Bara Brith & November's Apron winner

My mother made the best fruitcake!  Now, before you say, "ugh," homemade fruitcake is nothing like the loaf you see wrapped in the grocery stores this time of year.  Her's were loaded with fruit and nuts with the perfect ratio of batter to hold everything together.  After the cakes were baked and cooled, she wrapped them in brandy-soaked cheesecloth and sealed them in tin cans weeks before Christmas. In thinking about it, as I write this post, it probably was the Brandy that made the difference:-)

The fruited cake I made this morning is called Bara Brith, which is Welsh for "Speckled Bread" and I thought it would be a good recipe to ease you into the idea of really good fruit cake! Loaded with raisins (sultanas) and currants, this tea bread makes the perfect mid-morning snack with a cup a tea.  This bread can be made with yeast or as I did today, with self-rising flour.  It is claimed to be invented by a Welsh chef who added dried fruit and spices to dough creating a newer version of a favorite tea bread.  There are similar loaves in Ireland--Barm Brack and in Scotland--Selkirk Bannock.  I have made Black Bun, which is similar and Scottish for Christmas several times for my hubby during the holidays.  I first saw this tea bread on the 4th season of The British Baking Contest (on PBS) and knew one day I'd have to bake it.

Bara Brith

1 1/3 cups (300g) strong tea
1 1/2 cups (6oz) raisins/sultanas
1 1/4 cups (6oz) currants
1 cup + 1T firmly packed light brown sugar (8oz of muscovado sugar)

Measure the fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour the tea over it.  Allow to set, covered, overnight on the counter.

Preheat oven to 300F-degrees (150C-degrees/Fan or 130C-degrees/gas).  Grease a 2 lb. loaf pan (5" x 10" x 3 1/2" high) and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2 1/2 cups (10oz) King Arthur Self-rising flour
1 large egg

Stir the flour and egg into the fruit mixture until fully incorporated.

Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 80 - 90 minutes.  Testing with a wooden skewer in the center should come out cleanly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before lifting it out of the pan onto a parchment-lined rack.  Serve slathered with butter, of course. I love sharing recipes that come from other cultures; it's a way to learn so much about the people.  I'm proud to be a mixture and think the recipes my ancestors shared has made me understand traditions that were dear to them.  Enjoy!

November's apron winner is Mary Bolton!  Please email me your address so I can send this lovely apron out to you ASAP!  

I hope to have December's apron up shortly, however since my hubby had hip replacement surgery my days are 24/7 with chores and helping him through rehab.  It's all worth it, but I'm going to need a much needed vacation when he's back on his feet!  Happy Holidays to All!

Fruit & Nut Pistachio~Zucchini Bread

I remember very well helping my grandfather plant the vegetable garden that he would share with us.  In fact, he once told me, "you're the only one, other than me, that I will allow to use the rototiller."  Yes, I loved gardening even then, but moreover, he said, "it's because you can till a straight line!"

The first time I planted zucchini I learned it was a different technique; making mounds that I would poke my finger in, about 1-inch, and place 3-4 seeds in each one.  As my grandfather taught me, it was "insurance" that each mound had a plant come up. However, emotionally it was very hard to pull 2 or 3 plants out of the mound and toss them when they all came up!

Zucchini (or as it's known in Europe, Courgette) is a summer squash, usually dark or light green, although there is also a hybrid golden yellow variety.  Most people think of squash as a vegetable, but it is indeed a fruit, which has both female (the blossom) and male (where the petiole meets the stem) in the leaf axis.  The plants can be abundant with fruit and most of us wonder how many dishes we can make.  It's low in calories and has useful amounts of foliate, potassium and Vitamin A.    I think I've come up with some pretty good recipes: breads, pickles, cakes, muffins, breaded, soups...etc!  I once sent my sister a pile of recipes when she found she was knee-deep in zucchini from the garden:-)

Today, I made a lovely bread and pumped up the "green" with Pistachio Flour and finely chopped pistachios.

Pistachios are an excellent source of healthy fats, fiber and iron and particularly replacing some of the all-purpose flour with this nut flour, cuts down on the carbohydrates we are all trying to watch.  I also added some dried fruits to make this a wholesome bread to start the day or have as a snack with your afternoon tea or coffee.

Fruit & Nut Pistachio~Zucchini Bread
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 T Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 medium zucchinis, grated

1 cup Pistachio flour
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
1 cup of dried fruit (I used 1/2 cup chopped dates and 1/2 cup Peach Jammy Bits ) 

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray two loaf pans (9" x 4") with cooking spray or greased with shortening.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together.  While the mixer is running on low, add the eggs, one at a time.  Turn mixer speed up to medium and continue to mix until fluffy.

Add the extracts and mix once more.  Remove the bowl from the stand and add the dry ingredients, dried fruit, chopped nuts, and sour cream.  Stir with a rubber spatula to combine everything.

Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until tester comes out cleanly.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 7-10 minutes before turning them out onto a cutting board.
A lovely slice of bread was well worth waiting for to start the day.  
This is a healthy recipe to add to your collection of zucchini recipes--check out some of my past recipes on the blog.  Enjoy!

Easter Fruit Bread

Baking for Easter, in our family, takes on a traditional note.  Yes, like my mother I always make Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday and wonderful yeast breads for Easter Sunday's dinner, but moreover, I started to notice how her baking flavors and ingredients had a noticeable difference from what we baked during the Christmas holiday and I wanted to bring those flavors to this bread.

This fruit bread honors her baking for the season and becomes a lighter (Spring-like) version of those traditional fruit cakes at Christmas that many cringe when seeing them on the dessert table.  In fact, one could call this more a "tea bread" and rightfully so, it would be great with a cup on these chilly nights.

Fruit breads were predominantly found in  Eastern European countries, but also some Asian countries; Panettone from Italy,  Barmbrack from Ireland, Kulich from Russia, Kolach from Czechoslovakia,  and Babka from Ukraine to name a few.  For Easter, the concept of eating a fruited bread or sweetened communion bread dates by to Byzantium and the Orthodox Christian Church.  I always felt like the breads my mother made for Easter reflected the "renewal" after forty days of Lent and enjoying the sweetness of forgiveness by our Savior.

Easter Fruit Bread
1/3 cup fruit juice (I used apple, but orange would work too)
1 3/4 cups of assorted dried fruits--I used 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup dried blueberries, and 3/4 cup dried cherries
zest of 1 orange--or, I used 1/3 cup diced European candied orange peel

Measure the juice into a small sauce pan, bring to a simmer on top of the stove, add the fruit, and remove from the heat.  Allow to sit until cool, about 15 minutes.

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean split and scraped or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Butter a "Pullman" loaf pan, then add a strip of parchment paper or wax paper to the bottom and butter that.  **You could also bake this in a small bundt cake pan (10cup), mini bundt pan, or muffins.  Adjust time for baking.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly, Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, as needed.  Add eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add along with the sour cream to the mixture.  Mix on medium, just until combined.  Stir in the dry fruit mixture.

Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

I baked the Pullman loaf pan for 65-70 minutes.  The bread should be golden brown and when a wooden skewer is inserted in the center, it comes out cleanly.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Glaze: 
1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo Syrup
2 - 3 T very warm water
1/2 tsp. vanilla, or lemon, or almond flavorings

Mix ingredients together to make a smooth glaze. 

Invert cake onto a serving platter or transfer to a lined cooling rack.  When cool, pour glaze over the top.

 This recipe is a wonderful addition to your breakfast table for Easter celebration or as a tea cake to enjoy with friends.  What recipes do you hold dear for this season? Enjoy!