Cinnamon Raisin Bread: Guest Post by Sarah Husmann

Today is National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day, one of my favorite breads. There’s no chocolate in this recipe, but FYI, you can always substitute chocolate chips for raisins. Just saying. But for today’s holiday, I asked my favorite amateur baker and friend Sarah Husmann for some bread making tips. Of course it was serendipitous that she just made Cinnamon Raisin Bread the other day and gave me a boule! It was absolutely delicious. So here are some tips from Sarah and a link to the recipe she used. Enjoy! 

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Sarah:  HAPPY NATIONAL CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD DAY!!!

I came across this recipe when I started my sourdough journey during the pandemic (like everyone else. LOL). It was the first, and continues to be, the only recipe that comes out perfect every time. And I mean EVERY single time! It has become my go to recipe when I crave sourdough. I also figured out how to make my levain in less time instead of overnight like the recipe calls for, so this cuts out about 8-12 hrs. Instead of making the levain the night before, I make it the day that I want to make the dough (this includes  the stretch & folds and shaping). To do this, I turn my oven on to the “keep warm” setting so it’s warming up while I make the levain. Then I turn the oven off and put my levain in. I check the warmth of the oven to make sure it’s not getting to cold and if it is, I’ll turn the ”keep warm” setting on again for a couple of minutes and turn off again. My levain is usually done in about 4 hrs. I’m not an early riser so this works perfect for me and even if I don’t get the levain started until noon, I can still get the stretch & folds, bulk fermentation, and shaping done before bed. Pop it in the fridge and the next morning you’re ready to bake! You can also cut the dough in half and make 2 smaller boules, which I like to do so I can give one away.

 

Here's a great TIP if you like the bottom of your loaves softer.

I have always had the bottoms of my loaves come out harder than I like and finally tried the tin foil hack.  I take a piece of tin foil and fold it into a narrow strip. Then make a circle out of the strip. Place your loaf on top of it during the bake. Of course if you have a cast iron or stainless steel trivet or an InstaPot insert, you can use those too. I made two only because I wanted support for the middle of the loaf, but you don’t need it.

CINNAMON RAISIN SOURDOUGH

https://bakedcollective.com/cinnamon-raisin-sourdough/

CREME DE MENTHE BROWNIES: National Creme de Menthe Day!

Today is Creme de Menthe Day. Creme de Menthe is a sweet mint-flavored liqueur, primarily derived from Corsican mint or dried peppermint. You can make your own Creme de Menthe (recipe below) or use a good brand in this recipe for Creme de Menthe Brownies. Since they're three layers, they really look great when they're cut! And, of course, you can never have too many brownie recipes. Here's an easy Creme de Menthe Brownie recipe adapted originally from Hershey. Of course, you can substitute the chocolate of your choice--or the brownie recipe of choice.

HOMEMADE CREME DE MENTHE

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (divided)
1 1/2 cups vodka
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)

Directions
Take 1 cup of mint leaves and tear them in quarters. Put mint leaves in sealable glass jar and pour vodka on top. Shake and steep for 12 hours.
After steeping, strain mint leaves from infused vodka. Return infused vodka to the jar.
Bring water and sugar to boil, and let simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then add syrup to mint-infused vodka.
Take additional 1/2 cup of mint leaves, tear them, and add them to jar. (Optionally at this point you can add the 1-2 drops green food coloring). Shake and let steep for 10 hours.
Strain twice to remove all mint leaves, keep in resealable bottle.

CREME DE MENTHE BROWNIES

BROWNIE LAYER: 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey syrup

CREME DE MENTHE FILLING:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp green creme de menthe

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
6 ounces semisweet dark chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, chopped)
6 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

BROWNIE LAYER: 
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add beaten eggs, one at a time, mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, salt, and flour. Mix until well blended. Add Hershey syrup. Mix well.
Pour into greased 13"x9" baking pan.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
Cool completely.

MINT FILLING:
Use mixer for adequate consistency.
Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding small amount of milk if needed. Add creme de menthe and mix thoroughly until of spreading consistency.
Frost brownie layer with mint filling.
Refrigerate to harden mint filling, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Spread over mint filling covering entire layer.
Cool until glaze hardens.
Score with sharp knife to prevent cracking glaze.
Cut carefully into 1" squares.
If you don't eat them right away, refrigerate or freeze.

BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES: National Black and White Cookie Day!

Black and White Cookies are iconic in New York. They're so Retro! Lots of bakeries make them. These cookies are thick and more cake-like and covered with frosting that hardens. Usually half the cookie has white icing and half has chocolate (vanilla & chocolate).

Check out the history of the Black and White Cookies on Eater NY. 

Following is a recipe for Black and White Cookies.  Another possibility..and an easier way to celebrate? Grab a box of Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Cookies (or other big chocolate cookies) and Frost half or as much as you'd like, using the white icing recipe below.

BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk

Black and White Icing: 
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp plus 2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Dark cocoa powder

Cookies: 
Heat oven to 350.
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
In large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg until well combined. On low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and spreading into large circles, about 4 inches across.
Bake for 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers tests clean (they're like small cakes). Remove cookies to rack to cool.

Black and White Icing: 
In medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar, 3 Tbsp milk, and vanilla until smooth but thick enough to coat cookie.
Set aside 1/2 cup icing in small bowl; stir cocoa powder and remaining 2 tsp milk into bowl until smooth.
Turn over cookies.
Spread white icing over half of each cookie, and chocolate icing over the rest.
Let stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour.

ROALD DAHL DAY: Willy Wonka's Nutty Crunch Surprise

 Today is Roald Dahl Day! Roald Dahl is one of the most beloved storytellers of all time. His many popular children's books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and Matilda. He died in 1990.

And here's an odd chocolate fact about him: He loved chocolate, but not chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream.

So in honor of Roald Dahl's birthday (he passed away in 1990), I'm posting a recipe for Willy Wonka's Nutty Crunch Surprise from Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes, illustrated by Quentin Blake with photographs by Jan Baldwin (Viking, 1994) Recipes compiled by Josie Fison and Felicity Dahl.

According to Felicity Dahl, "Treats were an essential part of Roald's life--never too many, never too few, and always perfectly timed . . .  Revolting Recipes is an interpretation of some of the scrumptious and wonderfully disgusting dishes that appear in Roald's books."

Willy Wonka's Nutty Crunch Surprise

Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day!

 

FUDGIE SCOTCH SQUARES: Retro Ad with Recipe

I love Retro Recipe Ads. You know, the ones that come on the back of the chocolate chip package or in a magazine. Well, here's a really delicious recipe for Fudgie Scotch Squares!

"Half chocolate, half butterscotch. A Unique new chewy taste combination that's really easy to make..."

TV Dinner Day: History & Retro Ads

I shouldn't be surprised, but I was, to find out that there is a TV Dinner Day on the Food Holiday list.  TV Dinners became popular in the 1950s. After a busy day, families would put frozen dinners (they were individually packaged) in the oven, and out would come a full meal of 2 to 4 courses. Traditionally these were eaten on TV trays in front of the TV where the family would sit on the sofa or chairs and watch their favorite TV shows together.

This was not the case in my family. We ate as a family, fresh food prepared by my grandmother, mother, one of my aunts, or the help. Yes, we had help. Dinner time was when the family gathered and discussed school, work, politics, art, music. We were not allowed to watch TV during dinner. Perish the Thought! Oh how I envied the children in the ads and commercials. I was a TV junkie. Still am. I must reveal, though, that I have never eaten a TV Dinner. Never. Frozen TV Dinners wouldn't have been in our freezer, even if someone 'dropped by' as it says in one of the ads below. The food on our table was always expandable to accommodate the numerous people who might and did stop by at dinner time. My grandmother was good at stretching everything. She didn't have to rely on a frozen prepackaged dinner.

The term TV dinner is a trademark originally used for a brand of packaged meal developed in 1953 by C.A. Swanson & Sons (the name in full was TV Brand Frozen Dinner). The original Swanson's TV Dinner came in an aluminum tray and was heated in the oven. It was an individual portion. TV dinners required very little preparation and contained all the elements for a single-serving meal. A TV dinner usually consisted of a cut of meat, usually beef or chicken; a vegetable, such as peas, carrots, corn, or potatoes; and sometimes a dessert.

Because this is a chocolate blog, I want to let you know that occasionally TV Dinners had a brownie  or chocolate pudding for dessert. More likely they didn't.

So in honor of TV Dinner Day, here are several Retro Ads. Always fun to see. Be sure to scroll down and watch the Retro TV Ad!

TEDDY BEAR TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SCONES: National Teddy Bear Day!

Today is National Teddy Bear Day. You may not think that's a food holiday, but when I was little I always had teddy bear tea parties, and I always served them scones. My grandparents were married in London, and I got my love of tea with milk and sugar -- and tea with scones and clotted cream -- from them. So for today's Teddy Bear Day, here's a recipe for Triple Chocolate Scones. Of course you might want to add some honey on your scones. Bears love honey!

