Sunday, October 12, 2014

Apricot, Date & Pistachio Loaf

Apricot, Date & Pistachio Loaf 1

So far at I Heart Cooking Clubs we've cooked with some great chefs:  Nigella Lawson, Mark Bitman, Giada de Laurentiis, Jamie Oliver, Tessa Kiros, Rick Bayless, Madhur Jaffrey, Yotam Ottolenghi (my favourite), Donna Hay, and Nigel Slater.  I'm excited now to tell you that a new chef joins the line up this week - we will spend the next six months cooking with Diana Henry.

Raised in Northern Ireland, and now living in London, Diana started cooking when she was just six years old, and has never looked back.  She is not just a passionate and adventurous cook, but also a gifted food writer.  Diana has published eight stunning cookbooks, writes a regular column for The Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine and several other magazines, has her own website and appears on UKTV's Market Kitchen.

Diana talks a lot about the sense of connectedness that food and cooking gives her, something I relate to completely.  To welcome Diana this week to the IHCC fold I turned to her Date, Apricot & Walnut Loaf Cake from her latest book, A Change of Appetite.  In this book she turns towards lighter, fresher, healthier dishes (without any compromise in flavour) inspired often by dishes of the Middle East, Scandinavia, and the Far East.  There are some stunning recipes in this book, and I swear I want to make nearly everything.

I can imagine that if I could sit down in my kitchen for an afternoon with Diana, we would find a great deal to talk about.  Of course there would be coffee, and cake (there has to be cake), and this delicious loaf packed full of dried fruit, seeds and nuts would fit the bill perfectly.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe - don't I always?!  In the original recipe, Diana has you soften the fruit in apple juice and cook it down to a puree - I opted for an infusion of apricot tea and date syrup instead - but really you could use any fruit juice or even just water for that matter.  I cut down the amount of sugar just a little, and I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.  In the original recipe, Diana uses a mixture of regular flour and malted brown flour (which is not available here) - I used all wholemeal flour instead.  Lastly, because thoughts of apricots and dates and date syrup always transport me to the Middle East, I used pistachios instead of walnuts.  Once again, you could really use any kind of nuts that you like.

An important note here - my loaf tin is a tiny bit bigger than that called for in the recipe, so I didn't get the nice big slices that I was hoping for.  It also took quite a bit less cooking than that specified in the recipe.  The recipe offers a cooking time of 1-1/4 hours, but I noticed that mine smelled like it was done after about 45 minutes - a quick check, and I found that it was indeed ready, in fact ever so slightly over-done.  This could have been because of my larger tin size, but my tin was not that much bigger that it would have taken half an hour off the cook time I don't think, so I suggest that you keep a close eye on the time.

This is a deliciously moist and flavourful loaf, so fragrant with spices that your house will smell like Christmas while it's baking.  Like anything of this nature, this is fabulous with a generous smear of butter (although entirely unnecessary), and I found that it kept well for a week.  The only reason it lasted so long around here is that someone else in the house is not fussed on apricots - in most normal households I would expect this to be gone in a few days!

Apricot, Date & Pistachio Loaf Recipe
Adapted from recipe by Diana Henry
from A Change of Appetite
Click here for the free recipe card

1 cup chopped dried dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup apricot tea
1 tablespoon date syrup
175g (6 oz) butter
130g (4.5 oz) brown sugar
grated zest of 1x orange
1x large free-range egg
225g (8 oz) wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spice
generous grating of fresh nutmeg
1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
generous handful of pumpkin seeds, plus extra for the top
generous handful of sunflower seeds
sprinkling of sesame seeds

Put dates and apricots in a small saucepan with the apricot tea and date syrup.  Set over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until softened to a thick puree - 10 to 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Also melt butter and leave it to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).  Grease a 22cm x 12cm x 6cm (8" x 4-3/4" x 3") loaf tin, and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Add the cooled butter to the date and apricot mixture, along with the brown sugar, grated orange zest, and the egg.  Mix together well.

Place the flour in a large bowl with the baking powder, mixed spice, nutmeg, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Mix together well, then add the fruit mixture and mix until everything is just combined - don't over-mix.

Tip everything into the prepared baking tin, using a rubber spatula to even out the top.  Sprinkle over the extra pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.  Place tin in the preheated oven, and bake for up to 1-1/4 hours or until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.


Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you would like to get to know Diana Henry a little better, and to see what everyone else has cooked up this week, then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and check out the links (who knows, you might even want to join the journey and cook along with us) ...

