TWD: Cocoa Nana Bread

You would think, with my penchant for all things chocolate, and adding in the fact that I love bananas, that this bread would have been a total hit for me. Well, the Cocoa Nana Bread - a 'quick' bread (mixes quickly, but takes a considerable amount of time to bake up) concoction of cocoa, chocolate, bananas and other similar ingredients to banana bread - was chosen by Steph of Obsessed with Baking. This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, sadly, was not my favorite. I liked it fine - but I just didn't love it. I'm really not sure why. It wasn't too dry, too moist, too banana-y or too chocolatey (as if that could happen). It was just kind of *meh* for me. Really, really weird reaction - and it still has me confused.

The batter itself was easy and even fun to make. A joy to work with and behaved exactly as I expected it to. No problems whatsoever. It just wasn't my thing right now.

I blame it totally and solely on my pregnant taste buds and the mood I was in when I made it or something because I'm really and truly stumped as too why I didn't want to just devour this whole loaf. I think that this recipe is definitely worth a try, and once I've got some time and/or energy back once we settle into a routine after the baby is here that I will have to revisit this.

Be sure to check out the other TWD Bakers and see what they thought.

You know I looooove Chocolate...

So, when darling Quinn of Limelight Food Photography and CreatedbyChicks.com (the same darling friend who put together my blog's new look) let me know that the Sassy gals over at Sassy Scoops were doing a giveaway that would give a lucky winner a chance to attend one of Caputo's chocolate classes - well, let's just say, I don't think I've ever competed to enter a blog contest so much in my life! I wanted to share the opportunity with you all as well.

Go check out the Sassy's review here and enter!

TWD: Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy-Bars

Another Tuesdays with Dorie and I'm just glad I was able to participate. This week's recipe is for Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy-Bars, as chosen by Lillian at Confectionia's Realm.

A bar cookie such as these would normally be right up my alley, but lately I'm just not that into really, really 'heavy' cookie type desserts like this one - perhaps because baby is making me feel plenty heavy all on her own. Since ultimately the recipe didn't really reduce all that well (no half-size cans of sweetened condensed milk around here that I could find - if they even exist) that I decided to forget about trying to reduce the size of the batch and just make the whole kit and kaboodle instead. Which made a lot of cookies.

I decided that, since we are now in the home stretch with this pregnancy (six weeks to go and looking good!) that I would just cut the bars and freeze the bulk of them for times in the near future when I need a little snack. While I haven't tried one straight from the freezer yet, they remind me of a similar cookie that a friend of mind makes that is delicious frozen, so why not. Otherwise, I'll just let them thaw a bit - maybe I'll even just end up taking a box of these with me to the hospital to share with the nurses and staff and visitors or something - I'm sure they would be appreciated there.

The only change I ended up making to the recipe was to just leave out the raisins in the chocolate layer, which worked just fine. I'm just learning to try to like raisins in the first place, but I still just can't seem to get behind the chocolate/raisin combo. Maybe someday!

Be sure to check out how the rest of the TWD Bakers faired this week - it seemed like there were a lot of substitution ideas bouncing around during the P&Q so there should be some interesting variations out there.

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart

These are obviously not the cookies for this week's TWD post, but I knew that, since fried foods + pregnancy + me = general disaster, that I should probably pass on the Scherben recipe chosen by sweet Teanna at Spork or Foon? for now and not press my luck. My apologies on missing out on this week to my fellow TWD bakers. I hope to make this one up down the road (when my stomach agrees with fried foods a bit better than during pregnancy mainly :) I've really eyed that recipe for a while and wondered what they are like.

I did want to share this recipe I found on Country Living's website a couple of week's ago for an easy and incredible tart to share. It wasn't difficult to make at all and everyone really enjoyed it. It makes a lovely appetizer or could even be served along a nice warm soup this Winter.

PW's Sour Cream Pancakes

I don't think it is any secret that we eat a lot of pancakes at our house. We eat pancakes in one form or another probably almost every single day. We have a tried and true favorite 'regular' pancake recipe that has been our staple for well over a year or so now. We have another amped up, loaded pancake with oats and apples that we make regularly and love too. My only complaint with either recipe is that there is time - a bit too much of it - involved in letting the batter rest before cooking.

Most days this is fine, but takes a bit more thinking and planning on my part. As you can imagine (especially those of you who have been there) pregnancy has once again turned my brain to mostly mush with very little room for remembering tasks these days.

When I was browsing through Ree Drummond's new cookbook, besides the fact that there were many recipes I knew I had to try right away, I was intrigued and surprised most by a recipe she refers to as belonging to her husband's grandmother, Edna Mae. The main ingredient in the pancakes is a fair amount of sour cream. It is then cobbled together with very little flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. A couple of eggs and some vanilla get mixed in, and somehow, as impossible as it seemed to me that this was going to work, it did. Oh did it ever work!

I have now had this recipe in my possession all of about three weeks and I'm pretty sure I've made it no less than 10 times already. I find myself making sure I have enough sour cream on hand that I can make these any time I want. They are light, tender, flavorful and oh so ridiculously easy to make. If it is just me and the boys at home I make just a single batch (recipe shown below) but if my hubs is home I have to double the batch. These pancakes are incredibly edible and you'll find yourself easily eating several in one sitting (even the kids!). I love love love this recipe and am so glad that Ree included it in her cookbook. I've also tried several other recipes from the book already, including the Cinnamon Rolls and Twice-Baked Potatoes and each recipe has been a total winner in our opinion. This is definitely a cookbook that won't see much of your shelf since you'll be using it on a daily basis.

