Scott & Julia's Chocolate Chip Banana & Zucchini Bread

Wow, it's been a week. I don't want to get too deep into the details but let me just say that some tears have been shed. As I walked into work this morning, I had an incredible urge to bake as it always helps to calm and relax me. While other more hard-core people may turn to hard liquor, I get my fix mixing ingredients together in my stand mixer. Go figure.

Once I got settled at my desk, I immediately asked for suggestions to anyone that was within earshot. The first request I heard was banana bread, which was suggested by Scott. About the same time, I heard Julia (yes, there's two of us) ask for zucchini bread. Hmmm... banana bread and zucchini bread. Both have basically the same ingredients right? Maybe they could be put merged together?

After work I headed to the store to get zucchini and bananas -- but whoa there cowgirl! I couldn't use just any bananas, I needed brown, shunned, over ripe bananas and finding them was going to be a challenge. The first store I went to sometimes has older bananas available. Ugly ones with big brown age spots sold for mere pennies on the pound, but no such luck. All they had were pristine, yellow and green bananas with nary a freckle. What kind of grocery store was this?

I left and went to the grocery store that was up the street. The best I found was some very ripe plantains and for a brief moment I wondered if they would work. I regained my focus and went to the customer service counter where I was greeted promptly, "What can I do for you?". "Well," I said, "I would like some black, overripe bananas or yellow ones with a lot of brown spots. I don't see any available but I was wondering if maybe you have some in the back, perhaps in the trash." The employee just starred at me, perplexed. "I need to make banana bread," I quickly added. "Ohhhh!" the young lady said with a big smile, "Let's go check in the back!" She lead me though the big, black swinging doors to several waxed produce boxes filled to the top with rotting fruits and vegetables. On top of the one lay a single bunch of bananas. They were well on their way to being rotten but were still pretty yellow. She put them and another small, brownish bunch into a bag and told me they would only be ten cents a pound. Bonus!

I used a very promising and highly rated Banana Zucchini Bread recipe (courtesy of RecipeZaar) and decided I'd make it sans the nuts, per Scott's request. Instead, I added a cup of mini chocolate chips. To mash the bananas I used my newest kitchen tool, my super deluxe angled potato ricer. (Just as an aside, this old fashioned tool makes the most beautiful and healthful mashed potatoes I've ever made.) It did a great job of mashing the bananas into a big bowl of banana GOOdness.

Overall, I think this was a fair recipe. I'm curious though if I had older, less ripe bananas, if it would have been better. I'm hopeful that it sates both Scott and Julia's cravings.

Oh and I almost forgot! This is my 50th post! Yay!!!

Yield: 2 loaves
Would I Make This Again? I'm not sure yet. I think so. It tasted pretty good but it wasn't earth shattering or anything. It smelled really good while it baked and my husband liked it and he's not even a big banana bread fan. I think I'll wait and see what everyone says when they try it.

Update: Well, all of the bread disappeared and everyone had positive comments. Several people had seconds and even thirds. Scott said it was a 4 star and my boss said that she really loved it. However, I wasn't all that impressed by the recipe. It was fine, but nothing extraordinary. I think it would have been better with less chocolate and more banana flavor. I also would have replaced half the oil with a half a cup of apple sauce as the bread was a bit oily. If anyone out there has a banana bread recipe they love, please send it my way. I'd love to give banana bread another go.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Ginger Lemon Cake with Blackberry and Lemon Curd

Stephanie was one of the first people I got to know at my new job. She and I both started within a few months of each other and at one point we shared a cubicle wall; me on one side and her on the other. We hit it off pretty fast and it didn't take her long for me to talk her ear off about my obsession with baking.

Her birthday was actually fairly early in the month of March but between my trip to Hawaii and her taking her birthday off, it wasn't until this week that I was able to make her a birthday treat.

While I was gone, Stephanie starting trolling around Epicurious to find a recipe that appealed to her. When I got back from my week in Hawaii, I was greeted to an email from her that contained roughly about ten really elaborate recipes. One example was Olive Oil Couscous Cake with Creme Fraiche and Date Syrup (I actually wanted to make it but it got low ratings and had no idea where I would get date syrup!). I told Stephanie that I wasn't afraid of a challenge but I was impressed by her selections! At one point I was going to wimp out and just make my Lemon Raspberry Trifle but right before I went into the grocery store to pick up supplies, I decided that I'd make this cake instead. Out of all the recipes, this cake was pretty, looked yummy, and wouldn't be too expensive to make. I did tweak it though; the original recipe included candied ginger and pistachios but I left them out because I didn't really feel like they would have added anything to the cake.

