Last week I managed to bake a fruit bread following a recipe from a newspaper supplement. I was rather nervous as this was only my second attempt ever to bake something in my whole existence. In addition to that, the very first time I ever tried to bake a cake, a dark chocolate cake to be precise, it all went horribly wrong. I was making the cake mixture according to the recipe and what happened was that I did not realise 4 tablespoon of espresso coffee should be in the liquid form. Yes, I simply used the ground espresso coffee beans instead and the result was a disaster. To be honest with you, I don't think it is very economical to bake breads or cakes at home when there are only two of us, albeit we are rather greedy people. Of course, it would be a different story if you have a big family or friends nearby to share the fruit (sic) of your efforts.
Anyway, a few weeks back I came across a fruit bread recipe by Peter Sidwell, the chef from Yorkshire, England. According to the paper, his recipe was based on a traditional Yorkshire fruit bread recipe from his wife's grandmother. It sounded quite nice and most importantly very easy to make. That's right. I wouldn't have been tempted if it had looked slightly complicated or required many ingredients nor any special tools. Good thing was that it turned out to be really easy actually. And to my great relief, both Rob and my friend seemed to like it.
Once again I would like to make it clear that my recipe is almost entirely based on Peter Sidwell's recipe. To reflect that and to emphasise my lack of baking skills, I have changed the name of the recipe accordingly. Since I did not want the loaves too sweet, I have reduced the amount of sugar and dried fruits slightly. I have also added raisins to dried dates. Maybe I should try with mixed dried fruits or cherries next time.
Complete novice's fruit loaf
Serves 4 - 6 (depending how greedy they are)
Ingredients
600g chopped dried dates & raisins
200ml espresso or strong coffee
400g self-raising flour
250g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
4 large eggs
100g whole hazelnuts
4 tbsp milk
Method
1. Soak the dried fruits in the espresso coffee for about 10 minutes until they have softened.
2. Rub together the flour and butter, then add the sugar and the whisked eggs.
3. Pour in the soaked dried fruits and coffee and add the hazelnuts. Finally add the milk and mix well.
4. Divide the mixture between two greased 2lb loaf tins lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for an hour at 130C/ gas mark 1, then for another hour at 100C/ gas mark 1/4.
PS: I was going to include the link to the original recipe here but I could not find it on the paper's website for some reason.
Anyway, a few weeks back I came across a fruit bread recipe by Peter Sidwell, the chef from Yorkshire, England. According to the paper, his recipe was based on a traditional Yorkshire fruit bread recipe from his wife's grandmother. It sounded quite nice and most importantly very easy to make. That's right. I wouldn't have been tempted if it had looked slightly complicated or required many ingredients nor any special tools. Good thing was that it turned out to be really easy actually. And to my great relief, both Rob and my friend seemed to like it.
Once again I would like to make it clear that my recipe is almost entirely based on Peter Sidwell's recipe. To reflect that and to emphasise my lack of baking skills, I have changed the name of the recipe accordingly. Since I did not want the loaves too sweet, I have reduced the amount of sugar and dried fruits slightly. I have also added raisins to dried dates. Maybe I should try with mixed dried fruits or cherries next time.
Complete novice's fruit loaf
Serves 4 - 6 (depending how greedy they are)
Ingredients
600g chopped dried dates & raisins
200ml espresso or strong coffee
400g self-raising flour
250g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
4 large eggs
100g whole hazelnuts
4 tbsp milk
Method
1. Soak the dried fruits in the espresso coffee for about 10 minutes until they have softened.
2. Rub together the flour and butter, then add the sugar and the whisked eggs.
3. Pour in the soaked dried fruits and coffee and add the hazelnuts. Finally add the milk and mix well.
4. Divide the mixture between two greased 2lb loaf tins lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for an hour at 130C/ gas mark 1, then for another hour at 100C/ gas mark 1/4.
PS: I was going to include the link to the original recipe here but I could not find it on the paper's website for some reason.
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