I have always been the kind of person who didn't believe in diets, weight loss and so forth - mainly because I didn't like them. I believe that as long as you eat in moderation, not only you stay steady but also you tend to satisfy your cravings (therefore no backfires later on!). I do however believe in staying healthy and being fit. After my second child, I joined a boot camp and ended it 1.5 years later last May. Ever since, my body went through some sort of a withdrawal and I was in so much pain for at least a couple of months after that. My legs and calves were in so much pain that doing my daily chores seemed like a torture. It really was a weird feeling and I wasn't sure what was going on with me or my body until I had a doctor visit and we were discussing what had changed in my routine. AND $1000 later after running all kinds of blood work, we came to the conclusion that my body was simply reacting to not being active anymore! I also had some iron deficiency, but that's not new with me as I have had anemia before. Honestly, I could have saved that $1000 and put it into my new workout routine. Oh well, you learn something new everyday...
This whole experience prompted me to do something new and something that I enjoyed doing. So far, I really enjoy my workout routine. This doesn't mean that I may not change it ever because change is something I constantly need ;)
Okay, enough about workout talk... Let's bake!
If you know anything about Persians or their culture, you must know how much they love their fresh brewed tea. Growing up, I remember that my grandmother's tea kettle and tea pot was on the stove from dawn (when she got out of bed) till dusk (or until she went to bed). She had tea in the morning, mid-day, after lunch, mid-afternoon and evening. The art of tea making however is also a whole other story or even a blog... you simply don't drink the tea - that you brewed in the morning - in the afternoon! It was "against the law" at my grandmother's house and she could tell from the taste of the tea whether it was made earlier or not! I never got into tea drinking as much as I was exposed to it, but I definitely liked the ritual and how it was served in mid-afternoons - SWEETS. Whether these sweets were dried fruits, small home-baked cookies or cakes, I just loved having a cup of tea for those reasons!
The following recipe is what you usually find at the Persian bakeries in Iran. It's a great mid-afternoon snack with your tea as well as a great companion for your morning coffee. On cold winter days, I enjoy a cup of herbal tea (tea bag version!) in mid-afternoon with something sweet like this. I love the simplicity of this cake and I hope that you will too.
Walnut and Raisin Loaf
Ingredients:
6 eggs - whites and yolks separated
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 /4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour and the baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Mix the walnuts, raisins and 1 teaspoon of flour in a bowl and set aside. Your cold ingredients should be at room temperature. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until it turns white and forms a peak, then set aside. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer beat the egg yolks; add sugar and beat again. Add the butter and the vanilla extract and beat well until the batter is well mixed. Using a spatula, add the egg whites to the yolk mixture and fold into the batter. Then add the flour and baking powder in 3 batches and fold into the mixture using your spatula. DO NOT beat the batter. Add the walnuts and raisins to the mixture and mix gently.
Using a loaf pan, make sure you either butter the pan or use a cooking spray to grease it before you pour the batter in. Then pour the batter in and put in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your oven). Do a toothpick test and see whether on not the cake is ready. Let the cake cool and then pull it out of the pan. Serve while still warm or at room temperature. You can save the rest of the cake wrapped in foil at room temperature. If you decide to put it in the fridge, you can then heat it up in a toaster oven.
Butter Loaf with Walnuts & Raisins
Enjoy your afternoon tea :)
