Strawberry & Hazelnut Loaf with Ricotta Cream
For as long as I can remember, Sunday brunch, has always been a tradition. As a child, there would be a big English breakfast style fry-up (insisted on by my Dad, much to Mum's horror). In my late teens and early twenties it was a stroll to one of the trendy cafés to have endless coffees and whatever food was necessary to ease the hangover of the night before! We would sit and watch the world go by and solve everyone's problems. Then along came my husband, a little more maturity (and fewer hangovers!), and our Sunday morning brunches were often preceded by a bike-ride followed by a homemade brunch chosen from one of the far too many cookbooks/foodie magazines on the bookshelf. Fast-forward to here and 2 kids later, and the Sunday brunch still lives strong. There is nothing better than lazy mornings, sitting around with the ones you love, eating food that makes you smile and drinking good coffee. One of our favourites is this Strawberry & Hazelnut Loaf with Ricotta Cream (inspired of course by one of the far too many cookbooks on my book shelf!) I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Strawberry & Hazelnut Loaf with Ricotta Cream
makes 1 loaf | prep + cook time = 1hr 25 mins
Ingredients
Loaf
120g unsalted butter
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 free-range eggs
2/3 cup (190g) thick Greek-style natural yoghurt
1 cup (145g) plain flour
2/3 (80g) cup hazelnut meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups (250g) of chopped strawberries plus extra strawberries to serve
150g chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Maple syrup (or honey) to serve
Ricotta Cream
300g fresh ricotta
100ml pure (thin) cream
2 tbs caster sugar
40ml Frangelico liqueur (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Method
Preheat oven to 160C. Line a 1.5L loaf tin with baking paper.
In a mixer beat butter, sugar and zest until thick, pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yoghurt and hazelnut meal and beat to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pinch of salt and fold in gently with a spatula, taking care not to over-mix. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1h10min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20mins and then turn out to cool completely.
Meanwhile for the ricotta cream, gently combine all ingredients and stir until smooth.
To serve, place 2 thick slices of the loaf (warmed in the oven or toaster if desired) on a plate, serve with the ricotta, extra strawberries, toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Mel xoxo
