Apricot and Almond Muesli Bread

Apricot and Almond Muesli Bread
Home Cooking



I've been revisiting my health-food phase and my most recent grocery trip was filled with muesli (2 packets in fact, because I couldn't decide which packet was more enticing), nuts, organic this, wholegrain that and low GI everything.

One of my muesli purchases was a Coles brand product "Apricot, Almond and Date muesli". As if that doesn't sound good enough on its own, the packaging comprises of that matt, clear plastic that makes everything look posh. I was also hooked in by the recipe on the back for muesli bread.



I used the full recipe and thought the batter would be waaaay too much for one bread pan. I even had muffin patties lined up, ready to take any extra batter. Somehow, it all fitted level into my bread tin and the bread doesn't rise that much so it turned out perfect. In other words, if you're concerned about baking more than you can handle, I thought the same but it all worked out.


Apricot and Almond Muesli Bread
Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup Coles Apricot, Date and Almond Muesli
• 1/4 cup raw sugar (I used CSR low-GI sugar)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 medium apple, grated
• 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice, left for 10min)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 75g butter, melted
• 1/3 cup roasted almonds, chopped (optional)
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped (optional)

For the crumble

• 1 tbsp self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup Coles Apricot, Date and Almond Muesli
• 1 tbsp raw sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 30g butter

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Combine the flour, muesli, sugar, cinnamon and apple in a large bowl. If using, add the almonds and dried apricots and incorporate evenly.
3. Combine milk, eggs and butter in a separate bowl.4. Stir the milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients.5. Spoon the batter into a large loaf pan.6. For the crumble topping, combine ingredients and rub through the butter.7. Pat the crumble topping on top of the loaf mixture.8. Bake for 40min or until cooked through. I baked for about an hour (turning the heat down when the top started browning) because I used the skewer method. Just be aware that the skewer method (wherein you insert a skewer and assume the bread/cake to be cooked if it comes out dry) doesn't really work because of the apple content so this is quite a moist loaf.

Initially, I thought muesli bread would just be one of those things that only I would find interesting... like most pumpkin baked goods (no one I know shares my pumpkin enthusiasm) but having now produced this bread, I sincerely think it's actually quite delicious!

Toasted

Not just as a health food item but as a bread/cake/sweet thing on a whole, it does well. I admit that my parents tried it and didn't supply positive feedback but they were tipsy at the time so I shall accuse their taste buds of being sub-functional.

Plain

Anyway... I liked the bread and I think you should give it a go. It's my breakfast for the week and it's something that makes me excited to sleep so that I can wake up and eat it. I microwave a thick slice for 20 seconds and it's perfect as is. I tried with avocado spread and that was good too but in all honesty, the bread works as well plain.

Buttery