Eggless Dried Fruits & Nuts Loaf

It's often difficult to make the case that a baked treat is reasonably healthy to consume without guilt. When the treat comes studded with an array of nuts and dried fruits, has no butter/oil (we will ignore the fat from the nuts for now ;)), has a relatively low quantity of refined sugar, and just enough flour to bind the nuts and fruits together, it's slightly easier to convince even the hardened skeptic.

This loaf/bread fits the bill nicely, in my opinion. It has a far greater ratio of nuts and fruits compared to sugar and flour. It is mildly sweet, and is dense with a good dose of fruits and nuts. One slice of it would make a satisfying breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, and would even come in handy during long hikes.

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8. Egg substitute - equivalent of 3 eggs (I used and recommend "Ener-G Egg Replacer")
9. 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
10. 3 cups - coarsely chopped cashews, almonds, and dried cranberries (this was a mixed bag, part of a trail mix that I got from the store)
11.  1/4 cup pitted, chopped dates
12. 1 cup raisins
13. 1 cup coarsely chopped apricots
14. 1/4 cup milk
15. 1/3 cup orange juice
    

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Prepare a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray and dusting with flour
2. Soak the apricots and raisins in orange juice for 30 minutes
3. Mix the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, and salt
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the egg substitute (or whisked eggs), vanilla extract, and milk. Stir until combined. 
5. Add all the nuts, dates, and fruits (along with orange juice), and stir into the batter. The batter will be quite thick. Drizzle a little more milk or orange juice, if you feel the batter is too thick
6. Transfer to loaf pan and smooth out the top
7. Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. 

Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then gently remove from pan. Let the loaf cool completely before cutting into slices.

Serve as is for a quick and filling snack / breakfast.