This is a moist quick bread bursting with the flavour of sweet figs and crunchy walnuts with a slight hint of cinnamon. The chopped dried figs need to be softened by adding boiling water, a bit of salt, baking soda, stir and leave to cool to room temperature. The whole lot together with the liquid is then added into the batter. I used Rapadura sugar which is an unrefined sugar from the Uva province in Sri Lanka. You can read more about Rapadura sugar from ‘here’.
Figs & Walnut Tea Bread ~ 无花果和核桃蛋糕(adapted from ‘here’ with modifications)
Ingredients
225 gm Figs, softened and chopped
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
1 cup boiling water
50 gm walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
260 gm plain flour
70 gm Rapadura sugar (can use brown or caster sugar)
1.1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
113 gm cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Method
Chop up the dried figs, add a pinch of salt, baking soda and pour a cup of hot boiling water over it. Give it a stir and leave to cool to room temperature, about 20 to 30 mins.
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir in the Rapadura sugar, mix well.
Add in the cold butter and cut in or rub with your finger tips to resemble bread crumbs. Make a well in the centre and add in the lightly beaten egg, chopped walnuts, vanilla, figs and the water. Mix till just combined.
Transfer the batter into a greased and flour dusted 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Level the surface with a spatula.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 50 to 60 mins. or till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven, let cool in pan and then remove the bread from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.