A New Year and Apricot, Pistachio & Honey Tea Cakes

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had the pleasure of enjoying a truly relaxing and rejuvenating Christmas holiday!  With a new year brings new hopes, dreams and aspirations.  I have to admit, I truly do love this time of year, I think it’s the childlike amazement and wonder I feel when eagerly anticipating what the new year will bring along with it.  Always an optimist, at the beginning of a New Year, I set my heart and goals towards all of the wonderful things that I wish to come to fruition and I thoroughly enjoy my ritual of sitting down with a cup of tea, my moleskin notepad and jotting down the desires and dreams I wish to pursue during the year. 

This process, of course, allows me not only to anticipate the year ahead but also to reflect on the year that has passed.  It’s not in my nature necessarily to judge the departing year as good or bad but I most certainly take stock of where my heart is at and ask myself those deep questions that only I know to ask in order to understand how sharply I kept my focus and heart set towards what I wished to achieve during the year and whether or not I managed to avoid being swept downstream in the unconscious drama of surrounding village idiots.

Although 2011 was marked with several ‘hiccups’ both personal and universal I wish to look back at the year that’s passed with utmost gratitude and I choose to focus my heart and attention to the great, amazing, wonderful experiences I had the pleasure of partaking in.  For me, it was a truly romantic year and for that I will be forever grateful.  To those ‘hiccups’ I now send love and peace, for the heartache caused needs no longer follow me into the New Year and I am happy to leave any rifts, drama and upsets in the closing chapter of 2011.  With a fresh year brings a fresh start and I think that is the essence of creating New Year resolutions.  Whether you do or you don’t believe in the ritual I think sub consciously we all feel as if we can turn over a new leaf and start fresh at this time of the year.

For me, this year my resolutions center on family, my blog, my business and my well being.  I am happy and thrilled to be taking positive steps forward in all areas of my life and happily look ahead to the adventures 2012 is sure to bring.  Happy New Year K x

Apricot, Pistachio and Honey Tea Cakes

INGREDIENTS

170 grams butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
180 grams yoghurt
1 1/3 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch salt
3 apricots, sliced

a handful of pistachios, chopped finely
2 tablespoons honey

Whipped cream or yoghurt to serve

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Grease moulds / ramekins / cake tin (depending on what you’re using – you can use any type of tin you like, however remember that the cooking times will alter slightly so please keep your eyes on the tea cakes whilst baking). 

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat, scraping down the bowl as you go.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and while mixing on low speed, add half of the flour mixture and half of the yoghurt.  Beat until combined then add the rest of the flour and finish with the yoghurt.  Beat until all flour and yoghurt is incorporated. 

Fill each mould / remekin or cake tin half way with batter, press sliced apricots into batter and bake for 15 minutes or until the tea cakes are golden and when lightly pressed bounce back.  Sprinkle each tea cake with crushed pistachio and drizzle with a little honey.  Serve with whipped cream or yoghurt.