Grape-Nuts is a breakfast cereal developed in 1897 by C. W. Post, a former patient and later competitor of the 19th-century breakfast food innovator, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. Despite the name, the cereal contains neither grapes nor nuts; it is made with wheat and barley. This is not something which we ever really ate as a cereal when I was growing up and it's not something I would eat as a cereal now. It's rather hard and crunchy, but it is great for baking with! Back home in Eastern Canada it is also used in Ice Cream. Grape Nuts Ice Cream was always a real favorite in our house and I do belive that it is my mother's favorite kind, or at least it was.
It's really hard and crunchy, but softens somewhat in the ice cream so that it almost becomes nutty, and it is the same with this old fashioned tea bread I am showing you today.
The cereal imparts little nutty flavoured bits throughout the bread, which never entirely soften, but remain a bit chewy and nicely flavoured.
I had not made this in years, but upon spying a box of Grape Nuts at the shops the other day I was motivated to pick up a box and bring it home so that I could bake this tasty loaf of nostalgia.
Its lovely served cold and sliced into thin slices which are buttered with softened butter . . . it's great warm as well, especially toasted, and yes once again, slathered in butter. Its awfully nice used to make chicken salad sandwiches. Its just plain good. I even enjoy it in thin slices with nothing on it . . . just eaten out of hand. I like to think I am eating something healthy, but I probably am not. Oh well . . .
*Grape Nuts Bread*Makes one medium loafPrintable Recipe
This old, old recipe always turns out lovely. Sweet with little crunchy nubbles throughout.
308ml of whole milk, scalded (1 1/3 cups)3 TBS softened butter80g Grape-Nuts brand cereal nubbles (2/3 cup)280g plain flour (2 cups)2 1/2 tsp baking powder1 1/2 tsp salt125g granulated sugar (2/3 cup)1 large free range egg, beaten lightly
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch loaf tin really well and line with baking paper. Alternately use the paper baking liners you can buy for loaf tins that are like muffin papers. (My preference)
Scald the milk and add the butter. Stir to melt the butter. Stir in the cereal nubbles and the sugar. Cool to lukewarm and beat in the egg. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Whisk in the salt. Add to the milk mixture and stir together just to combine. Pour into your prepared loaf tin.
Bake for about 1 hour until risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight wrapper. Cut into slices to serve, buttered. It also makes nice sandwiches with sliced meats or chicken salad.
Why not bake some nostalgia for yourself today! I am sure you would enjoy. Bon Appetit!
