Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread

As you may already know, I love my breadmaker. I do make bread from scratch, but like most people, I just don’t have time to do it most of the time, and this fantastic little gadget means that I rarely have to buy store bought bread. That has to be a good thing because homemade bread not only tastes better, but it is better for you. I know exactly what goes into my bread, and it isn’t a lot of additives, salt or flavour improvers. It also makes the house smell fabulous when it is baking, especially when you bake a spiced bread like this. 

I’ve been making this recipe for some time using ordinary bread flour but when I was at Masterchef Live last autumn, I found a new flour supplier who makes an Apple Cinnamon flour. Wessex Mill offer a huge range of speciality flours and each bag of flour is completely traceable. The farms the grain has come from are listed on the back. I love this, and I had such good results from the Apple Cinnamon variety, I can’t wait to try some of the others (which include spelt, pumpernickel and rye).

But back to the recipe. Be sure to use “strong” or “bread” flour when you make bread as it makes a huge difference to how your loaves will turn out.

1¼ cups apple juice at room temperature

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (walnut oil for preference)

3 cups strong white bread flour (or Wessex Mill’s Apple Cinnamon Bread Flour)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (omit if using Wessex Mill’s flour)

2 tablespoons milk powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

2 teaspoons instant or fast acting dried yeast

½ to ¾ cup nice juicy raisins

Pour the apple juice into the breadmaker bucket. Add the oil and half the flour. Sprinkle with the milk powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Cover with the remaining flour and mound the yeast in the centre.

Fit the bucket into the breadmaker. Put the raisins in the raisin and nut dispenser if you have one - if not you will have to listen out for the ‘raisin beep’ part way through the cycle and put them in then.

Set the breadmaker to the programme recommended in your manual - usually the ‘Raisin bread’ setting. (I have to select the “Basic” setting on mine and then choose the option for “Raisins”.) Turn the bread maker on. And if you don’t have a raisin dispenser remember to listen out for the beep!

When the bread is done, remove the bucket from the bread maker using oven mitts and carefully shake the bread out on to a cooling rack. Wait until it has cooled off a bit before attempting to remove the paddle if it has become stuck - and also before slicing. You can slice this when it is still warm, but if you don’t let it cool off for at least 30 to 40 minutes it will be very difficult and possibly ruin your bread. Be careful, because the apple cinnamon smell is very seductive, so if you do give in before then don’t way I didn’t warn you!

This loaf is really delicious spread with some real butter. It’s also nice with a touch of honey. You can serve it plain or toasted.

Meatless Monday - Grown Up Applesauce

It’s Meatless Monday again, and although my recipe this week would work as an accompaniment to a meal that is not meat free, I think it is just the sort of thing that is special enough to save for a Meatless Monday!

This applesauce is a wonderful treat, and makes a beautiful accompaniment to just about anything, from vegetarian sausages to a vegetable gratin. 

It’s also a wonderful dessert, with or without a bit of cream. You can serve it warm or cold – and one of my favourite things to do is to serve a bit of it, warm, in a bowl, topped with some good vanilla ice cream and some crumbled ginger biscuits. Ambrosia!

You can use cooking or eating apples for this, and I find it tastes best if I use more than one variety of apples in a batch if possible. We love cinnamon in our house, so I always put lots in, but do go according to your own tastes. It gives the apple sauce a lovely colour as well as a great flavour.

Calvados, or apple brandy, works best for this, but ordinary brandy is good too. I suspect apple schnapps would work as well, although I honestly haven’t tried it yet!

About 2 to 3 cups of peeled, sliced apples

¼ cup Calvados or brandy

1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Put the apple slices, Calvados or brandy and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Stir well and heat over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften. (Try not to let them boil too much.) This usually takes about half an hour.

I then use a potato masher to crush the slices down and give the applesauce a nice, chunky texture.

Serve either as a meal accompaniment or dessert. Leftovers (if you have any) keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.

The 21st Century Housewife's Blackberry and Apple Muffins

I'm continuing on the blackberry and apple theme because it is definitely that time of year here in England. Folks are picking blackberries by the side of the road and along the paths and the new season's harvest of British apples is just beginning to appear at the market and in farm shops. It’s a great time of year to be in the kitchen.

These muffins are filled with fruit, nuts and whole wheat flour so they really are good for you, They taste really lovely either for breakfast or with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

This recipe makes about 12 large muffins.

1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached is best

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup walnut or pecan halves, roughly chopped

¾ cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mixed spice (a blend of cloves, cinnamon, coriander, ginger and nutmeg) or you can use pumpkin pie spice if it is not available

2 eggs

⅓ cup sunflower oil or other mild light oil

1 cup buttermilk (ordinary milk works too)

1 large apple, peeled and grated at the last minute

1 cup blackberries

Blend together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in the grated apple, blackberries and chopped nuts.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Beat in the buttermilk and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together gently but thoroughly. Try to avoid breaking up too many of the blackberries.

Bake at about 350℉ (170℃ or 160℃ if you have a fan assisted oven) for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. (It may be streaked with blackberry which is fine; what you don’t want is any batter sticking to it.)

Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, these muffins are best kept in the fridge and brought to room temperature or gently warmed before eating. 

The 21st Century Housewife's Pork Tenderloin with Apple Balsamic Gravy – A Cook Once, Eat Twice Recipe

The recipe makes enough to serve at least four - but don’t worry if you have leftovers. They taste lovely the next day in the recipe for Fajitas I’ve posted below this one. In fact, sometimes I double this recipe just so I have extra leftovers for the fajitas! If you do double the recipe, be sure to use two roasting pans so everything cooks evenly.

