Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 cups self-rising or wholegrain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 1/2 ounces dried cherries
• 1 1/2 ounces dried apples, diced
• 1/3 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons honey, plus more for garnish
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 5 tablespoons coarsely chopped almonds
• Fresh ricotta
• Honey, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Special equipment: 1 (9 by 5 by 2 3/4-inch) loaf pan
2. Put the oats in a bowl, pour over the milk, and leave them to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Lightly grease and line the loaf pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
5. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Then, stir in the rolled oats, dried cherries, dried apples, sugar, cinnamon, honey, egg and 3 tablespoons almonds, mixing everything together well. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan, leveling the top, and sprinkling over the remaining almonds. Bake the loaf until the crust is golden brown and the interior is cooked, about 45 minutes.
6. Let it rest shortly in the pan before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut off slices, toast and serve with some fresh ricotta and drizzles of honey.