delicious breads won't last long over Christmas-time or any other time. They also make for a great hostess gift.
Makes: 2 x 15 oz (450g) loaf tins
Preparation: 15 minutes, excluding time to soak the oats
Baking: 30-45 minutes
½ cup rolled oats
1½ cups milk
1½ cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon spice
Pinch of salt
½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 oz (55g) soft brown sugar
4 Tbsp honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Place the oats in a bowl, pour over the milk and leave to soak for 20-30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease and line loaf tins with non-stick baking paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Add the oats, dried cranberries, ½ cup walnuts, lemon juice and zest, sugar, honey and eggs and combine well.
Spoon the mixture into loaf tins, level and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Leave the loafs in tins to cool, loosen the sides with a small spatula and gently ease out.
Serving suggestions:
Serve slightly warmed with butter or lightly toasted with dollops of ricotta cheese, blueberries and honey.
Gift guide:
Tie loafs in cheesecloth with a beautiful ribbon. Wrap in handmade paper and tie a flower-patterned ribbon or red raffia around your loaf.
You can also have a look at baking stores for loaf tin liners in different colors or make different types of loaves and stack packaged in sets of 2-3 as a gift.
Cook’s tip:
Prepare an extra batch and freeze it for unplanned coffee get-togethers or for a spontaneous breakfast feast.
Variations:
Banana and pecan loaf:
Replace the cranberries with 2 large ripe, mashed bananas. Replace the walnuts with roughly chopped pecan nuts. Decorate loafs with chopped pecan nuts or dried banana chips.
Apple and almond:
Omit the cranberries and replace with 2 oz (55g) diced dried apple. Replace the walnuts with diced almonds. Decorate loaf with paper-thin slices of green apple that have been soaked in a little lemon water.