the cure for a rainy day: apricot walnut loaf

sundays are for baking, they really, truly are. rainy sundays are especially suited to tying on an apron and heating up the oven. there is nothing more uplifting than the smell of something yummy and wonderful baking on a damp, cold day. i love being inside and cooking and eating when it's gross outside. i love it. in fact, i have a great fantasy where i'm in Ireland in some really green, cliffy area and it's cold and misty outside and i'm inside in a big, rustic, stone kitchen wearing a big sweater, sitting at a table in front of a fire and eating a thick bowl of stew with a crusty piece of bread on the side. it's a pretty vivid fantasy that i am 110% sure i will live out one day.

this past sunday started out wonderfully. i had a great run by the lake and then went on a nice long drive with my parents. but then the clouds came, followed by the rain and some really lousy weather. it was obvious that i would need to bake something to balance out the drearyness, so i thought, what better way to weather the storm than with an orange, apricot and walnut loaf.

Apricot Walnut Loaf (recipe courtesy of Close-Up on Cakes)

1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1 cup water
2 cups nutri-blend flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped
1/3 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted

preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. butter a 4 1/2 by 9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment or waxed (greaseproof) paper.

place the dried apricots and water in a saucepan. bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the apricots are tender. drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. cool the apricots and roughly chop. sift the flour and baking soda together into a bowl. add the sugar, orange zest, walnuts, and apricots.

in a separate bowl, beat together the orange juice, egg, melted butter, and reserved apricot liquid. add to the dry ingredients and mix well. spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.