Chamomile, Oat & Honey Loaf

Sometimes we get that inexorable hankering for comfort food, in its many guises. The childhood instilled notion of nourishment attached to oats, milk (albeit dairy-free in this case), sweet honey and relaxing chamomile transpired beautifully into the comfort food to beat no other, home baking. Chamomile flowers lend a delicate yet floral flavour to the loaf, inspiring calm and contentment. Best enjoyed with tea and time.

Wheat-free, dairy-free, cane sugar-free

Ingredients:

2 free-range eggs

¾ cup of soy or almond milk

½ cup of honey

½ cup of rolled oats

2 cups of almond meal

1 cup of rice flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of sea salt

¼ cup of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of chamomile flowers, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C

2. Mix all wet ingredients

3. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, reserving ¼ of a cup of the oats

4. Combine wet and dry mixtures and pour into a greased loaf tin

5. Sprinkle the remaining oats on top. You can drizzle an additional tablespoon of honey on top at this stage if you wish (makes it deliciously golden)

6. Fan bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean

7. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool

8. Enjoy as is, toasted, complemented with mashed banana, an extra drizzle of honey or some coconut oil. And definitely a hot cuppa of sorts for extra comfort. Pure pleasure.

Nutrition Bite: Dried Chamomile flowers have been used for centuries as a mild relaxant, to assist in treatment for fevers, colds, stomach ailments, and anxiety. The plant’s healing properties come from its daisy-like flowers, which contain volatile oils as well as flavonoids and other therapeutic substances. You can comfortably use the crushed dried flower from inside tea bags or as a loose-leaf tea.