Mum's Bran Loaf

Mum used to make this many moons ago when we were kids. Sounds a bit blah but it's a healthy, vegan loaf that tastes pretty good.  Mum of course didn't worry about vegan options - come on, meat and 3 veg all the way! - but this loaf is easily made vegan with the use of almond milk, as I do here.  

a bit of loaf with my butter :=)

ingredients:


1 cup bran - I used All bran cereal

1 cup sultanas or mixed dried fruit of your choice - I used sultanas, currants, cranberries and mixed peel

1½-2 tsp ground ginger

1-1½ tsp ground mace

1/2-1 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup of sugar - I used mostly raw sugar with a bit of vanilla caster sugar to top it off

1¼ cups of milk - I used almond but use whatever milk you fancy - cow's, macadamia, whatever

1½ cups of self-raising flour

a handful of walnuts (optional)




Method:

Place the bran, the fruit, the spices, the sugar, and milk in a large mixing bowl

Give it a good stir and leave for 2 hours covered with a cloth, or as mum said, stand 2 hours

Grease your loaf tin liberally with butter (or get hubby to do it)

Sift the flour into the bran and fruit mixture

Stir very well and spoon into the loaf tin

Throw the walnuts (if using) on the top

Bake at 180C for 1 hour or till a skewer in the middle comes out clean - check it after 50 mins.

If your nuts are starting to burn, whack some alfoil over the top in the last 30 mins.

Let it cool in the tin for a few minutes then put onto a wire rack 

Spread slices liberally with butter



Notes:

I don't often use cup measurements (so imprecise) but as I am using mum's handwritten recipe, I will go along with her instructions.  As long as you use the same cup for each of the ingredients, all will be well

I am chuckling to myself here re the bran.  I had it in mind that mum always used All Bran cereal in this recipe but I am starting to wonder? Was it in fact just regular, normal bran?  Don't know; and All Bran is what's in the pantry.  (I texted my sister; she said yes mum used All Bran)

mum's handwritten recipe

As you can see, mum was pretty sparing with the details of this recipe.  I guess like many family cooks and cookery writers assumed, you would just know this cooking stuff.

ingredients gathered -  as Harry Potter might say 

ready for mixing

before and after 2 hours' standing

sift in the self-raising flour

before and after baking for an hour @ 180C

resting before devouring

yep slather it with butter

This must have been a wonderfully cheap loaf to bake for a big family. No worries about eggs or butter either.  These are the kinds of ingredients that would always be in the pantry.  Thanks mum!
  

my mace doodle