Teddy Bear Triple Chocolate Scones 

Ingredients 
1-3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
7-8 Tbsp whole milk (cold)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate
Sugar Crystals

Directions 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together dry ingredients in large bowl (not the chocolate chips or chocolate). Add chocolate chips and dark chocolate.
Cut butter into dry ingredients until size of peas.
Put vanilla into small bowl and add milk.
Pour most of milk mixture into dry mix and stir to moisten. Dough should be moist enough to form a soft ball, but not sticky.
If needed, additional milk can be added 1-2 teaspoons at time.
Turn dough onto lightly floured cutting board and press out with hand to approximately 1/2 inch thickness. (makes 10-12 scones or 8-12 wedges)
Do not over-knead dough. Use as little flour as possible to keep dough from sticking to board.
Cut into desired shapes and place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Lightly brush tops with milk (or not).
Sprinkle with sugar crystals (you can find this at King Arthur Flour or in the baking section of the market). (If using a biscuit cutter or glass, dip the cutting edge in flour first)
Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on size. Start checking at 9 minutes. Do not overbake!
Sprinkle again with large sugar crystals while scones are still hot for visual appeal.

Tip: Scones are like biscuits. To get a tender, flaky scone, dough should be handled as little as possible, and you should always use cold butter and cold milk.

KAHLUA DATE NUT CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD: National Date Nut Bread Day!

Today is National Date Nut Bread Day. I love nut breads of all kinds, and I think you'll enjoy this spin on a traditional Date Nut Bread. For today's holiday, here's a recipe for Kahlua Date Nut Chocolate Chip Bread. How can you go wrong with Kahlua and Chocolate and Dates and Nuts? And, this is so easy and quick! It's a Quick Bread! I love this bread toasted in the morning with my tea.

Kahlua Date Nut Chocolate Chip Bread 

Ingredients
1 cup chopped, pitted dates
1/2 cup Kahlua
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine Dates and Kahlua. Set aside and let the dates absorb the Kahlua. Yum!
Beat sugar, butter, and egg together until creamy.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate adding flour mixture and date mixture to sugar mixture.
Stir in pecans (or walnuts) and dark chocolate chips.
Put batter in sprayed/greased loaf pan (s).
Let batter stand in pan(s) for about 5 minutes.
Bake until done.
For a regular loaf pan, bake 60 to 70 minutes.
For medium loaf pans, bake 50 to 60 minutes.
For small loaf pans, bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake: History & Retro Recipe

Using soda in cakes is very Retro, and it works. The recipe below for Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake is perfect for the Fall season. I've posted a Chocolate 7-Up Cake recipe, as well as a Chocolate Coca Cola Cake (with the possibility of using Pepsi for those who favor the 'other' brand).

I'm a fan of Dr Pepper, the National Drink of Texas. Headquarters is in Waco, and the Dr. Pepper Museum there tells about the creation of Dr Pepper at the Old Corner Drug Store and the growth of the soft drink industry. It also teaches you about the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company which was once located in the museum. Be sure and scroll down to the "Truth about Dr Pepper" ad from 1970.

Here's a good recipe for Chocolate Dr Pepper Cake from the Baylor University Alumni Association Cookbook: "Homecoming: Special Foods, Special Memories." The original recipe called for margarine, but I always use butter.

CHOCOLATE DR. PEPPER CAKE

Cake
1 cup butter 
1 cup Dr Pepper
4 tablespoons DARK cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional...I don't use it)
3 cups flour,  sifted
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs -- well beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda

Dr. Pepper Frosting
1/2 cup Dr Pepper
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons DARK cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar -- sifted
1/2 cup pecans -- chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Heat Dr. Pepper with butter, but do not boil. Set aside. Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa. Beat together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and baking soda. Add hot Dr. Pepper mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in egg mixture, and blend well. Pour into greased and floured 15x10-inch sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 deg. for 25 minutes.

For frosting: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat Dr Pepper, butter, and cocoa.
Stir in powdered sugar, pecans, and vanilla. Spread frosting on while cake is still hot.

COFFEE ICE CREAM PIE: National Coffee Ice Cream Day

Warm where you are today? Here's an easy (20 minutes to make - and then freeze) no-bake recipe for Coffee Ice Cream Pie that has a great chocolate cookie crust that includes coconut and chopped nuts along with the chocolate wafers. It's a very versatile crust and would also be great with a key lime filling, as well as any other ice cream flavor. This recipe is adapted slightly from Pillsbury. As I've mentioned many times, the big 'food product' sites often have fabulous recipes. You can adapt and update as you like, and they're a springboard for ideas, so be sure and check them out!

COFFEE ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
30 chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut  (I like toasted coconut)
3 Tbsp finely chopped macadamia nuts (or cashews)

Filling 
1 quart coffee ice cream, slightly softened

Topping 
1 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed
Whole macadamia nuts (or cashews), if desired

Directions
In medium bowl, mix crushed chocolate wafers, butter, coconut, and finely chopped macadamia nuts.
Press mixture in bottom and side of 9-inch glass pie plate; refrigerate 15 minutes.
Carefully spoon softened ice cream into chilled crust.
Cover and freeze about 2 hours or until firm.
Top individual servings with fudge sauce, chopped macadamia nuts, and chopped chocolate covered coffee beans.
Cover and freeze any remaining pie.