Diana Henry badge 1A

... or check out A Change of Appetite and Diana's many other great titles available from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, or Fishpond NZ.

I will also be submitting this post to Sweet New Zealand.  Inspired by Alessandra Zecchini, and hosted this month by Lesley at eat, etc ..., Sweet New Zealand is an event for all Kiwi bloggers (whether living at home or abroad), or all foreign bloggers living in New Zealand, to link up their sweet treats.

Sweet New Zealand Badge A

I'm also linking this post to Tea Time Treats, hosted by one of my favourite bloggers - the lovely Karen at Lavender and Lovage, and The HedgeCombers.  The theme this month is vegetables, and technically there's no vegetables in this recipe, but I've been wanting to join in here for ages, so I'm taking the creative leap that since this loaf contains pumpkin seeds that's near enough :-)

Tea Time Treats

28 comments:

  1. This is my kind of everyday bread...dense, moist and packed with nutrients, and not to mention it's DELICIOUS!

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    1. Angie, I could very happily eat this every day too. It really is delicious, and it's not just great for a mid-afternoon snack, but perfect for breakfast too.

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  2. Sue, I pinned this for an Afternoon Tea, but I think I could eat this anytime of day.

    Madonna
    MakeMineLemon

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    1. Thanks, Madonna. I have eaten this for afternoon tea, for breakfast, and for lunch - so, yes, I can confirm it's a good eat any time of day :-)

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  3. I like a bread like this, sliced thick with a bit of butter for a grab and go breakfast. Thanks Sue.

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    1. You're a woman afdter my own heart, Melynda - that's exactly how I like it :-)

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  4. That loaf looks sooo good....I love the combination of fruit, nuts and seeds. (And I see I already had this recipe flagged - it's just moved up the list!)

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    1. It's a delicious combo, Zosia - yes, definitely move it up the list.

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  5. What clever and sensible changes made to this recipe, Sue! It is a beautiful tea loaf, for sure! I am thrilled that the IHCC has chosen Diana henry for this next session. I think I have all but one of her cookbooks except the newest that you mentioned. I have never been disappointed by the recipes that I've chosen from her books. Didn't know she has a tv show, but will youtube search to see if I can pick up a few episodes ...

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I bought this book and Salt, Sugar, Smoke (which is quite possibly the most exciting cookbook I've bought for a very long time). The tv series is not a current one, but definitely check out YouTube to see if you can find anything.

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  6. What a wonderful loaf full of thinks I like.

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  7. Hi Sue, love little breads like this with all the fruit and seeds, I bet this smells fantastic!

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    1. Thanks, Cheri. It does smell amazing - smells just like Christmas cake :-)

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  8. Hi Sue,
    Such a lovely fruity loaf. I love dried apricots. A slice or two of this cake would be a nice tea-time treat!
    It is going to be a delicious six months and one that I really look forward to!
    I am still waiting for my books to arrive. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks for the books to arrive in Malaysia. A Change of Appetite is on my list, would really love to get this book next when my budget alllows! :)

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    1. Thanks, Joyce. I love dried apricots. I'm thinking of a "tropical" version of this next - with maybe some macadamias and some dried papaya and mango.
      I agree, it's going to be a very delicious six months.

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  9. Hi Sue, I'd love to make this loaf soon! Looks so good!

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  10. I have to make this. My hubby would adore it.

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  11. Such a pretty bread--love the colors and I always love your changes to the recipes too. ;-) I should be getting my copy of A Change of Appetite in the next week or so (I ordered late!) and can't wait to start cooking from it. This will be a fun six months.

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  12. What a gorgeous, gorgeous bread! I would love to try this - without the nuts - since I'm allergic. But I'm sure it will still be wonderful!

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  13. I've never heard of diana henry - sounds like an interesting cook - if I had more time I would like to do some cookbook club but will just have to check out what is being made in the club - this cake sounds delicious

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  14. I sure like the look of this recipe and the look of the loaf. It is definitely mediterranean to me without being too dry as the dried fruits are being plumped up and cooked in the syrup to make it moist and nice. This is definitely another to-bake on my list. I'm beginning to like Diana Henry more and more. I'm sure you do too :)

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  15. Oh, yes. Bring on the cake. Looks so much better than the everyday banana nut bread - which I do love btw!!

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  16. I always read your recipe and these all are very good and fruitful .I have made Apricot Loaf Cake.

    Apricot Loaf Cake Recipes

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