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes

SOURCE: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl

By Ree Drummond

Makes about twelve 4-inch pancakes

1 cup sour cream

7 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter, for your pan or griddle

Butter and Maple or Pancake Syrup for serving

(Directions are ad libbed by me - get the book and read PW's step by step directions and photos for yourself - much more entertaining).

Heat your iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat till nice and hot.

In a medium sized bowl gently stir together the sour cream, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until just barely combined, not even all the way.

In a small separate bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Add to the flour and sour cream mixture and stir again very gently until just barely (or not even quite all the way) combined.

Melt a generous amount of butter in the skillet or on your griddle and pour the batter a scant 1/4 cup at a time.

Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and cook another 45 seconds remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, melting more butter as needed. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

TWD: 2nd Anniversary - Cocoa Buttermilk Cupcakes & Happy 2nd Blogiversary to Me!

Today marks the Second Anniversary post of Tuesdays with Dorie! I can't believe how far we've come! Thank you to Laurie for creating the group and to Dorie for her support and expertise - I know I'm not alone when I say that this group has been life changing and so much fun!

I also find it hard to believe that Monday (January 4th) marked my 2nd Blogiversary here at PheMOMenon! It has been a fun and wild ride, that is for sure! With this current pregnancy and trying to play catch up from the holidays, I have to admit I am still a bit behind, but I do have some fun ideas and things in mind for the coming year. I can't say it enough, so thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to all my friends and readers for coming here in the first place and giving me a 'home' to express myself and enjoy all your amazing like-minded company - you all ROCK my world!

I've said it many, many times over the course of my TWD membership (almost the full two-years, but not quite) and I really do believe that Baking From My Home To Yours is hands down THE BEST baking book out there. If you like to bake even a little, you absolutely shouldn't be without this book! (And I really can't wait until this coming Fall when Dorie's new book Around the French Table comes out!!!!)

For the anniversary recipe, Laurie has kindly hosted and you can find the original recipes there. The group voted on a few choices, but the winners of the vote were for the Cocoa Buttermilk Birthday Cake and the Tarte Tatin. I chose to make a half batch of the Cocoa Buttermilk cake and turn them into cupcakes, which gave me a bakers' dozen.

Rather than make the malted chocolate frosting though, I opted to just do a thick whipped cream flavored liberally with cocoa powder, a little vanilla and plenty of confectioners' sugar - a concoction which happens to be one of my favorite simple frostings and fillings for chocolate cake. Incidentally, I found that I needed to bake my cupcakes almost as long as I would have needed to bake the cake layers. The cake itself had a nice chocolatey flavor. While not my favorite chocolate cake recipe, it was still delicious and easy.

Happy Anniversary fellow TWD Bakers!

Cocoa Whipped Frosting

Recipe by PheMom (adapted from a family friend)

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat thoroughly until smooth and very thick and spreadable - texture will start to become almost buttery. Spread onto cupcakes or use as layer cake filling. Yields about 3 cups frosting. Keep chilled until serving.

TWD: Chocolate Cheesecake

While I realize that it isn't Tuesday anymore, here I am finally posting my Chocolate Cheesecake from this past week's recipe choice by the lovely Tea Lady at Tea and Scones for Tuesdays with Dorie. The silly thing about being late is my reason why. I actually made this and had the pictures all ready about two weeks ago. I literally just lost track of the days this week and Tuesday came and went without my even realizing it. One of the interesting things about working from home and having my son out of school right now is that I just can't seem to keep anything straight.

So, here we are, its Saturday, and I'm late, late, late. Which I hate. Oh well, I guess this is why there is that saying about being better late than never.

I really enjoyed this cheesecake and actually had it for dessert on my wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago. I decided to make the hot fudge sauce Dorie suggests in the introduction notes, using her recipe in the back of the book. I also swapped out the graham cracker crust for an Oreo crust and topped each serving with a little whipped cream as well for good measure. Since I didn't have anywhere to take the cheesecake, and no need to eat an entire one by myself since my hubs isn't a fan (he had Huckleberry Pie for his anniversary dessert) I halved the recipe and made two small 4-inch cheesecakes. It is nice that Dorie says the cheesecake keeps well in the freezer too - now I have another one waiting for me when the mood strikes.

The surprising thing for me about cheesecake is that I still prefer closer to the 'original' (like the Toffee Cheesecake I made last year) instead of a chocolate cheesecake. I'm not sure why. When I do need a great recipe for a chocolate version though, this one will definitely be first in line.

Dark Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Do you love chocolate? Do you love easy desserts that are just super impressive? I know the answer for me is yes on both counts.

This Dark Chocolate Crème Brûlée has been on my hit list for a while but I finally made it a couple of weeks ago when we had friends over for dinner.

The Crème Brûlée couldn't have been easier to make and so perfectly silky and chocolatey. Just make sure to plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time

for the dessert to chill. Also, it is best to use a high quality chocolate that you love the taste of, because that is the taste that is really going to come through.

Here's to 2010 - I hope this is the best year yet for you all!

Dark Chocolate Crème BrûléeBon Appétit | March 1996

From the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona. Yield: Serves 8 2 cups whipping cream 2 cups half and half 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 8 large egg yolks 1/3 cup plus 8 tablespoons sugar Preheat oven to 300°F. Bring cream and half and half to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain. Divide custard among eight 3/4-cup custard cups. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set, about 50 minutes. Remove from water; chill 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon sugar. Broil until sugar turns golden, watching closely to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until custards are set, 1 to 2 hours.