Feijoa Loaf
It’s that time of the year many of us eagerly wait for – FEIJOA SEASON!
Yummy Feijoa Loaf, straight out of the oven :)
Even though I don’t have a FEIJOA tree in my backyard, I’m lucky enough to have a couple of friends who do and kindly gift me bags full of them, and without a doubt, the first recipe I make every year when I get given my first lot, is FEIJOA LOAF.
This FEIJOA LOAF has a lovely texture, smell and taste – all thanks to the fruit syrup prepared at the start, which works as the base for the recipe, making the FEIJOAS’ tiny seeds, complex flavour and distinctive, tantalising perfume, even more pronounced.
Feijoas in the fruit bowl perfuming the whole kitchen
Another great thing about this recipe is that is very easy to prepare and pretty much fail-proof, making this a nice cooking activity to involve the children or try your hand at baking, if you’re a novice.
Kids can practice cooking, math and science skills by scooping the flesh out of FEIJOA skins, measuring, mixing, slicing and seeing ingredients transform – from raw to cooked; solid to melted; flat to risen; and so forth.
I usually enjoy having the FEIJOA LOAF with a spread of butter or on its own, with a nice cup of tea on the side. It’s also great lightly toasted a day or two after baking (place on a flat tray under the grill or toaster) and have it with some mashed banana or honey on top.
FEIJOA LOAF
Ingredients:
1 cup feijoa, flesh scooped out and sliced PLUS extra
slices to decorate the top (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
50 g butter
1 cup boiling water
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
You’ll need a loaf tin (approx.21 x 11 cm)
Method:
1. In a small saucepan, add sliced feijoa, brown sugar, butter and the boiling water. Place on the heat and bring to the boil, turning down to a simmer and cooking for an extra 5 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the loaf tin with baking paper (lightly spray tin with cooking spray or rub a little butter to help the paper sticking to the tray). Reserve.
3. Transfer the feijoa mixture to a large mixing boil and allow it to cool down.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the self-raising flour, cinnamon and ginger.
5. Once feijoa mix has cooled down to tepid, sieve in the flour mix and gently fold with a spatula until well incorporated.
6. Add egg to the mix and again fold carefully until everything comes together.
6. Place mix in the prepared loaf tin and use the spatula to level the surface. Hold both sides of the tin and gently tap it on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
7. Arrange the feijoa slices on top (if using). Bake loaf for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Let loaf rest in the tin for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a plate. The loaf keeps well for up to 3 - 4 days, if stored covered.
