'FAT FREE' FRUIT CAKE? THEN LOOK NO FURTHER! !! (Healthy Recipes)

Member Name: totalserenity

Product:	Healthy Recipes
Date:	12/03/09 (777 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: IT'S TASTY, IT'S HEALTHY AND IT'S SWEET TO EAT!

Disadvantages: NONE I CAN THINK OF...EXCEPT IT'S NOT COATED IN CHOCCIE...

Well if like me you have a very naughty thing called 'A Sweet Tooth' that torments you into submission...then the little rotter drives you into the that black abyss called 'temptation' (nooooo, don't make me eat it, nooo!), and you like fruit cake - then this, my dears, is the very recipe for you!
Simplicity itself so no excuses about you 'can't cook' now you hear - AND it's 'fat free'?! I jest ye not, it really is :o)

Right then, first things first...Ingredients, you will need:

16oz mixed dried fruit (any economy pack will do)

1 egg (yep, just the one)

8oz self-raising flour (again economy is fine)

1 cup of stewed hot black unsweetened tea.

Yes, thats all, really; chuck in a greaseproof-lined 1lb loaf tin into the equation and we're literally cooking boys and girls...it really is that easy!

Right then here we go...leave a teabag to stew for about 10 mins in a decent sized mug. Meanwhile measure your fruit out and thrown it into a deep decent-sized container (Jamie Oliver i ain't, lol!). When the tea looks a fabulous deep brown colour remove teabag and discard; pour the stewed tea over said fruit, cover container in clingfilm, then leave overnight to absorb.

Next morning while you're popping the kettle on, pre-set oven to 175degrees or Gas 4 - weigh the flour then add to the soaked fruit along with the egg then mix, mix, mix!
Pour into your lined loaf tin, bung in the oven, leave to cook for around an hour 'til quite firm to the touch and Bob's your uncle - one fat free fruit cake!

Now the science of it is the warmed tea releases the fruit's natural fructose to sweeten the cake and keep it nice and moist, plus the egg aids the self raising flour's job of rising the cake so no butter/marg required. Voila!

Once removed from the oven lift from tin, leave to cool before peeling the paper off then either wrap securely in tin foil for airtight qualities (after eating one of the end pieces while still warm ,mmmm), or slice into approx 12 slices and pop into food bags then freezzzzze...brr!
Keep you going for ages as long one else knows it's in there - mwahhh...

This cake has been an absolute Godsend in my dieting quest, and I have never tired of it. In addition to being very economic to make for the quantity you get, it is a great treat with a cuppa when you're watching the old calories and yet still crave a bit o' the sweet stuff :o)

Good luck and please let me know how you get on if you have a bash at the recipe, thanks for reading too! x

Ps, is lovely if you need a quick fix staight out of the microwave still warmed from the defrost setting for approx 30/60 secs depending on your microwave's power. Alternatively, you can take it with you to work, picnics, days out, straight from the freezer as it can de-frost en-route. Believe it or not, I actually take it to the cinema with me...keeps me away from that damnable choccie!

Summary: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE LIFESAVER WHEN YOU NEED THAT SWEET CAKE SUGAR FIX WITHOUT THE DREADED CALORIES!