The Riverside Herb Centre just outside Hathersage is a very small garden centre specialising in (yes you may have guessed it) herb plants. It has plenty of other plants too but is a small plot with a small selection. What it also has, is a deli and cafe so I spent as much time inside as I had outside with the plants. The fist thing to catch my eye was a display of bread flours and I had to try a couple. Sadly, they have gone for a Wessex brand rather than anything milled more locally but that didn't stop me buying.
I thought I would try a loaf of each and mixed the dough up to the recipe on the packet using the kenwood. Both doughs rose beautifully, although the Honey and Seed was a little more reluctant. The Six seed made a light and high rise loaf which is delicious (it is the prud loaf at the back of the picture below). The Honey & Seed was a denser affair and wasn't as sweet as I had anticipated. You would certainly be able to use it a salty soft cheese such as a goats or even a milder blue such as dolcelatte. It had odd tiny globules of what must have been some kind of honey so there was a hint of the flavour here and there but if i had tested it blindfold I don't think I would have guessed the honey content. I might try the next loaf with some fresh honey added and maybe some apricot.
As you can see from the picture above, I also had a bash at the Sticky Toffee Tray Bake recipe form Sarah Randall's "Weekend Baking" which was delicious. I am not a fan of jarred ginger, so substituted sultanas where that should have been. If I had had any dates available, they would have gone in instead in true sticky toffee stylee. It was truely lovely. Can't help feeling it would have been nicer hot with custard for some reason. Also pictured are smokey cheesey scones. About which more another time......
