Summer Peach Loaf with Hazelnut Topping

Summer Peach Loaf with Hazelnut Topping

                My first memory of cooking is making an apple pie with my dad.  We were following a recipe in the New York Time’s Heritage Cookbook (such an amazing cookbook, by the way!) and he was letting me do all the pouring and measuring.  When it came time for the vanilla, he held out the teaspoon measure, and using two hands to hold the bottle very carefully I managed to dump out about a tablespoon of vanilla before either of us could react!  Luckily, we were using a high-quality vanilla, so it just made the pie even more delicious than usual…and now we always add a tablespoon of vanilla to apple pie!

                I left the USA at 17, and while I'm  not looking to move back any time soon, living abroad can be tough, especially for a family-oriented person like me.  In the summertime I miss being with my family the most, which is ironically also the time of year when I'm least likely to have any money for a ticket home.  So, last night I whipped up this peach loaf, and dumped in a tablespoon of vanilla, in honor of days spent swimming at the beach with my family.  And you know what?  It was delicious!

Summer Peach Loaf with Hazelnut Topping

Total Time: Approx 1 ½ hours

Makes about 8 slices of loaf

For the loaf:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon high-quality vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3 peaches, ripe but firm, chopped

For the topping:

1 tablespoon butter, softened

2 tsp flour

1 tsp sugar

¼ to 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Sprinkle over the salt, baking soda, and nutmeg, and stir well.  Mix in the flour.  Finally, fold in the peaches, and pour the batter into a loaf pan, or small cake tin.

To make the topping, simply combine the butter, flour, and sugar with your hands until it becomes oatmeal-like.  Then, add the hazelnuts, and sprinkle over the top of your loaf batter.

Bake in a preaheated oven at 200C/400F for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 160C/320F, and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm with some ice cream, or cold with a cup of iced coffee or tea.