You all know how much I love a good, old-fashioned cookbook. Â So I was naturally delighted when this little gem, ‘The Cookin’ Woman: Irish Country Recipes’ arrived in my letter box, thanks to my little sister (Science teacher extraordinaire and blogger at Einstein’s Kitchen). It’s …
It’s truly wonderful to be writing about asparagus. Â The appearance of these little green spears of joy means it must be spring. Â I’m sure you’ve all enjoyed my endless assault of stodge and apples as much as I have, but there are few things in …
A friend in need is a friend indeed, do you think?  I don’t know the exact origin of this phrase (although the finger is pointed at a certain Quintus Ennius), but I do know that anyone in any kind of need can do with a tasty date loaf.  And if you are of my age and vintage in life, you may well have Placebo running through your head at the moment too.
This recipe brings together a few of my favourite things: butter, brown sugar, and Bin Inn. Â I won’t start up again about how much I love Bin Inn (I’ve done so on previous occasions, if you are desperate to know more), but I will say they do make a fine date loaf, on which I have based this version with a few of my own tweaks.
Knowing me by now as a somewhat lazy baker, you are probably not surprised that this requires very little effort and can be mixed up using only one bowl. Â You have to chop the dates yourself, but I bet you could find pre-diced ones somewhere, and voila, even easier.
I am taking this little number, all cutely dressed up, to drop over to a friend who is plagued by a most unkind virus.  I’m hoping my date loaf will bring a little solace, and if not, at least a little sugar.  So if you find yourself in need, give this one a try.
Take care until next time.
Restorative date loaf ingredients:
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set the oven to 170 degrees celsius.
Place the dates, sugar, baking soda and butter into a large-ish bowl. Â Pour over the boiling water and leave to cool.
Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, egg, baking powder and golden syrup. Â Combine and pour into the prepared loaf tin.
Bake at 170 degrees celsius for 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
How do you like them apples? Â That’s how I feel I should be addressing you, because we really have had a lot of apply recipes by this point in the Edmonds A section. Â But I love a good flan and this little number is easy …
It started a sunny beautiful Saturday and how nice to spend it having brunch chez nous with old friends. Â The majority of today’s spread was very traditional British breakfast fare….bacon, sausages from our excellent Ngaio butcher, some croissants and jam for a sweet, and a …
You may be a bit tired of my Winter and Autumn range of stodgy, warming things that include root crops and apples, and trust me, I’m just tired of Winter, but this is quite a pleasing little loaf and really easy to make. Â Don’t be put off by the ‘bread’ in the title, it doesn’t involve any of that pesky rising or kneading and no yeast goes near it, it’s really more of a cakey loaf in a bread shape.
I would really love to bring you an interesting little history on Apple Bread, but truth is, I can’t find much (so anyone who can fill us all in would be most appreciated, comments below please).  Recipes for Apple Bread appear on a number of US-based sites for home-style or pioneer baking and sometimes it is referred to as Dutch, so perhaps this is where it has its origins.  I suspect its inclusion in the Edmonds book is because it makes good use of something that grows well in this neck of the woods  and is easy to whip up quickly, should you be caught unawares when Doris from over the fence pops over for a cuppa.
I decided to bake this on a Monday night when I was in a bit of a frump (a cross between grumpy and frazzled) and it met the requirements of providing soothing sifting and mixing activities and a nice smell of baking throughout the house. Â I don’t know about anyone else, but I find baking transforms a bad mood into a feeling of satisfaction and peace very quickly.
It only calls for a few ingredients, and all things you are likely to have to hand:
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease a 22cm loaf tin. Â Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Â Stir in sugar and add the apple and enough milk to make a smooth, soft dough, mixing it together quickly.
Place into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until the base of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Â You are instructed to wrap it up in a tea towel until cold.
This makes a sturdy little loaf with flecks of apple throughout. Â It’s very satisfying for breakfast, and particularly nice with a little butter or jam. Â I suspect it would nicely with a little cheese or chutney too.
Happy eating ’til next time.
Well, we are winding through the bitter bones of Winter and it seems like Spring is trying to be sprung.  It may even have managed it in some corners of the hemisphere. In my little neck of the woods, there is an undeniable lightening of the evenings …
Who doesn’t welcome a splash of colour for lunch at this grey and freezing time of year? I know I do.  This spiced bean and tomato soup is on high rotation in my kitchen at the moment.  When it gets to Sunday night and I need to think …
So, bliss balls are a thing right now.  Anyone who reads my blog will know that I take great joy in the retro tried-and-true; the less sexy the better (although I’m sure we all agree that Delia looks a total fox on the cover of this 1982 How To Cook).  I’m not always so adventurous when it comes to the hottest trend.
But, thing or not, bliss balls are scrumptious.  I believe their popularity comes from the fact that they get their lovely moreish-ness from things like dates and cocoa powder, so they provide a delicious little morsel without sending your blood sugar skew-whiff.  Personally I just like them because the dates and cocoa make them all dense and fudge without being sickly.  And a little delicious morsel?  Count me in.
My tried and true Bliss Ball recipe is not my own, but comes to me courtesy of two of my lovely sisters.  So please find their excellent recipe below – I promise it’s quick, and the results are superb with your post-lunch cup of tea.
Ingredients:
1/2 C dates (I’m assured that raisins and sultanas also work well)
1/4 C almond meal
2T cocoa (be generous!)
1t vanilla essence
1T peanut butter
1T oil (I use olive)
1/4 C dessicated coconut
Boil the kettle. Soak the dates in boiling water for ten minutes. Drain the water, reserving 2T of water.
Place the dates and all the other ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Test the mixture with your fingers.  It should clump nicely without being too sticky – add some of the date water if it’s too dry, or more almond meal if it’s too sloppy.
Wet your fingers and roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Â You can roll them in a little coconut at this stage if you fancy, although I prefer them without. Â Refrigerate for half an hour to set, and keep them in the fridge.
It is indeed a happy accident, that my arrival at ANZAC biscuits in the Edmonds Cook Book as I head forth in my self-imposed Edmonds Challenge has coincided so closely with ANZAC Day. ANZAC Day always puts me in mind of Aud and Reg, my …