double chocolate walnut bread

This double chocolate walnut bread from Shiloh Farms is so delicious. It has a fully cooked, yet soft, crumb with a slightly crackly crust. This combo of textures along with the light dusting of nuts and chocolate chips on the top, the full experience of biting into this loaf is so yummy!

 

Double Chocolate Walnut Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large), spatula, whisk, 9x5 loaf pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup date sugar (or natural sweetener of choice)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder

3/4 cup almond flour

1 cup brown rice flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients (through vanilla) and mix well.

3) To this mixture, add sugars and whisk until incorporated.

4) In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

5) Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

6) Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Top with additional nuts or chocolate chips, if desired.

7) Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out moist, but clean. (In my experience, the loaf needs to bake for much longer, even up to 20 min longer. However, check every 5 min with a toothpick for any baking after 60 min and remove from oven when yours is done).

8) Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from pan, allowing to cool completely before slicing. (This is another place that in my experience needs much longer - letting it rest even for a few hours before removing from pan or cutting).

Don't forget to save this recipe on pinterest!

nutty maple cinnamon granola

Even when other granola recipes cross my path, they rarely entice me to stray from my go-to granola. This is because it has the ideal balance of crunch (provided by the larger chopped walnuts compared to the softer and smaller crunch from chia seeds and hemp hearts), sweetness (just a hint of maple syrup), and a dash of spice (cinnamon). Mixing it up in five minutes before my shower, by the time I am out it is right on time to give the granola its first mix, and by the time my coffee is done, the granola is finished baking and ready to top my yogurt. 

Nutty Maple Cinnamon Granola

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: large mixing bowl, large spatula/spoon, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet (either half sheet or full sheet will work just fine)

Ingredients:

Dry - 

4 cups preferred oats (Old fashioned, also called rolled oats, provide a slightly crunchier texture and will possibly clump better. However, I use quick oats because I like the softer texture in the final granola and no clumps).

1 cup chopped walnuts (subbing pecans is also wonderful)

1 cup pumpkin seeds (with or without salt, either works)

1/2 cup hemp hearts

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup of something else (I switch this up depending on what I have on hand - sunflower seeds, wheat germ, coconut flakes)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (Don't throw out the cinnamon you have in your cupboard, however, when you replenish your cinnamon you want to be using ceylon cinnamon as it has the lowest coumarin content versus cassia and saigon. This article provides a quick summary of how you can quickly exceed the daily limit of cassia/saigon Cinnamon, potentially causing damage to your liver.)

Wet -

1/3 cup oil (If I feel like taking the time, I melt coconut oil. But, typically I just use grapeseed oil that is already in a "state" I can dump into the granola mix. If you do use coconut oil, mix your ingredients and get it in the oven quickly so it doesn't start hardening again.)

1/2 cup maple syrup (You can sub honey, however, anytime you heat honey over approximately 95 degrees, it significantly degrades beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and antibacterial compounds, reducing its nutritional and potential health benefits. So, I tend to use honey for room temp, or at least not boiling uses, and stick to maple syrup for everything else.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. 

2) Add wet ingredients to the bowl, no need to mix these in a separate bowl first.

3) Dump onto your baking sheet and loosely smooth the granola to cover the entire pan.

4) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning with the same spatula or spoon you used for mixing, about halfway through. You want the granola medium brown and just slightly crispy. 

Notes:

Save some trees and don't use parchment paper. I have never had this stick to the pan even a little. 

If you want to add fruit, add it to the pan right when you take the granola out of the oven so it gently toasts it without burning. Or, just add it right before you eat the granola in cereal or on top of yogurt. This way it is not adding moisture into the granola during storage.

 

Don't forget to pin this post if you remember so you remember to try this granola recipe. It will surely be your "go-to" granola recipe as well!

spiced currant nut muffins

Whipped up these spiced currant nut muffins as a thank you to my neighbors for helping me get my car battery charged after it died. They said these were delicious and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I agree! They are great any time of year. However, with hints of pumpkin and cinnamon, they are particularly perfect for Fall. But, I doubt I'll be able to wait until then to make them again!

Spiced Currant Nut Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: two mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, large ice cream scoop, standard muffin tin

Ingredients:

Dry - 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon 

Wet - 

2 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup applesauce

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-Ins (both optional) - 

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currants (or other dried fruit you have on hand)

Instructions:

1) Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and wet ingredients in a separate slightly larger bowl.

2) Add dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix well.

3) Add in walnuts and dried fruit.

4) Use large ice cream scoop to drop batter into 12 regular muffin tins lined with baking papers. 

5) Top with a sprinkle of rolled oats.

6) Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin and ensuring it comes out clean. They may need another two minutes or so more, depending on your oven.

Note: These muffins rise enough for my preference. However, if you want them loftier, you can try adding the whole wheat flour into the wet ingredients to sit for 10 minutes or so absorbing some of the liquid while you work on getting the rest of the recipe prepped.

