Salon literaire tea-party

The tea-party guests de-invited themselves at the last moment, but Rachel was already in baking mood so we carried on regardless. All quite different - all very scrummy.

Sun-dried Tomato, Olive and Basil Bread
(source - the lady, July 2009 from Lazy Days and Beach Blankets, Ryland Peters and Small)

SUN-DRIED TOMATO, OLIVE AND BASIL BREAD

SERVES 6

6oz (175g) plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 large eggs

31½ floz (100ml) olive oil

31½ oz (100ml) milk

31½ oz (100g) mature Gruyere cheese, grated

31½ oz (100g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped

21/2oz (60g) stoned black olives marinated with herbs, roughly chopped

a small handful of basil leaves, roughly sliced

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

You will also need:

a 8¼ inch (21cm) x 4¼ inch (11cm) non-stick loaf tin, lightly greased and floured



1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350˚F or Gas 4.

2. Sift the flour with the baking powder and season well with salt and black pepper. Whisk the eggs and whisk in the milk and oil. Tip two-thirds of the liquid into the flour, beat well then add remaining liquid.

3. Mix in the Gruyère, tomatoes, olives and basil, then tip into the loaf tin. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

4. Leave to cool, remove from the tin and wrap in aluminium foil. Keep in the fridge.

5. Serve at room temperature, sliced and cut into halves or squares. You could also serve a plate of chunky, handcut slices of salami to eat with your fingers.


Lavender Shortbread
(source - the Lady, July 2009)

75g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
175 g butter
1 tblspoon fresh chopped lavender flowers
175g plain flor
75g cornflour, ground rice or fine semolina
shallow backing tin 27 x 18 cm

Preheat oven to 150C/300F/gas 2
Food process sugar and butter till light and fluffy
Add lavender flowers and whizz again
Add half flour and pulse to incorporate, then add rest of flour and pulse again
Add cornflour and pulse (cornflour = smoother; groun rice or semolina = more crumbly and rustic)
Bring together with hands
Sparek onto baking tin, mark it with shortknife into 18 squares and prick lightly with fork
Bake 40 to 45 mins till pale gold; sprinkle with caster sugar, and cooke for another 5 mins
Remove from oven, cool for 10 mins in tin; cut into pieces, remove from tin with palette knife onto rack to cool.
Store in air-tight tin

Rich Fruit Loaf

This recipe comes from my classic Cooking in Colour by Marguerite Pattern. First published 1960 - my copy is the fourth edition published 1974. Recipe number 811

The published recipe calls for candied peel - we used chopped dried prunes (we had them in the cave). I'm never afraid to substitute ingredients (within reason). And on second or third baking will start to play around with spices and flavourings.

100g butter
1kg plain flour (we used an organic wheat flour type 110 - it was almost a very fine brown flour)
pinch salt
125 g currants
125 g sultanas
75 g prunes (we probably used more)
50 - 75 g sugar
really good 25g of fresh yeast (and yes, we found fresh yeast at the boulangerie)
2 eggs
425 ml tepid milk or milk and water
2 tablespoons sugar and water to glaze

Rub butter into sieved flour and salt. Add fruit and all but 1 teaspoon sugar.
Cream yeast with teaspoon of sugar, add to the beaten egs and warm milk and leave for 10 minutes in warm place till frothy
Add to the rest of the ingredients and mix to a dough
Knead on floured board
Leave to rise till doubled in size
Put into 2 large load tins (actually we used 2 x sprung bottom round cake tins)
Leave to prove 20 mins
Bake in centre of hot oven 425 - 450 F, 220 - 230 C, gas 6 - 7, reducing the heat after first 10 mins to 375F/190C/Gas 5, for 40 - 50 mins.
Brush with glaze made with sugar and water as soon as the loaves come of the oven.
Cool on wire tray.