Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I woke up way to early this morning after a night of poor slept. In my haze, I tried to figure out what to do with myself so that I could either jump start my system or put me back to sleep. As I stared at my fridge looking for an early morning snack to get things going, all I really could see in there were veggies. Specifically, zucchini. lots and lots of zucchini. So, to zucchini bread it was. Or, did I want chocolate zucchini cake? I couldn't decide. In the end, I decided to take the cocoa powder and add it to the bread (as well as some cocoa nibs, since I had them but no chocolate chips in my pantry).

Some of the best loaves I've ever made emerged from my oven. The zucchini was bright green specks in caramel colored loaves. The chocolate was a balancing accent to the zucchini; tastable but in no way overpowering. This recipe needed to be written down. I sure hope I can repeat it.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup whole wheat white flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

3 cups grated zucchini

1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup cocoa nibs (optional)

3 eggs

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour 2 bread pans.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Stir in the zucchini until it is well coated and mixed in.

Stir in the optional ingredients and mix well.

Mix together the wet ingredients and add to dry, mixing just enough to moisten everything.

Scoop into the bread pans.

Bake 50-60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Pain de Campagne

This recipe is very slightly modified from The Bread Baker's Apprentice (the best bread book every if you are learning yeast breads, like I still am). It provides a richer flavor the longer you give the yeast to activate and gas. Because of the whole wheat flour, it doesn't rise and create bubbles the way a traditional country bread would, rather it has a more spongy texture (though I've occasionally gotten it just right to get large holes in the final bread)

Ingredients:

Pate Fermentee
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat white flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp yeast (from a package of dry active)
1 cup water, room temperature

Bread
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour
3/4 tsp salt
remaining package yeast
1 cup (plus some if needed) warm water (as hot as your sink will make it without steaming).
extra flour for dusting.

Spray bottle of water

Directions:

In a medium bowl, to make the pate fermentee, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add 3/4 cup water and stir until it comes together to make a ball. Add more water by the spoonful if needed. Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 6 minutes. Make sure it is lightly tacky and pliable, but not sticky; your hands should remain clean.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl. turn to coat the ball with oil. Cover with plastic (or a damp towel) and let ferment at room temperature (about 70F) until 1 1/2 the starting size, about one hour. Punch down gently, cover again, let rise a second time, about one hour.

For the bread, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Cut the pate fermentee into small peices and add. Add water and stir until everything comes together into a ball. The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. Add more water if needed.

Turn onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep it tacky but not sticky. After 10 minutes of kneading, you should be able to stretch the dough so thin that you can see light through it before it breaks.

Oil a large bowl, place dough ball into bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic or damp towel. Let rise 2 hours until it is double in size.

Gently remove dough and place on a lightly floured counter. Using a pastry scraper or a sharp knife (so as not to degas the dough) cut into 6 pieces. Shape dough delicately into loaves by stretching the tops towards the bottom. Spray with oil. Coat with flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until at least 1 1/2 original size.

Place a heavy metal pan on the bottom of your oven (or the lowest possible rack). Preheat oven to 500F. Have 1 cup boiling water at hand and ready to pour.

Transfer dough to generously dusted baking sheet or bread stone (the stone would be in the oven already, the baking sheet won't be). Immediately pour the boiling water into pan at bottom of oven. Close oven. 30 seconds later open up of the oven and spray the loaves with water. Close oven. Repeat spraying 3 more times. Lower oven temperature to 450F. Bake for about 15 minutes (turning half way if needed for even baking). The loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom when done.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Blue Corn Bread

Can't beat the combination of cornbread and black beans. well, you can if you throw in sweet potatoes and mangos. but still. it's always a safe and yummy and hearty way to go. and I don't know why, but I love blue cornbread. not sure if it really tastes different or if it's just that I like the color. This recipe is my modification from the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup blue corn meal
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup milk, 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.
In large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Break eggs separate bowl and whisk until frothy. Mix remaining wet ingredients in with eggs (except the oil). Add wet to dry and stir until everything is just moist.
In an iron skillet over medium high, heat the oil until it begins to smoke.
Add the batter all at once.
Place skillet in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Best if served warm.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

My dad loves peanut butter and chocolate. together. in any form. So, I made these cookies for him. This recipe is reminiscent of some cookies he and my mom used to make growing up (the kind with Hershey kisses pressed into the top). Here I just used dark chocolate drops I found in the bulk section of my grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup peanut butter, all natural (this is important for flavor and texture). I used chunky.
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 dark chocolate drop per cookie (40-60)
sugar for rolling

Directions:

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In separate bowl mix together melted butter, peanut butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.
Add dry to wet and mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place bowl in freezer for 1 hour to chill. After an hour, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove cookie batter from freezer. A spoonful at a time, roll the batter into balls, roll the ball in sugar and place on the paper covered tray. Do this until the tray is full. make sure cookies are about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, press each cook to turn ball into a disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven. Immediately press chocolate drops into center of each cookie. Let cool on tray for one more minute. Then let cool on rack.

Lemon Blueberry Whole Grain Scones

I made these scones this morning out of a craving for scones and a desire to give a couple as gifts. I like doing scones in the morning because they take 10 minutes to prepare and can bake in the oven while I shower and get dressed. And then I’m greeted with wonderful smells and warm baked-goodness.

It’s always risky business to bake so early in the morning, especially when I decide to mix three recipes and didn’t pay attention to the fact that the one who’s fat/oil content I was following had only 2 T of butter because it called for 4 T cream cheese. I had been so excited for the 2T of butter, since I had only 3 sitting in my fridge. So I had to improvise. Hence the ice cream. Which was my favorite brand – worth every penny: stonyfield farm vanilla bean ice cream. They turned out so well that I think I will have to use ice cream every time! The perfect texture for me: not too cakey yet perfectly moist. The perfect flavor – not to sweet or sour. Just right. I hope, if you follow this recipe, they come out the same for you!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (the thicker the better)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup rounded scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. This can be cream cheese or double cream or more butter.

3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat)

juice and zest of one meyer lemon. Make sure it is a juicy one and you get all the good bits. Make it two if it seems dry.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the dried blueberries and keep mixing.
Mix the wet together in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry and stir until just moist.

Turn over onto counter and shape into two disks, about 1 inch thick. Cut each disk into 6 triangles.

Place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes.
And voila!