Chocolate and cherry bread

It's tasty.  It's not sweet like a cake, would be great for breakfast or brunch, 'specially with extra cherry jam.  Found this recipe on a blog ... here... http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/chocolate-and-cranberry-bread.html , and thought about what I had in the cupboards... and came up with this...

450g strong white flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 sachet quick acting yeast
40ml oil
300ml warm water

100g chocolate chips (I used 70%, but basically 100g chocolate of whatever sort)
100 g dried cherries


1.  Weigh stuff
2.  Put stuff in bread maker, according to machine instructions (for mine, dry first, then wet) keep choc chips and dried cherries out.  (or mix ingredients and kneed for 10 mins, add dried ingredients, kneed in, leave to rise, covered by damp tea towel in a warm place, for 30 mins)
3.  Put onto dough cycle.  When machine beeps chuck in chocolate bits and cherries.
4.  When risen, take out of bread machine, shape, slash (join in here if you have done hand kneeding etc) - leave to rise again for 20 mins.
5.  Bake in hot(ish) oven 220 (200 for fan) oven for 45 mins.  It's done when it sounds hollow when you knock the bottom.

I had a slice warm from the oven ... yum ... looking forward to chocolatey breakfast buttered slice in the morning.

Bread and butter pudding

Until tonight I would have claimed, vehemently, that bread and butter pudding is absolute pants - and there is no way I would think it a decent end to a meal ... or a nice afternoon sweet treat.  Until tonight!  We had shed loads of stuff left over, and I am trying not to waste stuff, so when victim suggested bread and butter pudding I stifled the gag reflex... and gave it a go.  IT IS YUM.  When I have tried it before it has been cloyingly sweet, dry, heavy, soggy, plastic tasting ... and altogether nasty ... but today, it was warm, sweet, but not too sweet, the texture was light but not soggy, and the top was crunchy, in all it was fruity, custardy and delicious.  So - we had a lovely crusty loaf which we bought for gathered victims with cheese after dinner - but stuffed ourselves so full of dinner (no pics cos I was distracted - but it was butter bean casserole, green beans, wilted spinach with cottage cheese and rice) - and trifle (no pics cos victims dove in so quickly that I didn't get a snap - but used brand new beautiful trifle bowl, am sure this will feature here eventually)... that we didn't get around to cheese.

Anyway - back to the bread and butter pudding.  Sliced left over loaf and buttered, layered in oven proof dish... scattered on, and in between slices, big handfuls of raisins.  Made a custard mix of 6 eggs, sugar, splash of vanilla and about 2 pints of milk... whisked together.  Tasted eggy milky mix and adjusted sugar until it was quite sweet, but not tooth achingly... it does have to soak in to all that plain bread, it needs to be a "light" custard, enough eggs so that it will set, but not so many that it is gloopy and then hard in the cooked dish (in between texture of single and double cream).  Poured custard onto bread and fruit.  Push bread into custard to that every crust soaks in the milky goodness.  Weigh the bread down gently (eg put another dish on top) and let it soak in for 30 minutes.  Spinkle top with brown sugar and bake at medium heat for about 30-40 minutes - until custard is set and top is slightly browning.  Allow to cool slightly, then scoff.

I'm a convert - who'ld a thunk it! (Victim said it wasn't quite sweet enough - but has a legendary sweet tooth)