The cake itself was my favorite part. It was very dense but moist, had a snappy flavor and it filled the house with a pleasant aroma as it baked. When I was measuring the ginger, I kept checking and rechecking the recipe because five teaspoons seems like so much, but I think it was the perfect amount. I loved it! However, that's where the love stopped. The lemon curd was only okay, I've made better. I used Meyer lemons too but the curd was more sweet than lemony. I blame that on the recipe.

And while I'm on the topic of lemons, I'm not sure I understood the point of the lemon mouse. It didn't added anything to the cake at all -- other than complicating it. I couldn't even taste it! As for the blackberry preserves, once it went on the cake, the ginger flavor that I loved in the cake stopped singing and became a whisper. Overall, the ginger cake with the lemon curd AND the lemon mouse AND the blackberry preserves was just too much. Maybe if the blackberries were fresh, I skipped the mouse, and used the lemon curd recipe from my Raspberry Lemon Trifle, it would have been better.

This cake was challenging, I'll give it that. It took me about four hours to make it from start to finish. I had to use a ten inch pan instead of a nine so that made for shorter layers. The cake also didn't look at pretty as I would have liked. That was my fault; I was rushing and didn't really follow the directions for assembly. I think if I made it again, it would skip the preserves and lemon curd and just top it off with a simple vanilla frosting.


Those at work that shared in the belated birthday celebration seemed like the cake. One of the ladies told me it was the best cake she ever had (wow!), so perhaps I'm in the minority? Nevertheless, Stephanie I hoped you liked your cake! Happy belated Birthday!

Ginger Lemon Cake with Blackberry and Lemon Curd
An adaptation of Mary Cech's recipe found on Epicurious

Lemon curd
7 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel

Cake
4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel
8 large egg whites, room temperature, divided
1+ cup blackberry preserves, warmed in the microwave or on the stove

Mousse
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 large egg whites, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar

White chocolate curls (about a half a cup)

Preparation
For lemon curd:
Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl. Combine lemon juice, butter, and sugar in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water; stir until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk hot lemon mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to bowl set over water; increase heat so that water is boiling slightly. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 180°F, about 5 minutes. Pour curd through fine strainer set over bowl.
Place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd. Refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Lightly butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. (I used two 10" pans in my recipe and the layers were noticeably shorter, but worked out okay.) Line bottom of pans with parchment rounds.

Sift first five ingredients into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add butter, milk, and lemon peel and beat on medium-high speed until a very thick batter forms, about 2 minutes - you'll want to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times, as well as the whisk attachment. I found a bunch of lemon rind clumped together there.

Add 4 egg whites; beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom again. Add remaining 4 egg whites; beat until well blended and smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans (about generous 4 1/2 cups for each); smooth tops with offset spatula.

Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into centers come out clean, about 45 minutes. (It still took 45 minutes in a 10" pan) Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove parchment and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

Cut domed tops from both cakes, making each cake 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 inches high. Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 3 cake layers on separate cardboard rounds or plates (reserve fourth cake layer for another use). Spread 1/3 cup preserves over top of each of 3 cake layers. (I warmed the preserves in the microwave on 30% power first. This helps to make it more spreadable.)

Transfer 1 cup curd to large bowl; reserve for mousse. Divide remaining curd among layers (generous 3/4 cup for each); spread evenly over preserves to edge of layers. Refrigerate layers separately while preparing mousse (do not stack cake layers).

For mousse:
Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. Place saucepan over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes (mixture will be lukewarm). Stir gelatin into reserved 1 cup lemon curd.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into curd mixture in 2 additions; set aside until mousse begins to set slightly, about 10 minutes.

Spoon 1/3 of lemon mousse (scant 1 cup) atop each layer, then spread gently to about 1/2 inch away from the edges using offset spatula (if the mouse is too close to the edge, it will ooze out). Chill layers until mousse firms up slightly, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Gently top with second, then third, being careful not to press down firmly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated.)

Garnish top edge of cake with white chocolate curls.

Yield: 1 10-inch cake pan easily fed 10-12

Would I Make This Again? No, not this exact recipe. For me, it was just overkill. 2 out of 5 stars, however, the cake by itself was wonderful. 4 out of 5 stars.

