Strawberry Oat Loaf

Drizzle with maple syrup for the perfect breakfast or enjoy as a healthy snack – serves 8

Ingredients

  • 100g unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 x 250g punnet Victorian Strawberries, washed and hulled
    (fresh or frozen and thawed)
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp extra butter
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • maple syrup and extra strawberries to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Mash the strawberries, leaving a few to serve.
  2. Cream the butter & sugar and add strawberries and oats.
  3. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then gently fold through strawberry mixture.
  4. Pour into a greased (21cm x 6.5cm x 9cm) loaf pan then place in the preheated oven.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes away clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then slice and serve.
  6. For a great breakfast option, toast thick slices of the strawberry loaf. Pan-fry walnuts lightly in butter, then spoon over toast with a drizzle of maple syrup and extra berries.

 

HONEY NUT OAT BISCOTTI

makes 30 cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup liquid honey
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cup plain flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon bicarb soda
¼ teaspoon salt

1. In bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy then beat in honey.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.

2. Mix together  flour, rolled oats, pecans, cinnamon, BP, bicarb & salt.
Stir into butter mixture until moistened.

3. On large greased baking sheet spoon batter into two 10×2-inch logs, smoothing surface with floured fingers. Bake in 180C oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes.

4. Transfer logs to cutting board; cut diagonally into ½-inch thick slices.
Stand slices up, slightly apart, on baking sheet.
Reduce heat to 160C;  bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and almost firm to the touch. Remove to rack and let cool.

[Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.]

Variation: Honey Nut Apricot Biscotti: A softer, less crunchy biscotti.
Reduce pecans to ¾ cup and add ½ cup chopped dried apricots.