Apricot Crumble Loaf

You know when you get a batch of apricots that are a little too tart to eat raw? Well those are the ones which are perfect for this recipe!  It’s a really moist loaf and the crumbly topping adds a nice little crunch.  Allow yourself time for this recipe as it takes minutes to make but an hour to bake.

Soft and moist with a crunchy topping

You’ll need

For the topping

• 25g soft unsalted butter
• 25g caster sugar
• 25g plain flour

For the loaf

• A 1lb loaf tin 
• 250g apricots (weight after stones removed so about 10-12)
• 75g unsalted butter
• 200g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soad
• 65g soft brown sugar
• 65g caster sugar
• 160ml milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (plus a little more for drizzling)

To make it

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line your loaf tin 
2. Rub all the topping ingredients together until you have breadcrumbs and then set aside.
3. Chop the apricots into small pieces – approx 2 cm chunks – and set aside
4. Melt the butter and set aside to cool
5. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugars together.
6. Toss the apricots in to this dry mixture and stir them in evenly.  Make sure each piece is covered in flour otherwise it will sink to the bottom when baking.
7. Mix the milk, egg and vanilla essence together.
8. Pour in the cooled butter and lightly whisk til well mixed.
9. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour and apricot mixture and mix very lightly and gently with a fork. Do not beat. Just lift through with a fork til it’s barely mixed.
10. Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin and spoon over the maple syrup.
11. Now spoon over the crumble mixture and then bake for about an hour.  A skewer inserted should come our clean.
12. Leave to cool in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
13. Drizzle over a little more maple syrup before serving

I rather like this warm so it gets eaten almost as soon as it’s cool enough.  It works well with a dollop of maple ice cream if you are feeling decadent.  If you are feeling more virtuous, have it with a little thick yoghurt instead for breakfast.  I’ve entered this into Fuss Free Flavours Breakfast Club which the lovely Farmer’s Girl Kitchen is hosting.

More apricot recipes…

• Apricot and Pecan Muffins
• Apricot and Pumkin Seed Rolls
• Banana Apricot Nut Bread (cantstayoutofthekitchen.com)
• Rosemary and date syrup bread – a clean slate (mycustardpie.com)
• Apricot Crostata (mylovelybites.wordpress.com)