Babies, Books and Baking

Granddaughter Hazel is off to a good start with some of her book collection...

And I've almost finished reading Sky Burial...

such an interesting read 

 Looking forward to starting Buy Me the Sky next.  Had not read any Xinran previously, but really enjoying her writing.  And just to clarify, when I said I don't like romance stories (in a previous post), I still don't, but this is a (true) love story, and that's different...

And I love Xinran's dedication to her husband in the book: 

"...who knows how to share love and experience and space and silence"   

Such a great combination!!

Also been baking...

 Rhubarb Loaf

Here's the recipe:

Rhubarb Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup extra brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 20g butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 C. Lightly grease two 23cm x12cm loaf tins.
2. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla essence. Stand for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined.
4. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pans.
5. In a small bowl, combine extra brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a fine skewer inserted into centre of a loaf comes out clean.

(Notes:  I only used 1 cup of sugar in cake, and may go even less next time.  Substituted some of the white flour with wholemeal, spelt, buckwheat and almond meal. Substituted some of the cinnamon with cardamom, allspice, mixed spice.  I found the 20g of melted butter for the topping too much as it wouldn't 'sprinkle', but just 'clumped', so next time I'll either use less butter or just brush the top of the cooked cake (while still hot from the oven) with melted butter, and then sprinkle with spices and sugar. And I cooked it in one large baking dish rather than the two small.)  The original recipe is HERE  if you want to take a look.

delicious dusted with icing sugar, and a cup of tea

Don't blame me if you can't stop eating it!!

xx