Crickhollow Apple Loaf

 

1 cup dry cider or cloudy apple juice

1 cup cooking apple, cored and peeled first

1 1/4 cups mixed dried fruits

3/4 cup sugar, heaping

2 1/4 cup SR flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 table. sunflower seeds, hulled, optional

1 table. pumpkin seeds, hulled, optional

Pour cider in a sauce pan, add in the apples and dried fruits then bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the apple is just tender but still firm. Remove from heat and let sit for 4 hours to soak.

Mix flour, sugar and eggs together. Add in the mixed fruits and stir well. Mix in half of the seeds if using.

Grease all sides of a 2lbs loaf pan then line with waxed paper. Pour cake batter into the pan and then top with the rest of the seeds. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the cake tests done. The cake should have risen and be slightly cracked at the top. 

Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from the pan, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. 

To serve, slice the cake and butter the slices. 

Source: World of Tolkien Cookbook