January was one long month, I just couldn’t get to the end of it quickly enough. The endless confetti of plastic windowed envelopes gliding in through my letter box on a chilly breeze; there was no mistaking these as straggling greeting cards, these were bills! Reminders of the excesses of the holiday period. You’ll be more prepared next year though won’t you? You’ll save a bit so you will. Won’t we all! Meanwhile hollow pledges aren’t going to stall the direct debits so it’s time for a stocktake of your freezer and cupboards. What on earth is lurking in there and what indeed is it waiting for? I know I’ve some frozen pastry sheets for just-in-case visitor moments so I’m going to pull those out and fill them for supper one of these fine evenings.
In the meanwhile a little bit of comfort. I hadn’t baked for ages and there’s nothing like the smell particularly when it’s so rare. The dried cranberries plump up really sweetly in a buttery cake and keeping the chocolate chunks nice and big make a slice of this a welcome wintery weather treat.
Chocolate Chip, Cranberry & Peanut Butter Loaf Cake
You will need:
150g butter
5 tbsp crunch peanut butter
175g brown sugar
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
200g good quality chocolate (2 bars, I go for >75%)
60g dried cranberries
Method:
Grease a loaf tin with butter and line the base with a strip of baking paper.
Pre-heat the fan oven to 180C
Beat the butter and brown sugar together
Beat in one egg followed by half the flour and baking powder
Beat in the remaining egg and flour
Stir in the crunchy peanut butter, dried cranberries and the chocolate cut into large chunks
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned on the outside
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin, allow to cool further on a wire tray.
Enjoy!
‘Til next time, Sheila
