Ingredients
- 50g flaked almonds
- 250g butter, softened, plus extra
- 1 cup castor sugar, plus 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup fine polenta
- ½ cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup plain flour
- 300g frozen raspberries, thawed
- 600g strawberries, halved
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Place almonds in a plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin. Line base of a large loaf pan (23cm x 13cm) with baking paper, grease with extra butter and dust pan with almonds, tilting to coat all sides.
Beat butter, one cup sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Fold in combined sifted polenta and flours in two batches. Spread mixture into pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Stand in pan for five minutes then turn onto a cake rack to cool. Place raspberries and remaining sugar in a food processor with three tablespoons water, blend until smooth then strain.
Place strawberries in a bowl, pour over raspberry puree and toss gently.
Cut into two-centimetre-thick slices and brush each side with butter.
Place on a hot grill for one minute then serve with strawberries dusted with icing sugar.
Using strawberries
Dip thick slices of brioche into a mixture of milk, egg and sugar then pan fry in butter until golden. Serve topped with strawberries.
Place a dollop of vanilla yoghurt on plates and top with strawberries dusted with ground cinnamon and icing sugar.
Sprinkle strawberries with sugar, set aside for one hour then sprinkle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve with chopped mint.
