Strawberry Mascarpone Bread

Strawberry Mascarpone Bread

This is a repost of the original from last year in 2010.  

This is my first go at making Strawberry Mascarpone Bread, a recipe I saw on a friend's blog and have been drooling over it ever since. The key ingredient is the Extra Fancy Vietnamese cinammon, which smells and tastes far more heavenly than the regular (not fancy, I suppose). I popped into Penzeys Spices yesterday to pick up a small jar, which is worth every cent as it is the strongest, richest, sweetest cinnamon we can get my hands on.  

I am not a baking type as the process is much too exacting, but as years pass, I am accepting the rules required to make a wonderful baked good. Cooking is a better match for my personality as one doesn't have to follow a recipe to the tee and can play out the recipe to taste. It's an appealing freedom to experiment. That aside, I was hell-bent on making this much welcomed springtime bread. The dough is extremely dense and the aroma (as it cooks in the oven now) is heady! My sweet tooth was chomping at the bit to finally be sunk into a piece. Fingers crossed that it tastes as good as it smells. And yes I am making an additional mini-loaf, as promised, for Louie. 

Both loaves turned out beautiful, and although the edges are a teeny bit overcooked, it was overall, a decent first attempt. I can't wait to try this gain as it seems to be a wonderful transition from wintery breads to one more reminiscent of a springtime tea or brunch.

** April 2014. I am going to make this bread next month when strawberries are in full season and report back **

Strawberry Marscapone Bread
recipe by Genevieve Reiner (Ham Sandwich Indicted)
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Vietnamese Cassia cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
6 oz. marscapone cheese (room temperature cream cheese would work as well)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-4 tbls. heavy cream, buttermilk, or half & half
20 oz. strawberries, or any berry for that matter, thawed with juices
turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw), or other large-crystal sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (or, line with parchment paper) two standard loaf pans. Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla and marscapone cheese. 

3. Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. If at this point the batter seems a little dry, add gradual tablespoons of cream/buttermilk/half&half until it is moistened, but not soaking wet...the batter is going to be pretty thick. Fold in the strawberries and their accumulated juices.

4. Divide batter into the two pans and sprinkle the tops of the loaves liberally with the the turbinado sugar and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (I started testing for doneness around 1:05). When a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, pull them out of the oven, place on wire racks and allow to cool.