Brenna's Mini Pineapple Upside Cakes

Ahh... Pineapple Upside Cake! This simple recipe is been one of my favorites since I was little. I think the first time I had it was when it was served as part of school lunch in elementary school.
I love the simplicity of it. Brenna is a big fan too. She specifically requested it and I was excited to make it.

I looked for a good recipe for it that didn't involve nuts or rum and eventually decided to wing it.
Mini Pineapple Upside Cakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used full fat but low or non fat is fine)

1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained, juice set aside
3/4 cup light brown sugar
24 maraschino cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly mist mini muffin tins with Pam for Baking (or prepare similarly).

Place one teaspoon of butter and brown sugar in the bottom of the tin. Mix together well. Add pineapple, and then invert a cherry so the smooth side is face down. Set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add sour cream. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternately with pineapple juice, beating well after each addition just until mixed.

Prepare mini-cakes: Add a tablespoon or so of batter to the tin. It should be about 75% filled. Bake for about 9-11 minutes (depending on your oven), until they are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when pricked into the center.

Remove them from the oven and run a small knife around the edges of the cupcakes to free any edges. Place a baking rack or large platter over the top of the muffin tin and quickly invert the pan. Set the rack and pan on the counter and gently tap on each well to remove the contents. Slowly remove the tin. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then serve.

Yield: 48 mini or 24 regular sized muffins
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This is a great dessert that everyone can't help but love. Plus they are so cute when they are tiny! 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Craig's Banana Chocolate Strudel

I kept things simple for Craig and I really think that the simplest recipes make the best food. Craig wanted something chocolate and really loves bananas. Last year I made him black bottom banana cream pie so I needed to think outside of the pie tin this year.

I stumbled upon the recipe for Banana Chocolate Strudel on Epicurious. The only change that I made was to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of bittersweet chunks. I thought it would be well, too bitter and chips melt just as well as finely chopped chocolate. This dessert was very easy to prepare and is reminiscent of baklava. It also travels well. I just wrapped each strudel in tin foil and it arrived to work intact.

Banana Chocolate Strudel

4 (17- by 12-inch) phyllo sheets, covered with 2 overlapping pieces plastic wrap and then a damp kitchen towel
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 firm-ripe bananas
2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Arrange 1 phyllo sheet on a work surface with a short side of phyllo nearest you, keeping remaining sheets covered, and brush with some butter. Top phyllo with 3 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter. Arrange bananas one above the other, horizontally, on lower third of phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border on both sides (trim bananas if too long). Sprinkle chocolate over bananas, then fold sides of phyllo toward middle (over ends of bananas). Fold bottom edge of phyllo over bananas and roll up bananas in phyllo.

Transfer strudel, seam side down, to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or to a buttered baking sheet, then brush strudel with beaten egg. Cut 4 (1/2-inch-long) steam vents diagonally along top of strudel with a sharp knife. Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack, then dust with confectioners sugar.

Yield: About 5 per strudel (one-half package of phyllo was enough to make 5 strudels)
Would I Make This Again? Yes..the possibilities are endless. This would be great for a dinner party! 4 stars out of 5

Jamie's Strawberry Rhubarb Pillows

Jamie said he especially liked desserts that contained fruit and that rhubarb-strawberry pie was one his all time favorites. So I decided to come up with something "pie-ish" but that wouldn't be something he'd necessarily had before.

Puff pastry was something that came to mind. Since I was transporting it I thought it would a good idea to make a cupcake out of the pastry dough and somehow fill it with a strawberry rhubarb compote. What I didn't consider was how wet the compote was and how it would interfere with the ability for the pastry to do its thing in the oven. So I ended up just cutting the pastry into squares and cooking them alone in the oven and that worked just fine.

After the pastry baked, it puffed up into a hollow pillow shape. I opened each pillow with a butter knife and filled each on with about 2 tablespoons for the compote. I topped each pillow with a tablespoon or so of the glaze and sifted powdered sugar.

Jamie liked it so much he had two servings. The only thing I would have done differently was top each pillow with some lightly sweetened whipped cream. Otherwise it was really good and looked very elegant.

Puff Pastry Pillows

1 package of puff pastry, thawed (takes about 40 minutes to thaw at room temperature)
flour

Preheat oven to 350 F. Unfold the pastry on lightly floured surface.
For smaller pillows: Roll into 15"x12" rectangle and cut into 16- 20 squares.
For larger pillows: Cut into 9 squares.
Bake for about 10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flip over each pillow and bake for another 4 or 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
This recipe is adapted from the cookbook, Country Breakfasts by Ken Haedrich

1 1/2 lbs of rhubarb
2 cups of warm water
2/3 cup of sugar
Zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
8 whole cloves or 2 teaspoons dried
4 tablespoons candied ginger, minced
2 pints of fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoons

Put a shallow glass dish in the freezer.

