Tin Can Lanterns and more

Busy Person's Bread
I have Mentioned Annabel Langbein's Busy people's Bread before. It is a fabulous recipe that doesn't need mucking around to let it rise, it's just mix and pop it in the oven, and it works every time.

You can link to the recipe here
 I made some this morning. I need to get into the habit of making it regularly, as Vogel's is not what it used to be, and then there are all those plastic bread bags. I now understand why "back then" housewives had regular days for washing, baking etc. It means you have a system so that you can fit it all in. Hmmm might try that.

Date Loaf
While the oven was hot I made this using a recipe that I have used for 30 years, but with 1/4 of the sugar of the original, and replaced half the white flour with wholemeal.
2 cups of dates               2 cups of boiling water
1/2 cup of sugar             2 dessertspoons of butter
Mix these together and leave to cool.
Add:-
2 tsp baking soda            2 cups white flour
2 tsp baking powder         2 cups wholemeal flour
nuts or spices as desired
Stir well
Bake in a loaf tin for 1 hour at approx 180 c.

Tin Can Lanterns
I have been saving up all our cans for ages after seeing these on Pinterest. I thought they might go well at my pre-Christmas market stall.
I'm pleased with how they have turned out generally, and will just tweak one or two things on the production line.

The secret to making them is to put a little water in the bottom and freeze them, then fill them to the top and freeze again so that you can hammer the holes in without flattening the cans. The first bit of water is so that the bottoms don't bulge.

Kiwi Soundtrack

If you are not sure what a kiwi call sounds like then this is a site where you hear it, and also other night birds that can be confused with the kiwi's call. We think we might have heard some around here so this is great.