You do have to cook just a little bit on the second night, roasting up the peppers to go with the fajitas, but it’s nothing too onerous. However if you’d rather you can do it the first night in a separate pan in the oven and save them for the second. Be sure to cool and refrigerate them promptly.

This dish has one of the nicest gravies I think I have ever invented. The apple and onion melt together to flavour it beautifully, and the Dijon mustard gives it a lovely tang. It’s a great summer dish because tenderloin cooks pretty quickly, so you won’t have to have the oven on for much more than an hour.

There is a fair amount of vinegar in this recipe, but don’t worry, it makes it taste absolutely delicious. When it combines with the apple and onion it gives a wonderful depth of flavour.

2 onions, red if possible

2 red skinned eating apples

2 pork tenderloins

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup apple juice

about ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

¼ teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 generous tablespoon redcurrant or cranberry jelly

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the 2 tbsp cider vinegar and olive oil, and marinate the tenderloin for at least an hour in the fridge.




Peel and quarter the onions, reserving one half of one onion.  Core the apples and quarter them, again reserving one half of one apple.

Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan and arrange the apple and onion quarters around it. Pour the marinade over to coat everything. Cook in the oven at about 375℉ or 190℃ (about 170℃ for a fan oven) for about 40 to 50 minutes, turning the apples and onions halfway through.

Meanwhile, finely chop the reserved half onion and half apple. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and sauté the chopped onion and apple over low to medium heat. You want them to cook slowly so they almost “melt” as they become tender. To do this you need to keep sautéing them over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour.

When the apple and onion are very soft and have cooked together, turn the heat back up to medium and add the balsamic vinegar. Let it all bubble away for a minute or so.

Sprinkle the flour over top and stir into the apples and onions. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, just to cook the floury taste away. Gradually add the apple juice, stirring after each addition. Now gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly, until you get a nicely textured gravy. (You may need slightly more or less than the half cup.)  Stir in the mustard and thyme, and then blend in the cranberry or redcurrant jelly until you have a fairly smooth gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Check that the pork is cooked through, and when it is, slice and serve with the gravy. This is delicious served over mashed potatoes and/or with some broccoli on the side.

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and save them for:-

Yummy Tenderloin Fajitas

Leftover sliced tenderloin from the first night

1 red onion, peeled and cut in eighths

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 orange pepper, de-seeded and sliced

(It goes without saying you can vary the colours here, you just need 3 peppers!)

1 zucchini, ends removed and sliced in sticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

as much of 1 red chili, seeds removed and finely sliced, as you would like

(My family like it mild, so I add very little, but if you like it hot, go for it!)

large flour tortillas

1 cup of grated cheese (optional)

salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole for garnish

Place the onion, peppers and zucchini in a large roasting dish and drizzle the oil over top. Stir with your hands to coat the veggies with the oil. Bake at about 375℉ or 190℃ (about 170℃ for a fan oven) for about half an hour, stirring halfway through.

When the vegetables are nearly cooked, slice the tenderloin into small strips or pieces and place in a small roasting pan. I like to put about a tablespoon of water in with the pork, cover firmly with aluminum foil and heat gently in a low oven, turning occasionally until warm through – but if you are in a rush you can use a microwave. Just be sure to keep the meat warm once you have heated it.

Serve the tortillas, pork and vegetables in separate warmed dishes so everyone can assemble and wrap their own fajitas. (If you have a warming tray or plate that you can put on the table it really helps.)

Serve grated cheese, if using, salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole on the side.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Maple Syrup, Pecan and Apple Loaf

I invented this recipe, based on one of my own banana muffin recipes, to help use up some lovely cooking apples I bought at a farm shop near my home. I get so tempted by the delicious produce when I go there that I sometimes overbuy, and I am always looking for new and delicious ways of using up the bounty I bring home. Although for me this seems the perfect recipe for Autumn, it could easily be made all year round as the variety of cooking apple you use really does not matter. It smells delicious when it is baking, perfuming the kitchen with a warm nutmeggy air.

Baked in a loaf pan, it is a cross between a bread and a cake. The use of a small amount of maple syrup means that although it is slightly sweet, its mellow flavour allows it to also be served as a savoury bread – particularly if you omit the dusting of demerera sugar and cinnamon I sometimes put on top. The slightly acidic nature of the buttermilk also adds to its savoury edge. It is delicious for breakfast, spread thickly with butter or as a tea bread. I also like to serve it with a cheese board as it is absolutely scrumptious with just about any cheese – particularly cheddar and also, somewhat surprisingly, Brie! I would definitely omit the sugary topping if you plan to serve it with cheese though.

It is best baked the day before and allowed to rest before serving. Simply wrap it tightly in foil once it is cooled to keep it moist. It does taste lovely warm from the oven, but attempts to slice it while it is still warm usually result in a crumbly mess, so I do try to restrain myself and save it till the next day!

50 grams butter, melted and allowed to cool slightly
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
250 ml buttermilk
175 grams plain (all purpose) flour
175 grams whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated
(wait until the last minute to do this so that the apples do not brown)
75 grams of pecans, roughly chopped

Topping:-
1 tablespoon demerera sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together (optional)

Prepare a loaf tin by buttering and flouring it, or line with greaseproof paper or a liner. Preheat the oven to 175℃ or 350℉.

Whisk the butter, maple syrup, egg and buttermilk together in a large jug. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, salt, bicarbonate of soda and nutmeg. Peel, core and grate the apples into the flour mixture and blend together. Add the nuts and stir in. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together gently until well mixed.

Put the mixture in the prepared loaf pan, and if using, sprinkle the Demerera sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes until the top is slightly golden and a piece of dried spaghetti stuck into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Take the loaf out of the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing it and cooling completely on a wire rack. The loaf will keep, well wrapped in foil in a cool place, for two to three days.