Strawberry Mascarpone Bread

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 (according to Genevieve) is the Vietnamese cinammon, which I must confess smells and tastes far more heavenly than expected. I popped into Penzeys yesterday to pick up a small jar and it was worth every cent and plan to use it frequently in Asian dishes.  

I am not a baking type as the process too strict and exacting. Cooking is a better match for my personality as one doesn't have to follow a recipe to the tee. An appealing freedom to experiment. That aside, I was hell-bent on making this lovely bread. The dough is extremely dense and the aroma (as it cooks in the oven now) is heady! My sweet tooth anxiously awaits being sunk into a piece. Fingers crossed that it tastes as good as it smells. 

And yes I am making a mini-loaf, as promised, for Louie. 

It turned out beautiful, but I should have used a few less strawberries. The center was a little goopy and ended up requiring some overcooking. The edges are a teeny bit dry, but overall, it was a decent first attempt. I will certainly make this again for our Derby brunch since it actually tastes pretty darn good.