October Days...

Rosehips on an Autumnal walk

Date, apricot & pecan tea bread
see recipe below

freshly grounded...

coffee on the Aga

small gift card with hand drawn & painted illustration

old man's beard

tiny spider webs in cows parsley heads

Pumpkin carving little stars...

Date, apricot & pecan tea bread

recipe found in 'Stella' magazine

150g dried stoned dates, chopped, 75g dried apricots, chopped, 75ml apple juice, 175g butter, 140g soft dark-brown sugar, finely grated zest of one orange, 1 egg lightly beaten, 100g plain flour, 125g malted brown flour, 1tsp baking powder, good pinch of mixed spice, generous grating of nutmeg, 50g pecans roughly chopped, 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 1/2 tbsp sunflower seeds & 1 tbsp sesame seeds. 

Icing optional

Butter & line a loaf tin measuring 22x12x6cm. Put the dates & apricots in a pan & add the apple juice & 50 ml water. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down & simmer for 15mins. You will have something that looks like a puree, leave to cool. Melt the butter, allow to cool then add to fruit , along with the sugar, zest & egg. Sift the flours into a bowl then put the bran in the sieve back into the flour. Add the baking powder, mixed spice, nutmeg, pecans, pumpkin & sunflower seeds. Combine the two mixtures together & put into the loaf tin, bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius/ 350 degrees farenheit/ gas mark 4 for an hour & a quarter. Perfect with a lovely cup of coffee!

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