Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Its been a long time since I posted. Since my last post (which was apparently on December 6th) I managed to fly home for Christmas, fly back to California for a week, pack up my life, and drive it half way across the country to Minnesota.

I had a moving company move all my stuff for me. After I'd been in Minnesota for about two and a half weeks, my stuff arrived. As you can imagine, sleeping on an air mattress and sitting on my living room floor to watch TV had gotten old, fast. So, I was VERY excited for my couch to arrive. When the moving man saw the layout of the apartment, he said there was no way they were getting my couch in. I was devastated (and of course didn't believe him - he'd only been moving furniture for 20 years. How could he know?).

So, I had him put the couch in my garage while I figured out a plan. Luckily enough, Kimba was coming to visit two weeks later. Aside from all the cooking and eating we were planning on doing (posts on that to come...soon?), I told Kim to prepare for a couch moving adventure as well. The couch was heavy and bulky and we we looked like ridiculous fools trying to get it in the house, up my narrow stairwell and into the living room. Basically after a half hour of trying different couch manipulations, we gave up (but we DID at least get it into the kitchen!). I sadly posted the couch on craigslist and started my search for a futon - which I found later that week. Despite thinking (knowing?) that I have super woman strength, I was still going to need help getting this futon in my house. So, I solicited the help of two of the guys I worked with. This banana bread was my thank you to them for the help. Unfortunately, the only picture I took of the bread was with my cell phone...

Adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 C amaranth flour
• 1 tsp baking soda (I like my boy Bob)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 unrefined coconut oil (good oil should smell like coconut)
• 1/2 C cane sugar
• scant 1/4 C maple syrup
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 1/3 C mashed, really really ripe bananas (I think I used ~6 bananas)
• 3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Recipe

1. Grease a loaf pan (butter + flour, or my girl Pam). Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl.
3. In a medium sized bowl, cream together the wet stuff (butter, coconut oil, sugar, syrup). Add in the eggs and bananas.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and nuts. Combine until just mixed. Pour into the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick/knife stuck in the middle comes out clean.

If you're not crazy about using the flours, oils, etc. you can just use 2 C flour, 1/2 C butter, and 3/4 C sugar.

Servings 10-18 servings (depending on slice size, obviously!)

Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Crystallized Ginger

I have been posting so many sweets lately. I think it is because it was the holidays and winter but also because it is so much easier for me to post baking recipes. When I cook I fly by the seat of my pants, rarely measure, substitute like crazy and rarely remember what I do. I actually prefer cooking over baking for precisely those reasons, although it makes it a little challenging to post the recipe. We hosted a beer tasting evening this weekend where people brought all different beers to try. Although my food choices weren't necessarily beer food, they were designed to be bite size party food. I made nutcups which were tasty but nowhere near as good as my moms; pizza with caramelized onions, goat cheese, and artichoke hearts; and mini banana bread muffins follow a recipe from the book I am currently reading by Molly Wizenberg, who has a Seattle based food blog. I didn't make any changes to the recipe except I added some pumpkin pie spice and made mini muffins instead of bread but the bread would be delicious too.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups flour (I think I put 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 eggs
3 large mashed bananas
1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk plain yogurt (the recipe notes - not low fat or nonfat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Grease a loaf pan (9 by 5 inches) or mini muffin pan or muffin pan.
3. Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl - mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and crystallized ginger.
5. In another bowl - mash the bananas and mix in eggs (beat eggs lightly together before mixing with the rest of the wet ingredients), yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla.
   
6. Add wet ingredients to the dry and gently stir until just combined. Careful not to over mix.
7. Pour batter into your baking dish of choice.
8. Mini muffins took about 10-14 minutes (lightly brown around the edges and clean toothpick - unless you stick the toothpick into a chocolate chip)
9. Loaf pan - bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then cool completely out of the pan. Be careful - melted chocolate is hot.
    

Ginger Pear Quick Bread

This was the second recipe I made during my baking Sunday last week. I had gotten 3 bosc pears in my food box - and had all the other ingredients for this recipe at home already. After I made it, I let it sit out on the counter all week - and it started to taste a little funny by Friday. So, either make sure eat it up in the first couple days, or you might want to store it in the fridge. Similar to the zucchini chocolate bread, I think this bread too would taste good with some added nuts.

Adapted from Apartment Dining

Ingredients

• 1 C peeled, grated pear (~2.5-3 pears)
• 1/2 C pear (1/2" cubes) (~3/4-1 pear)
• 1 1/4 tbsp minced ginger (I like this. No high fructose corn syrup, and easier than mincing on your own)
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 C veggie oil (I used 1/8 C of veggie oil, all natural apple sauce each)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Recipe

1. Heat oven to 350 deg F. Grease 1 loaf pan.
2. Combine minced pear, ginger, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and spices (cinnamon, cloves) in large bowl.
3. In separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Add in three parts to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly each time.
4. Add diced pears, carefully folded in.
5. Pour mix into loaf pan. Cook in oven for ~50 mins, checking to ensure the batter in the center of the loaf is done.

