A Friend, A Cup of Tea and A Cinnamon Loaf

It's springtime. A time of joy and renewal. A time of love, devotion, dahlias, infactuation and ferns unfurling amidst the forest floors. As life in the garden unfolds, the season is celebrated with all the joy and hope that the fresh and warming air brings along with the gentle kiss of a breeze upon the face.

The first flush of warmer weather is greeted with the emergence of bunnies and lambs fresh and ready to go visiting amidst the emerging greenery and blossom of our cottage garden.



Harebelle Whimsey has been busy baking all morning. Although the day started out in rain, the sun is peering out from between the rapidly dispersing clouds now and all seems fresh and new. Just in time for she and baby are off to visit a close friend, far past the sage and salvia in their garden bower, and across the fields. She wraps her friendly offering in some paper and ties it up with a raffia ribbon just so . . .



She is glad that she paid attention to the barometer which told her that the sun would shine, despite the drizzle and gloom of the morning, and that she took the time to iron her pretty dress and fluff up her bows and ribbons.

Whiskers twitching, Harebelle gathers her baby close to her heart and holding her little cutwork Easter purse she ambles off into the garden, her little hare heart beating with the rhythm of a fresh spring blossom and her soft feet thumping along the beaten path.



Before too long they arrive at the nearby field of greening grass, beneath a rolling hill and where daffodils now bloom. Here their friend Dixie Rose awaits, her best apron all daintly trimmed and ironed. Before too long this field too will be full of the windswept blossoms of wildflowers growing profusely and merrily amidst the hay, but for now all that is present is the warming promise of things to come and the whisper of a breeze that tickles the nose and lifts the spirits.



Dixie's little bell tinkles in a cheery welcome to her friend as she frolics happily in greeting.

"Oh look, you have brought me a treat you sweet thing." she cries out, as she hugs her dear friend close . . . "a treat to tempt us on this happy spring day."

Noses twitching in friendly ambiance they both sniff the paper . . . what is that wonderful smell . . . why, it's smells like cinnamon and lemon and vanilla and . . . comfort. Off they trot to put the kettle on and unwrap this sweet feast . . . for good things are meant to be shared and are enjoyed all the more in the giving . . . and in the taking . . .



*Cinnamon Loaf*
Makes 1

This is a wonderfully moist tea bread, rich and made all the more flavourful by the ribbons of cinnamon and brown sugar which riddle it's innards. Just perfect for sharing on a spring afternoon with a nice cup of tea and a friend.

1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup fine white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup soft light brown sugar
2 heaping TBS of ground cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a 9 inch loaf pan and line it with baking parchment. Grease again. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, salt and vanilla and lemon extracts.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add alternately to the creamed mixture along with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry.

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well mixed.

Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture. Repeat the layers twice more, ending with cinnamon on top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour or until it tests done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan to finish cooling on a rack.