Fig, Date & Walnut Loaf

I have loads of figs here and have been looking for ways to use them up - dates are no problem because we love them in date squares. I haven't tried making fig squares...perhaps that is next. However, I do like figs in breads and loaves as well as when making coconut balls.

With this in mind I decided to try my hand at making a loaf with figs and dates that would not be too heavy - I wanted it to be light, soft and while not overly sweet, just a nice tasting loaf. Sort of a dessert bread but also a bit of a treat.

What I also like about figs and dates is that they are so good for you full of necessary minerals and vitamins. I remember a time when this was my only indulgence during the week...and I looked forward to it like a little slice of heaven.

Well, they are still a slice of heaven - and divine when added to any recipe. Yesterday I made a little loaf of Fig, Date and Walnut bread for my taste tester to try out - and it got a thumbs up. So, now I can't wait to try it myself next week. 

Only a few more days to go with this detox and it's back to eating for me for a few days, then back to detox again. It is detox season and I like to give this all I've got - that's the only way to get the best results.

To make the bread I started out as usual with my 3 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt - but then because I was using figs and dates I decided to use cloves and nutmeg in place of cinnamon. Just for a little stronger flavour as well as the warming effects. 

Next I added chopped figs and dates to 1 cup of milk as well as some grated lemon, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of date syrup. In another bowl I whisked a duck egg which I then added to the soaking figs and dates. 

Once I was happy that the figs and dates were soaked, I poured this milk mixture into the flour blend and stirred until it was nearly mixed - when I added 1/3 cup of water and 2 tablespoons oil. I continued mixing until all was blended and then spooned the dough into loaf tins. 

Lastly I pressed chopped walnuts into the top of each loaf (to get them to stick) and put them into the hot oven. After baking for 30 minutes (mini loaves) it was done and smelled wonderful - next time I think I will omit the egg and add a little butter instead of the oil. Just to see if I can get the loaf even softer. But, it did turn out very nice as it is. 

April

Fig, Date & Walnut Loaf 

Cooking and Baking - The Approach

It has been another fasting day for me here - and a welcome break from all that eating and cooking - well sort of a break because I am still cooking for everyone else here and baking bread most days. Recently I came across mention of how if you like cooking, usually you would not like baking - and vice versa.

I was floored by this - mainly because there probably isn't one aspect of food, cooking, baking, preserving or eating that I don't enjoy. I even like the washing up after wards - because I like a clean kitchen and to have everything back in it's place.

Of course, you know me, I have been mulling this over ever since. How might someone enjoy baking and not cooking....hmmm. Then it hit me! It was because they have put these two activities down as being separate from each other.

That baking is somehow separate kitchen magic from ordinary cooking of meals for instance. So, I guess it must all be in the approach. I would bake up a storm before any feast days. Baking bread is something I do nearly every day, and I would use the oven to cook some meals such as stew in the Tagine.

Baking therefore is not separate from any other meal for me. But there is more than this - for others baking conjures up visions of sweets, chocolate dripping off of cakes and cookies that make you fat just by looking at them.

It is an entire separate food group (which would not even register as food as far as I am concerned) crammed with as much sugar and other nonsense as possible for your enjoyment and dining pleasure. Then, that would depend on your idea of pleasure. 

Giving children sweets full of sugar and other junk and watching them act up and get a sugar rush - is not something I would take pleasure in. I know enough teachers and others who work around children who would say the exact same thing. 

The poor child would then be yelled at or some other negative response because of this behaviour and we are well into a vicious cycle here. 

So, I  enjoy baking yes and cooking - what I enjoy far more is the fact that any of my cooking can be eaten without concern of sugar or other nasties. It is certainly not a behaviour altering experience to eat good, wholesome organic food - unless having extra energy changes your life!

April

Cinnamon Cake 

A Food 'Memory' - Bread Pudding

I have been planning for the past couple of days to make a bread pudding and of course have been duly saving the old pieces of bread, instead of given them to the animals in preparation for this dish. It is something I remember having in my childhood, but not having eaten it since.

It is not a difficult dish to make either - if I remember correctly, it was basically, bread, eggs, milk and spices. Perhaps if someone was industrious there might be a sauce over the top. But often it was served and eaten, just as it was. 

So, today I got the large dish ready and had been mulling over what I might do to make this pudding tasty. I decided on  a few things and as is my usual style - I just dove in to it. The dish was buttered, the bread was placed on the bottom and I prepared an egg mixture with duck eggs, milk,  and all spices. 

Bread pudding seeded spelt bread pieces

The egg mixture was poured evenly over the top of the bread and allowed to sit for about an hour. I had a jar of unsweetened cherries in juice so, in place of additional raisins (there were some in the bread) I poured this jar of cherries over the top as well. 

Then I put this in the oven for about half an hour. In the meantime I made some hazelnut butter (always a lovely treat!) and some custard. I ended up mixing these two together to see what kind of taste I would get - it was tasty but the custard did not set enough.

Once the bread pudding was out of the oven and served up into dishes, I spooned out some of the hot custard mixture over it and voila - there was now some kind of dessert. Everyone loved it - except for me. I ate it while trying to analyze just why I was not enjoying it.

Then I realised, I don't remember if I like bread pudding. I don't even remember eating it - I just remember that it was there. But, perhaps I didn't like it then and I wasn't impressed today. I thought it was bland, which surprised me because there were so many flavours in there.

I think this was a classic food memory of an association between an unpleasant time and food - or unpleasant food and time....whatever! 

It's back to the drawing board for me with that one....

April

Bread pudding with hazelnut custard sauce