Servings 10-12 slices

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I wanted to bake something last weekend - so I made two bread recipes. This is the better of the two (because of all the delicious chocolate). The bread tasted the best right after it came out of the oven. It was warm, moist, and the chocolate chips were still a little melted. This recipe was originally a cupcake recipe. I didn't change any of the ingredients or ratios. So the bread is very crumbly - like a cupcake would be (but still delicious). I also think this would have tasted good with some added nuts (e.g. walnuts). Enjoy!

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C melted butter
• 3/4 C oil*
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 2 C grated zucchini
• 1 C chocolate chips
• 2 C flour
• 1 C cocoa, sifted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

*The recipe called for vegetable oil. 101 cookbooks suggested using unrefined, scented, all natural coconut oil. I bought coconut oil - and found out when I got home that it was refined. So, it had no coconut aroma and I was VERY disappointed (because I love coconut). So, if you're going to the coconut oil route, go for the unrefined. If you're going to vegetable oil route, use half oil, half all-natural apple sauce. It will still be as moist and delicious - and slightly better for you than using all oil.

Recipe

1. Heat oven to 350 deg F. Grease 2 loaf pans (I like to use Pam Baking Spray because its easier than buttering and then flouring a baking surface).
2. In a small to medium bowl, combine the sugar, butter, and oil. Once mixed, add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the zucchini, chocolate chips, and buttermilk. Mix until combined.
3. In a large bowl add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon). Once mixed, slowly add the wet ingredients (from step 2) until well combined.
4. Pour half of the mixture into each loaf pan.
5. Bake one at a time for approximately 35-45 minutes, until just done (or until no batter comes out on a knife inserted in the center).

Servings 2 loaves - probably 10-12 servings each?

Zucchini Carrot Bread

I love zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, etc. For this recipe, I cut down the sugar a little and subbed out some of the zucchini for carrots. I made one loaf with dried cranberries and walnuts and the other one plain. This recipe makes 2 loafs.

recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 350°F
2. in a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. mix in grated zucchini and carrots and then melted butter
4. sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture and blend
5. add the flour, a third at a time
6. add spices
7. fold in nuts and cranberries if using
8. divide batter between 2 buttered loaf pans
9. bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick is clean
10. cool in pans for 10 minutes and then on wire racks

Zucchini and Basil Muffins

I have an excess of zucchini so have been searching for some recipes to make use of it. This is a savory muffin and doesn't have much sugar in it at all. I used soy milk and a 50/50 blend of white flour and whole wheat so they were probably a little denser then the original recipe. I don't think the basil came through much in the final product so I think I would add a little more next time. These are best warm right out of the oven and definitely benefit from reheating (I just popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). I had dreams of making them into savory little sandwiches but they would have been tiny. These are muffins so be careful not to over mix. Just blend the wet and dry until just combined and then add the zucchini and basil.

recipe from Just Hungry

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
• 2 Tbs finely julienned fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or similar hard grating cheese

Blend the eggs, milk and oil in a large bowl. In a second bowl blend the dry ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and stir until just combined. Stir in zucchini and basil.

Fill greased muffins tins about half full. Sprinkle with cheese. (I put the muffins in the oven for 5 minutes before I added the cheese to let the heat level out the batter a little).

Bake in 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Dinner Rolls

Rachel made these for Easter this year. They were light and fluffy. The original recipe calls them 'unbelievable rolls' and they are pretty unbelievable. Pictured here are the pretty ones, it took a little while to figure out the proper technique to get the nice smooth round finish (see below). Luckily they still tasted great no matter how they looked. Take note when making these about the prep time, the need to rise for about 30 minutes three times.

recipe from allrecipes.com
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Heat milk, water, sugar and salt over medium heat
Remove from heat and mix in eggs and yeast*
Put flour into a large bowl and make well in center
Poor in liquid mixture, do not stir, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes, covered
Add melted butter and mix well (hands work fine here or likely a wooden spoon)
Add more flour if sticky (I'm pretty sure it was very sticky)
Cover and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes
Shape the dough into the rolls** and let rise again for ~30minutes
Bake rolls in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until done (rolls will be slightly browned)

* If the liquid is too hot when you add the yeast, it will kill the yeast. Lukewarm to warm is probably the best.
** To create the "nice smooth round finish" roll dough into a ball. Turn the roll "inside out" by pushing up from the bottom, through the middle, while pulling out and down to "tuck under" the top of the roll.