To make cutting the pie easier, remove it from the freezer about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

Cartoon of the Day: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES: National Macadamia Nut Day

Today is National Macadamia Nut Day, and what could be more perfect that Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies. These cookies are chewy, and since the nuts are slightly salted, you'll really taste the complementary chocolate! I use two kinds of chocolate chips, but you also use white chocolate chips. Macadamia Nuts remind me of Hawaii, so if you want to make these cookies more 'Hawaiian," add some dried coconut to the batter, too. Yum!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies 

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp espresso powder
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup roasted and salted macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Dried Coconut (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In large bowl, beat butter (with hand mixer or standing mixer) until light and fluffy. Add in brown sugar and granulated. Beat until well combined.
Add in egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Add in salt, espresso powder, and baking soda; mix until combined.
In separate bowl, mix flour and cocoa powder together. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
Add in macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips (and dried coconut, if you'd like). Mix until combined.
With medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and spread evenly on cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 15-16 minutes.
These cookies are fudgy.

CHOCOLATE CHIP ORANGE SCONES: National Afternoon Tea Day!

Summer Afternoon (Tea in the Garden): Theo van Rysselberghe, 1901

There are few hours in life more agreeable
Than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
--Henry James

As a tea drinker, I can definitely confirm that I love a cuppa and a scone around 4  p.m. So for today's post, I want to celebrate the Birthday of Anna Bedford, Creator of Afternoon Tea. Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, inadvertently invented Afternoon Tea in 1840. At that time, the main meal of the day shifted from midday (luncheon) to evening. English high society didn’t dine until 8 p.m. Anna needed something to tide her over, so she ordered tea with brown bread to be brought to her room around 4 p.m. Initially this meal was brought surreptiously, but after awhile she began to invite her friends to join her, and “afternoon tea” expanded, both in what was served and the number of friends who partook. When Anna Bedford returned to London, she continued her afternoon teas, and soon Afternoon Tea became the rage of the elite. In addition to brown bread and small sandwiches, there were sweets and special “tea cakes.” The custom spread and tea rooms and tea gardens opened to serve tea to all classes. 

Afternoon Tea is not the same as High Tea. Afternoon Tea is a lighter meal, and scones are almost always served. I love clotted cream with my scones, and luckily, fresh clotted cream is readily available at my market. I enjoy 'plain' scones, but these Chocolate Chip Orange Scones  are yummy! Make some for your afternoon tea today!

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar

Victorian postcard: Afternoon Tea

1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and grated (keep cold until ready)
1 -1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup miniature dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons orange juice (1 large orange and zest from 2 oranges)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or smear with butter.
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
With pastry blender or large fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this with your hands.
Put in freezer for 5 minutes.
Take out of freezer and add cream, chocolate chips, orange juice and orange zest.
Mix together.
Turn out dough on floured surface. Pat or roll into 9 inch circle about 3/4 inch thick.
With 2 1/2 inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out about 12 scones, pushing dough scraps together for last few, if necessary.
Transfer scones to baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Serve with clotted cream and jam.

NO BAKE KAHLUA PIE: Perfect for Labor Day Weekend

It's Labor Day so I thought I'd post this simple recipe for a No-Bake Kahlua Pie. I first saw the recipe on Serious Eats (a favorite site). The recipe is from Yvonne Ruperti, author of One Bowl Baking: Simple from Scratch Recipes for Delicious Desserts (2013). Check out the cookbook for more easy chocolate recipes.

No Bake Kahlua Pie

Ingredients
44 chocolate wafers, divided, finely ground (I use Nabisco Famous Wafers)
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
Pinch salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 tsp powdered gelatin
7 Tbsp Kahlua, divided
3 1/3 cups heavy cream, chilled, divided

Directions
Pulse 36 wafer cookies in food processor until finely ground. Place crumbs in large bowl and stir in melted butter, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp water until thoroughly moistened. Firmly press into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Pulse remaining 8 cookies until finely ground and set aside.
Place chocolate in large heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat.
Add 1 Tbsp water to small microwave safe bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top. Let sit 5 minutes to soften. Heat in microwave on high power until just melted, 10 to 20 seconds.
Whisk 6 Tbsp Kahlua into melted chocolate. Whisk in melted gelatin.
Whip 2 1/3 cups cream with 1 Tbsp sugar to medium peaks. Fold cream into chocolate in 3 batches, until just combined. Gently fold in reserved chocolate wafer crumbs. Pour into pie shell and chill until set, about 3 hours.
Whip remaining cup cream with remaining 2 tsp sugar to soft peak. Fold in remaining Tbsp coffee liquor. Serve on side.