Author: biggirltravels

Suzanne, doing what she wanted to do as a teenager, working her way around the world, seeing as much as she can while she still can And Keith, who doesn’t like travel, keeping the home fires burning

Date Wheaten Loaf

This is our favourite Wheaten Bread. It’s lovely and moist and keeps really well, not that it ever lasts that long in our house

I make it all in the jug I soak the dates in, so there’s hardly any washing up either. It’s low in fat but I normally spoil that with a nice chunk of cheddar. Some Chutney on top of that goes down a treat too…

It’s delicious and very morish but do remember it’s very high in fibre – just saying…

Date Wheaten Loaf

Ingredients

250g dates chopped

175ml hot black tea

250g Wholewheat or Wholemeal Flour

4tsp Baking Powder

1tsp ground mixed spice

100g Caster Sugar

1 free range Egg

Soak the dates in the tea for at least 2 hours, overnight is fine though

Grease & line a 1kg or 2lb loaf tin with baking paper

Mix the rest of the ingredients into the date mixture, combining well

Pour into prepared tin

Bake at 170 for around an hour. Cover with foil if it starts to burn slightly on top. It’s done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean

Cool & enjoy!

Brownies!

These were without doubt the most popular item in our old tea room

In this recipe you don’t need to worry too much about the quality of the dark chocolate. Any good, dark chocolate will make you a lovely Brownie you don’t need to spend ages looking for 80% cocoa or anything, but only use butter, no margarine, work quickly and most importantly keep a close eye on the oven temperature and cooking time

Chocolate Brownie

Recipe

200g dark Chocolate broken into squares

180g Butter

280g Caster Sugar

130 g Plain Flour

3 Free Range Eggs

Heat oven to 170

Line a Swiss Roll tray with baking paper

Melt the Chocolate & butter together. I do this in the microwave and in my mixing bowl

Mix throughly so it’s nice and smooth with no unmelted lumps

Stir in the sugar

Beat in the eggs

Fold in the flour

Smooth into the prepared Swiss roll tin

Bake in oven. Now mine usually cracks on top when it’s ready. For a squidgy Brownie 20-25 minutes should do it, for a firmer, more cake like brownie 25-30 minutes

Allow to cool in tin

Remove from tin, sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into slices or squares

Eat as they are with a coffee or serve with Chocolate Sauce & Ice cream. They are really delicious warmed slightly with ice cream. Store in an airtight box