The year that just passed feels long gone already, we’re settling back into routine and I feel a little bereft, not for the year past but for the little break we had in between.
I can’t bring myself to feel optimistic about the New Year, which isn’t to say that I won’t get there; but is it weird that I suddenly want to stay home and bake all the time now?

I know it’s not strawberry season; we’re supposed to be in the dead of winter, yet we’ve had a couple of strange warm days, and I see strawberries (imported from Mexico) at the supermarket all the time.
I don’t have my usual stash of frozen berries because I didn’t go berry picking last summer, I caved and bought a pound of strawberries to make strawberry lemon loaf.
This loaf is a little like strawberry lemonade, which reminds me of summer, which cheers me up a bit.

I don’t remember where I got the recipe from, but I’ve been making this quick bread for a while now; it’s light, tart, moist and sweet, the strawberries and lemon compliment each other well.

It’s superb as a snack, or for dessert, dress it up with ice cream and and topped with strawberries.

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Strawberry Lemon Loaf
INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup almond/coconut milk
• 3 tablespoon lemon
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 cup turbinador sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• The zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• ½ cup slivered almonds – to sprinkle on top (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325F, lightly butter a bread laof pan and set aside
2. Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl with sugar
3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth
4. Fold in grated lemon zest and chopped strawberries
5. Pour the batter into a lightly greased bread loaf pan.
6. Sprinkle slivered almonds on top
7. Bake for about 50 – 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
8. Let the loaf cool for about 15 minutes, remove from pan onto a cooling rack
9. Enjoy!

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Tags: cake, recipes, strawberries