Fig and Walnut Bread

Method

Line a deep sided 8″ diameter cake tin – or a 1lb loaf tin – with baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C fan assisted.

Roughly chop figs and add them with the water to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer gently until most of the water is absorbed.

Blitz the figs in a food processor until they form a coarse paste. Add ground almonds and process again till damp crumbs form. Add walnuts and process again briefly until they are coarsely chopped. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat eggs and bicarb with an electric hand whisk until frothy. Still beating, slowly drizzle in the oil/butter in a thin stream and continue beating until the eggs are pale, thick and doubled in volume.

Sprinkle vinegar over the eggs and beat briefly to distribute evenly. Work fast as the vinegar will activate the bicarb.

Tip nut mix onto the eggs and fold in thoroughly with a metal spoon until the nuts are evenly distributed – there will still be quite a lot of egg apparent, but don’t worry.

Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes – or until firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Give the loaf more time to bake and maybe turn the temperature down if it browns too fast. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to three days – or slice and freeze for up to two weeks.