Don't forget to pin this post if you want to remember the recipe for the next time you need a quick muffin recipe to offer as a gift of gratitude when someone helps you like my neighbors did for me.

pursuit of the perfect artisan bread loaf

This past year, I've been working on my artisan bread making. Not from a sourdough starter. Just a simple bread flour, yeast, water, salt mix. Here are the two most important things I've learned:

1) You do not need to buy a single item. Not one. Nadda.

Here are some of the many things your friends, family, YouTubers, bloggers, or companies will say you will need...

Banneton basket - This is a single use item in your kitchen that takes up a lot of space. Instead use a mixing bowl you already have, drape a flour sack towel inside that has been dusted with a little flour. Or, use a round basket you already have laying around, lining it in the same way. (See a photo below of a basket that I picked up for $1.50 at a thrift store years ago that gets used on a daily basis to hold my onions. And, on bread making day, it gets used to rise dough).

 

Lamé - Again, this is a single use item in your kitchen. It doesn't take up a lot of space and sometimes you can pick one up cheaply for $10 (most are $25-40). However, why add something to your kitchen you don't actually need? Instead, score the top of your dough with kitchen shears, a loose razor blade you have in your hardware drawer already (not used and clean), or even a really sharp knife.

Dutch oven - If you already own a 5 or 6 quart dutch oven that you use for other things, great! You're all set. But, do not purchase a dutch oven just because you think you need one to bake artisan bread. I bought a clay baker, which is similar to a dutch oven in that its domed lid contains the high humidity and heat to create the perfect environment for rising and browning (see photo below). However, I regret buying a clay baker. It is heavy and takes up a lot of storage space in my kitchen when not in use. If I was to do it again, I would use a soup pot instead (ensuring I removed the plastic handles). There are also other methods that you can easily learn to create that humidity such as putting a pan of water in the bottom of your oven while baking. 

 

So, the point is...just get started. Don't get hung up on feeling that you need these things before you get started. Or, that your bread is not going to turn out as good without them. If you're ever in doubt about whether you need to buy something new, remind yourself of the bare bones kitchens of long ago - before electricity, while settlers were carrying their belongings in a wagon across the prairie or living in a rustic cabin, or even the French woman of today who prefer minimal gadgets!

2) You can create a wonderful bread without kneading, and with just one rise.

The result is going to be more like a really good sandwich bread versus being airy. You don't need to aspire to a holey sourdough crumb in order to enjoy really good bread. Keep it easy for yourself. You can make this bread frequently throughout the week, without having to adjust your schedule or stress yourself out feeding a starter and kneading and rising the dough multiple times. It only takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish so having the ingrained knowledge to make a simple bread allows you to throw it together when company is coming over as well. 

Simple Artisan Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Equipment: medium/large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, flour sack towel (or any lightweight towel you have on hand), preferred vessel for rise (banneton, bowl, or basket), preferred cutting instrument for scoring (lame, knife, or straight edge blade, for example), preferred baking vessel (dutch oven, clay baker, soup pot, or baking sheet/soup pot combo)

Ingredients:

2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup of very warm water 

3 cups bread flour (can sub out 1/2 cup golden wheat if you would like)

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups very warm water

Instructions:

1) Put 1/4 cup of very warm water (almost where it's getting too hot to touch) in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit for ten minutes or so to allow the yeast to bloom in the water while you get your other ingredients ready.

2) Add the remaining ingredients to the yeast water.

3) Mix with a wooden spoon. It will be shaggy and wet. If it does not appear wet, add a little more water, a few tablespoons at a time. (It will typically look drier when you use partial wheat flour as that sucks water up much quicker than bread or white flour). It's important to ensure it is wet enough at this stage because the rise is really dependent on the ability for the dough to flex and grow.

4) Use your hands to shape the dough into a loose ball. Place the dough ball into your rising vessel that you have lined with a lightly floured flour sack towel. Gently tuck the top of the towel loosely over the top of the dough, which will help it from drying out while it rises.

5) Place the rising vessel in a warm spot. My house is typically only sixty degrees fahrenheit, so I put it by a sunny window just out of the direct sunlight. If it is an overcast, or particularly chilly day, I have also put it in the oven with just the oven light on.

6) After it has doubled in size (takes 1/2 hour to 1 hour), you are ready to bake! Oil the bottom of your baking vessel or line it with parchment paper. Form the dough into a ball again (no need to knead) and place it on the oil or parchment paper lined bottom of your baking vessel. Put the lid on your vessel (or cover it with a towel) and let rise for another 30 minutes or so. Set your oven to preheat to 450 degrees, making sure you have moved the oven rack down to the second from the bottom ledge to give your baking vessel enough room.

7) After 30 minutes have passed, dust the top of the dough ball with a generous amount of flour, and score the top of the dough with your preferred scoring tool. (If you're having a hard time getting the tool to cut through the dough, you most likely need to add more flour to the top of the dough ball).

8) Put the lid back on your baking vessel and place in your preheated oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes.

9) After the 35 minutes have passed, take the lid off of the baking vessel, leaving the bottom of the vessel and dough still in the oven, and let it bake for another 6 minutes or so, keeping an eye on the darkness of the top crust to determine when it is ready to come out. 

10) Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting. 

This seems like a lot of steps. But, actual hands on time is only about 10 minutes. Before you know it, you'll be baking bread without even thinking about the steps.

Note: if you aren't ready to bake your bread after the first rise, you can put it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to have it in a large enough bowl as it will rise more while it's in the fridge and you don't want it to spill out of whatever bowl you have it in. Also, make sure you have a tight fitting lid on your bowl, not just a towel, so the dough doesn't dry out. When you're ready to bake it, let it sit out for 15 minutes or so to warm up a bit. Then, shape it into a ball and proceed to step 6.

Let me know if you have any questions! Or, if you have your own bread baking tips you'd like to share!

almond bark clusters

These almond bark clusters are my go-to when I need to bring something to a holiday get together! They are so simple to make! And, give me fond memories since my aunt used to have them every year at her house while opening presents on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients:

8 squares of vanilla almond bark
4 cups Captain Crunch cereal
2 cups miniature marshmallows (either white or colored)
1 cup unsalted peanuts (optional)

Instructions:

1) Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and set aside.

2) Place cereal, marshmallows, and peanuts (if including) in a large mixing and stir to combine.

3) Place almond bark into a microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave almond bark for 1 minute. Stir, and continue microwaving at 30 second increments until just melted.

4) Pour almond bark immediately over cereal/marshmallow/peanut mix. Stir together until well coated.

5) Using a cookie scoop, plop mixture onto the prepared wax lined cookie sheets in round balls.

6) Keep on cookie sheets on counters until firm. Once firm, store in an air-tight container.

Be sure to pin this post to remember it for the future!

HEALTHY ZUCCHINI BREAD

We always had a garden growing up - with sweet peas, zucchini, carrots, rhubarb...  I would pick fresh vegetables straight from the earth, wash them off under the spigot, and pop them in my mouth.  The zucchini was baked into bread, it seems almost daily.  I loved to bake bread!!  I don't remember who's recipe I used when I was little, but when my neighbor gifted me the hugest zucchini I've ever seen from her friends garden a few weeks ago, I went to my moms blog to search for a zucchini bread recipe.  

AND, IT'S A KEEPER!

I feel like it is so hard to find one that is a bit more healthy that is still sweet and moist.  And, this is it!  Zucchini is in season from June through August in most parts of the country so we're ending peak season.

BUT, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET A FEW LOAVES IN!!

Zucchini Bread

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 c applesauce

1 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 c grated zucchini

2 1/2 c flour (I used 1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour + 1 c whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 c oatmeal

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325.

2) Grease and flour 2 small loaf pans (4 1/2 x 8 1/2).

3) Beat eggs. Add oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini. Mix together. Add dry ingredients.

4) Pour into loaf pans.

5) Bake for 1 hour (or until a flat toothpick inserted comes out clean). Note: I like to underbake my bread slightly so it is more moist.

RHUBARB COCONUT CRUMBLE BARS

Rhubarb is a perennial that can keep coming up each Spring for up to 20 years.  But, these are stalks from the same plant I gathered from when I was little... 

STILL ABUNDANTLY PROVIDING OVER 30 YEARS LATER!

My mom so carefully wrapped them with water to keep them fresh on the drive home.

If you've never had rhubarb, it is slightly sweet and tart at the same time, perfect for pies, bars, and jams.  

SO YOU WOULD THINK IT'S A FRUIT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A VEGETABLE!

You can also pair it with more savory foods, but I baked it up into a typical crumble and it turned out oh so good!  

 

Total time: 1 hour (15 minutes prep / 45 minutes baking)
Serves: 24

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups fresh rhubarb, diced (approx. 6 stalks)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and the confectioners sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Pat into a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
2) In a large bowl, combine sugar and remaining flour.  Add eggs.  Stir in the rhubarb, walnuts, and coconut.  Pour over Crust.  Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.

The above recipe was adapted from Taste of Home's rhubarb dream bars.  I cut the sugar down by a 1/2 cup and they were still plenty sweet so next time I would trim it down even more!  It also called for sweetened shredded coconut, but definitely go for unsweetened.  There is absolutely no reason for all that extra sugar and junk ingredients.  Bob's Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut is literally just "natural unsulfured coconut," nothing else.  Whereas other brands that make sweetened coconut have a ton more sugar to start with, typically are sulphured, and have preservatives and chemicals to maintain freshness.  Wondering what the difference is between sulfured and unsulfured?  Sulfur dioxide is added as a preservative and to stop fruit from turning brown.  Most information you'll find will say sulfur is fine to consume, but since the World Heath Organization has set the daily acceptable intake for a 2 year old to half a dried apricot, I am staying away!  And, even if you don't believe that sulfur dioxide causes any health issues, isn't it always best to opt for food as close to its natural state as possible?  Especially when there is a natural option so readily available.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU DECIDE TO GROW YOUR OWN RHUBARB, OR MAKE A SWEET TREAT WITH THIS FUN VEGETABLE!