For the love of apples

The humble apple often makes a feature at our Autumn events, baked up in nutty apple loaf, crafted into a tart or used as part of Samhain story telling - this Halloween.

Did you know there is evidence of apples being part of seasonal traditions in the UK since 400BC!  With apples and nuts being given to the spirits of the land at this time of year as an offering of thanks and protection.  Apples were also believed to help open the doorway between the dead and the living at the festival of Samhain (Halloween).  And there is a lovely Druidic tradition to offer an apple into a river at Samhain with love for someone you have lost in the past year, as a blessing to help their spirit be guided over the rainbow bridge to the summer lands.

Apple bobbing was a tradition brought here by the Romans, blending the old traditions with their tradition of bobbing for apples in recognition of the goddess of the fruit harvest Pomona, with the added invitation that if a young woman and young man bit from the same apple, they would be set for a long, happy and fertile marriage!

And I do love to make chocolate apples at Halloween - a less tooth damaging sweet treat to the toffee apple - dipping apples into tasty chocolate - and then sweet sugar sprinkles - and these get offered along with fresh apples and naughty sweets at our door.

But as promised, here's the nutty apple loaf recipe used, based on the Hummingbird bakery recipe - with a few small changes....

The Hummingbird Bakery’s Nutty Apple Loaf

Makes 8-10 slices

175g unsalted butter at room temperature
140g light brown soft sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
2 medium eggs
140g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100g shelled mixed nuts, chopped (I used just walnuts)
50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I double this - for I do love my dark chocolate)
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (if small - add a third)

To make:

1. Grease a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin.

2. Place the butter, sugar and jam in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (alternatively use an electric whisk). Cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and beat into the butter mixture. Scrape down the sides then mix quickly again. Stir in the nuts, chocolate and apple. Pour into the loaf tin and flatten out the surface of the mix. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 170°c/150°c fan/325°f/Gas Mark 3. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until brown and the sponge feels firm to touch. Insert a skewer/toothpick into the centre – it will come out clean if cooked through.

5. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Come discover apple treats at our Autumn events this October and November