I'm back to the book. David Herbert's wonderful "Best-Ever Baking Recipes". I have been cooking things from this from time to time, but such is my posting malaise I am only now managing to report back.
Why a posting malaise? Not sure really, I note that other, more prolific and famous bloggers also go through this and I imagine that this is my, much tinier and less significant version. In fact a few of my absolute favourite bloggers have slowed right down, if not having stopped entirely. I realise how much I loved those posts, now that I have them no longer. Also some of them used to blog a lot. Thank god for Julia - still posting and still as brilliant as ever.
Anyway sticky toffee loaf and all that conjures up. It's winter here, the most beloved season by my household, and I am in full winter cooking swing. Baked risotto, lamb shanks, casserole, curry... oh swoon, all so lovely and rich and warming and EASY. Screw summer with all it's salads.
This loaf, yes a loaf, was really rather delicious. Fabian even ate some, and he is not a cake guy. It is one of my crosses to bear, that my husband doesn't really like cake. And me, a baker. It makes no SENSE! I do like him to keep his snake hipped figure though so perhaps I should quit complaining.
So, it was big when he ate this - and really loved it. He ruefully loved it. He ate with regret and genuine disappointment in himself that he could not resist. It was touching. Gabe loved it too - which was unexpected, what with the dates and the strong flavours. There is a reason why this cake is unstoppably good - I will reveal it to you.
Soon.
Sticky Toffee Loaf - David Herbert.
175 g of pitted dates
1 tsp bicarb
300 ml boiling water
75g of softened butter
185g Caster sugar
2 free range eggs - lightly whipped - I mean, beaten.
210g SR Flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee icing
100ml double cream
100g light brown sugar
40g butter
1 heaped TBL icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180 and grease and line a loaf tin - they recommend 24 x 10cm which I suspect is a standard size. I have two loaf tins and I just chose the smaller one.
That is step one above in that bowl. Place the dates in a bowl, sprinkle the bicarb over and then pour on the hot water. Let them emulsify. That was my little bit of editorialising then. Emulsify, sounds good. I just looked it up and it's not really correct, but I don't care.
The cat has arrived and is making my blogging so much easier by standing under my nose and butting his head against my shoulder. Louie see's me doing something useless with those big old meat hooks at the end of my arms and he thinks "I can put them to good use on my head, scratching". And then he arrives, he likes to stand directly in front of the keyboard - but he also likes to stand on the keyboard too - he can be diverse. When I don't start scratching him he starts to push his head under my armpit, sometime so forcefully that he slides backwards across the table with all his pushing. Now he stands to my left with his back to me. He don't care. I mean nothing. I love being a cat owner.
Place the butter and sugar together in your electric mixer and mix for 7-8 mins until pale and fluffy. I usually just do as they say, I set a timer and walk away to contemplate my navel for 7-8 minutes. That's a good length of time to do that. Add that beaten egg a little at a time and beat well between additions. Sift in the flour - then add the dates and their water, and the vanilla. This a wet mix - don't let that perturb you.
Bake that sucker for about 45 mins or until it's done. You know the drill. Cool it's heels in the tin for 10 and then turn it out. To fend for itself.
And now the icing. Oh, the icing. This is the secret. The icing is so damn delicious you might not be able to get it onto the loaf - I ate a shitload of it - it makes quite a lot - more then you'll need for the cake - which is such such such a shame.
Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, give it a stir and then reduce to a simmer. Don't stir it for about 4 or 5 mins- until it is nice and golden. To me it looks nice and golden early on, so I just let it go for 5 mins and all my spidey senses were tingling so I took it off. Set it aside to cool. When it's cool beat in the icing sugar and resist the urge to eat the entire saucepan. Get it on the loaf quick smart!
As with all of these sticky date type things they are better when slightly warm. So we tended to cut slices and then warm them up. It was perfect. Caramelly, toffeey, gooey... so delicious. Thank you winter.
Why a posting malaise? Not sure really, I note that other, more prolific and famous bloggers also go through this and I imagine that this is my, much tinier and less significant version. In fact a few of my absolute favourite bloggers have slowed right down, if not having stopped entirely. I realise how much I loved those posts, now that I have them no longer. Also some of them used to blog a lot. Thank god for Julia - still posting and still as brilliant as ever.
Anyway sticky toffee loaf and all that conjures up. It's winter here, the most beloved season by my household, and I am in full winter cooking swing. Baked risotto, lamb shanks, casserole, curry... oh swoon, all so lovely and rich and warming and EASY. Screw summer with all it's salads.
This loaf, yes a loaf, was really rather delicious. Fabian even ate some, and he is not a cake guy. It is one of my crosses to bear, that my husband doesn't really like cake. And me, a baker. It makes no SENSE! I do like him to keep his snake hipped figure though so perhaps I should quit complaining.
So, it was big when he ate this - and really loved it. He ruefully loved it. He ate with regret and genuine disappointment in himself that he could not resist. It was touching. Gabe loved it too - which was unexpected, what with the dates and the strong flavours. There is a reason why this cake is unstoppably good - I will reveal it to you.
Soon.
Sticky Toffee Loaf - David Herbert.
175 g of pitted dates
1 tsp bicarb
300 ml boiling water
75g of softened butter
185g Caster sugar
2 free range eggs - lightly whipped - I mean, beaten.
210g SR Flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee icing
100ml double cream
100g light brown sugar
40g butter
1 heaped TBL icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180 and grease and line a loaf tin - they recommend 24 x 10cm which I suspect is a standard size. I have two loaf tins and I just chose the smaller one.
 |
| Looks like.. I don't know, something gross. |
The cat has arrived and is making my blogging so much easier by standing under my nose and butting his head against my shoulder. Louie see's me doing something useless with those big old meat hooks at the end of my arms and he thinks "I can put them to good use on my head, scratching". And then he arrives, he likes to stand directly in front of the keyboard - but he also likes to stand on the keyboard too - he can be diverse. When I don't start scratching him he starts to push his head under my armpit, sometime so forcefully that he slides backwards across the table with all his pushing. Now he stands to my left with his back to me. He don't care. I mean nothing. I love being a cat owner.
Place the butter and sugar together in your electric mixer and mix for 7-8 mins until pale and fluffy. I usually just do as they say, I set a timer and walk away to contemplate my navel for 7-8 minutes. That's a good length of time to do that. Add that beaten egg a little at a time and beat well between additions. Sift in the flour - then add the dates and their water, and the vanilla. This a wet mix - don't let that perturb you.
 |
| So much potential |
And now the icing. Oh, the icing. This is the secret. The icing is so damn delicious you might not be able to get it onto the loaf - I ate a shitload of it - it makes quite a lot - more then you'll need for the cake - which is such such such a shame.
Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, give it a stir and then reduce to a simmer. Don't stir it for about 4 or 5 mins- until it is nice and golden. To me it looks nice and golden early on, so I just let it go for 5 mins and all my spidey senses were tingling so I took it off. Set it aside to cool. When it's cool beat in the icing sugar and resist the urge to eat the entire saucepan. Get it on the loaf quick smart!
 |
| Oozey! |
 |
| Quite sexy... |
As with all of these sticky date type things they are better when slightly warm. So we tended to cut slices and then warm them up. It was perfect. Caramelly, toffeey, gooey... so delicious. Thank you winter.
 |
| Centrefold shot. |
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