Apricot & Almond Loaf and White Chocolate & Cranberry Flapjacks

Apricot & Almond Loaf

In my first attempt at apricot and almond loaf, I was disappointed that it didn’t taste very almond-y so this time I tried to ramp up the flavour by adding ground almonds to the mixture and stirring in whole blanched almonds (instead of flaked almonds). The whole blanched almonds were a good addition- it’s nice to come across a big chunk of almond in your bread, but overall it still didn’t have a strong almond flavour. Perhaps I need to add some almond essence too. Anyway, it still tastes good and it goes particularly well with a smothering of cherry jam on top.

Ingredients

400g brown flour

1½ tsp sugar

25g Meridian Safflower Oil

1 tsp salt

50g ground almonds

280ml water

1 tsp yeast

100g dried apricots

50g blanched almonds

White Chocolate & Cranberry Flapjacks

I’ve also made white chocolate and cranberry flapjacks before and they worked fine. Probably the main reason I haven’t made them again until now is that every time I buy some chocolate chips for baking with, I usually end up eating them before they make it into the mixing bowl! With a bit more discipline this time- I think these chocolate chips lasted a whole two weeks in the cupboard without being eaten (although I was away for one of those weeks) I finally managed to do some baking with them. Again they turned out well, although is it possible to go wrong with white chocolate and cranberries?

Ingredients

2 eggs

100ml milk

3 tablespoons golden syrup

300g porridge oats

100g dried cranberries

100g white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix together the wet ingredients. Stir in the dry ingredients. Pour into a lined baking tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes.