Streusel Topped Pear Loaf

Pear Loaf

I'm that sort of personwho wants to explore every single food market in England. That is me. Iprobably make most people die with cringe yet still continue to be the most judgmental character on the planet. This is what Easter holidays does to mypoor (already sizzling) brain - causes me to write nonsense that has nothing todo with a pear loaf.

Broadway Market in Hackney was where I endedup last weekend. What a thriving place. Take away the hipsters and I’llhappily drive East every weekend. Unfortunately I cannot handle the occasional stagnantwhiff of charity shop when I’m haggling for a whole coconut cream cake so maybeI’ll just turn up when I want to purchase the most beautifully stump-likeorganic pears or, equally so, a small aromatic coffee from Climpson and Sons (totally worth the £2.40 out of my friend's pocket). So what I really want tosay is, if you’re tolerant of 2013’s trendsetters and a total foodie, go toBroadway Market, there is so much to smell, taste… and gasp at.

Streusel Topped Pear Loaf 

If you’re a fan of cinnamon, fruit and cake (as separatecomponents), this loaf combines all of that together and tastes like a tea timeaccompaniment. I studied Boston’s Flour Bakery’s Banana Bread and turned it intothis delicious thing of pear beauty. The funny thing is, it was already a thingof beauty before I messed with it. So can you just imagine how darn amazingthis loaf tastes?! 

The Recipe
2 pears, grated
210g plain flour
2 eggs, large
230g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp yogurt
120g corn oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Streusel Topping
40g rolled oats
30g dark brown soft sugar
40g cold butter, cubed
2 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

The Method

Preheat the oven to 165 C.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy - 4 minutes.

Slowly drizzle in the oil. Set aside.

Peel and grate the pears and quickly add them to the mixture (to avoid oxidation) followed by vanilla and yogurt. Mix until just combined.

Add in the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and salt and fold into the mixture using a metal spoon or rubber spatula. Fold until you can no longer see any white streaks.

Pour mixture into a lined loaf tin (or two) and bake for 45/55 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. But wait! Don't have a rest yet, there's still streusel to prepare.

Make the streusel topping by adding all the ingredients except the butter into a small bowl. Combine, then add the butter and using your fingers or a knife, make a crumbly mixture.

As soon as the streusel is made, quickly take the loaf out of the oven (after 20 or so minutes in the oven) and evenly sprinkle the streusel on top. Return back to the oven for the remaining time.

Once baked, let cool in the tin for ten minutes and turn out - then enjoy!

1 slice never seems adequate

A pear a day...

Love Em xx

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

If, like me, you've ever wondered about the ‘taste’ of autumn, well, the answer is in this bundt. You know, like that taste of Christmas you get in your mouth after you step outside on a premature winters day for the first time and it carries that indescribable smell/taste combination. How wonderful for us winter babies. 

This was my first ever pumpkin encounter, I enjoyed it, but I think the dogs enjoyed it more – something about the pumpkin being good for their insides or some other dog fact that my sister picked up off her iPhone on Google. Saying that, the taste of this cake was very deep and spicy, it carries that classic flavour combo of wintry spices – cloves, cinnamon (which I forgot to add like a spaz), ginger… really warming gingerbread man flavours that bring you right back to the fireplace with a hot choc. 

I can see this cake going well with a tangy cream cheese glaze, one with the addition of water to make it a satisfying pouring consistency.  None of my recipes tend to have what this one contains – a secret ingredient! That’s right ladies and gentleman, enter...ROLLED OATS. A thick, un-palpable paste of oats is stirred (not without a fight of course) into this cake batter and you wouldn’t even know it was there! But I think it’s necessary cos’ it adds an autumnal extra to this pumpkin bundt, enjoy :)

The Recipe:
2 cups caster sugar
3 cups plain flour
4 medium eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 can of pumpkin
226g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract/powder
2 tsp baking soda
For the pumpkin spice:
1 tsp cinnamon (I missed this out)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 ground nutmeg
Icing sugar to dust

The Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a bundt tin.
• Boil the kettle, place 1 cup of oats in a small bowl and pour the 1/4 cup boiling water over the oats and stir. Leave the thick paste to set. 
• Put the sugar and butter in the bowl of a freestanding mixer and mix on low speed till fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time whilst the mixer is still stirring the batter. 
• Keep the mixer on, and one at a time - add the pumpkin, oat paste and vanilla. Raise the speed until the oats look better incorporated and then reduce the speed again.
• Add the flour one cup at a time followed by the pumpkin spce, BS and salt.
• The batter will appear thick, keep mixing and add a tbsp of milk (or two) until it has loosened slightly.
• Plop the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top.
• Place into the oven on the top shelf and bake for 60 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, invert it out and serve!

Love Em xx