Summer may or may not make an appearance anytime soon. I am however willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

In the meantime, my pecan and pineapple loaf will lift the spirits of anyone who wants to indulge in a slice or two. Each mouthful is like taking a step into the Caribbean sunshine.

So while the sunshine might not be making an appearance currently, this recipe will definitely brighten up your kitchen.

200g self-raising flour

150g caster sugar

425g tin of pineapple rings

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of vanilla paste

2 eggs

60g lightly toasted pecan nuts, roughly chopped

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add in the sugar plus the baking powder and mix everything together.

3. Now add in two eggs and gently mix everything together along with the juice from the tinned pineapples and 1 tsp of vanilla paste.

4. Chop the pineapples rings into small pieces and add this into your mixture along with the chopped pecan nuts, which have been lightly toasted to bring out their rich flavour. Again fold everything together gently until you have a nice smooth mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin, which has been greased and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes.

For more inspiration visit www.gingerbreadwomanblog.wordpress.com