Perfect for health-conscious people who still like a Christmas treat, this is dairy-free and full of fruit and nuts
Ingredients
- 200g walnut halves
- 100g hazelnut
- 50g blanched almond
- 200g raisin
- 100g pitted date, chopped
- 200g dried apricot, chopped
- 140g glacé cherry or pineapple
- 100g plain flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 175g dark muscovado sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- icing sugar, for dusting
Method
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Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Line the base and sides of a 1.5-litre loaf tin (a long thin one is best) with baking parchment. Mix the nuts and dried fruit thoroughly in a large bowl using your hands. Sift in the flour, spice and baking powder, then add the sugar and mix everything well. Beat the eggs with the vanilla, then add to the dry mix, turning everything together well until there is no dry mix visible.
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Turn into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1½-1¾ hrs, then cool in the tin for 15 mins. Turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. Dust the top thickly with icing sugar, to serve.