Warming the House this Winter.... - BLOG THREE in SEVEN DAYS

I was recently invited to write a guest blog for a friend who has a craft business Stylise.

I have wordsmithed it now and thought you might be interested in seeing the contents.

Crafty creating extends to all levels in our homes, even to the point where you can creatively clean. Don’t ask me how but some use creativity just to get through the vacuuming and the dusting. I think it involves music and the concept of exercising as you go. Why not, I say?? So long as you are seeing results, that's all that counts.
As a foodie, my creative outlet extends to the kitchen and the creation of a range of tasty morsels for every meal of the day, and a few in between. Goodness, I'm sounding a bit like Nigella Lawson eating my way through the day. However, I can assure you that I have NEVER felt the need for a midnight snack of freshly made bread and butter pudding as I saw her do on an episode not so long ago. I mean, please, really????
Warming the house with a toasty oven combined with the fresh smells of baked cakes, slices, scones, and puddings is my ideal way of spending a Sunday afternoon in winter. And doing it the simplest and tastiest way is what I'd like the share with you now. As I write these words, the lingering smell of caramelised butter and brown sugar hangs in the air and I know that what I've just cooked took such little time yet will give so much pleasure, served with a cup of tea of coffee and some good, easy conversation.
It's a recipe from my Mother's kitchen, and being a home economics teacher by profession, I know that it's tried and true. I've chosen this recipe for a number of reasons - it's easy (one saucepan wonder!), it has SIX ingredients (Suzie, place photo here) and its seasonal, something that I continually promote as my preferred way of eating. Walnuts are an autumn/winter crop therefore supply is fresh and plentiful at the moment. I wrote a blog about berries in the Summer and the abundant supply I found when visiting the High Country of Victoria. In the cooler months, the walnuts become the staple harvest of the farmers in this region and we are lucky to be able to source these here in Melbourne and further afield.

Date & Walnut Slice
125g butter
100g brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup fresh dates, pitted and chopped
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup self raising flour

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a lamington tin (28cm x 18cm).
In a medium sized saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar.
Stir continuously once the butter starts to melt to ensure the two ingredients mix well together and not stick or burn to the bottom of the saucepan.
Remove from heat once well combined and add dates.
Add walnuts and mix well again.
Let it stand for around 2 minutes before adding the egg (adding an egg to a hot mixture will cook the egg!! - nobody wants scrambled slice!!).
Add the flour and mix til all ingredients are well combined.
Spread across the lamington tin - I find that I prefer to not fill the entire tin so end up leaving one of the ends short by around an inch (make sense??). Don't be concerned that the mixture, when cooked will spread to the end of the tin, as it won't.
Cook in the oven for around 20 minutes - check after 15 minutes as the time can vary according to ovens. You should know by the delicious aroma wafting through your house and the lovely golden brown colour of the finished product.
Fresh out of the oven, the slice will be soft to touch but will firm up as it cools.
Once cool, spread with either lemon or orange icing.

I love this recipe and I hope you do too!
Happy cooking...and happy eating!