As I write this post, Duchess Kate Middleton has just had her baby my royal-loving five-year-old Alice and I are beside ourselves, scrapbook at the ready. And of course we wish them only the very best, but closer to home and infintely more important to our family, my own beautiful sister-in-law has just had a baby. So there is a new little person in the family and we couldn’t be happier. Actually we could – this newly formed trio lives in Melbourne, which is a good 12 hours drive from our home here in Orange and I am dying to get my hands on that little boy.
If I could pop round for cuddles and cups of tea, honey bread is exactly what I’d take. Gentle in flavour, easy to make and perfect with a cup of tea, it’s a great little gift for anyone you might want to visit and please. Particularly on a cold wintery afternoon. And if I had royal connections, I’d make a honey loaf for The Princess too (who has just given birth to a boy by the way).
Honey and apple loaf
This recipe was inspired by one I came across in my new favourite cookbook, Leon Baking and Puddings. Serve warm with a smear of nice butter.
225g plain flour
115g caster sugar
115g honey
250mls hot water
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp demerara sugar
Preheat oven to 160C and line two small or one large loaf tins with baking paper.
Mix together the flour and sugar in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, melt together the honey and water. Sprinkle the bicarbonate soda over the water and mix to combine. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and fold together.
Fold through the apple and spoon into prepared tin or tins. Mix together the cinnamon and demerara sugar and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven, let cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
What would you bake for Princess Kate?
Author: Sophie Hansen - Local is Lovely
Source: Kidspot