Trim the rhubarb by removing the ends, and leaves. Peel the rhubarb just as you would celery, removing any thick stringy sections. Put the peelings into a nonreactive saucepan with water, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cloves. Bring to boil, lower heat slightly and cover and boil for 5 minutes. Setup a large bowl with a strainer on top. Drain the mixture into the stainer. Discard the solid remaining but pour the remaining liquid back into the saucepan.

Cut the peeled rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces; if the stalks are wide, you can cut them lengthwise first. Bring the poaching liquid to simmer and add the rhubarb. Simmer gently, partially covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Ready the glass dish near the saucepan. At the first first sign of tenderness, transfer the rhubarb from the liquid with a slotted spoon to the glass dish. Spread the rhubarb out in the dish and refrigerate uncovered.

While the rhubarb cools, let the remaining poaching liquid come to a slow boil. In a small bowl combine the cold water and cornstarch. Increase the heat of the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce to about a 1/2 a cup. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil again. Pour the liquid into a serving bowl and add the minced ginger. Cool to room temperature.

Add the strawberries to the rhubarb and add the poaching liquid. Toss gently and refrigerate.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote Glaze
1 cup of sifted powdered sugar
3 - 4 tablespoons of strawberry-rhubarb juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, strawberry+rhubarb drippings, and vanilla; stir until combined and smooth.

Yield: About 30, depending on how big you cut the pastry.
Would I Make This Again? Yes. The pillows were light and delicate and the compote was a nice change from the usual fruit mixture. Next time I'll make it with whipped cream and serve it warm. 4 stars out of 5

Shannon's Lady Baltimore Cake

If you've read the left hand column of my blog, you'd know that I credit the very existence of Dozen Flours to my friend Shannon (aka Shanno). She moved on to greener pastures many moons ago and I've really missed working with her. No matter how rotten a day Shannon was having, she was positive and smiling and just a joy to be around. And she would always give me the most sincere comments about my Birthday Fairy treats. I only had the good fortune to bake for her on her birthday once before she left. Several months ago at a friend's party, Shannon and I ran into each other again and that's when she suggested starting a blog so that she could at least see what she was missing out on.

Even though Shannon didn't work with me, I still fully intended to bake her something on birthday. A week or so before her birthday this year, our mutual friend, Erika had mentioned to me that Shannon had been eyeing something called a Lady Baltimore Cake. I'd never heard of such a thing! I was intrigued! So I did my usual Internet research and found several promising recipes (here's a bit of history about the cake). Unfortunately, when her birthday arrived my oven was on the fritz! Oh the humanity! I was so sad!

As luck would have it, our paths were to cross again over the weekend and my oven was in full working order. Although her birthday was a several months ago, I figured it was better late than never. A more appropriate cake could not have been made for such a wonderful person. Thanks Shannon for being such a great friend!

I followed the recipe that I found on Epicurious but I did alter it a bit -- here's my version of the recipe:

For the cake layers

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (clear keeps the cake very white)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (clear keeps the cake very white)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup full-fat milk
• 7 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling and Frosting

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons clear vanilla
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried figs (plus 3 whole dried figs for garnish)
• 1 cup pecans, toasted lightly and chopped fine
• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried or candied cherries

Cake

1. Grease and flour 3 or 4 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the almond extract.

3. In a different bowl, stir together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches alternately with the milk, until well combined.

4. In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the batter, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the cake layers, in batches if necessary, in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, turn them out onto the racks, and let them cool completely. The cake layers may be made 1 week in advance and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen. Let the layers thaw before proceeding with the recipe.

Frosting:
1. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and the water, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup until it registers 248°F. on a candy thermometer. Pour sugar mixture into a tempered glass measuring cup. (I suggest this because the pot is very, very hot and heavy!. Transfering the sugar to a glass mesauring cups is lighter, cooler, and easier to pour from.)

2. While the syrup is boiling, in a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks and with the mixer running add the hot syrup in a stream. (DO NOT DUMP THE HOT SUGAR MIXURE DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EGG WHITES! This will cause your egg whites to deflate. However, if this happens all is not lost! Keep mixing the egg whites and they will come back eventually.

3. Beat in the vanilla and beat the icing until it is cool - about 10-15 minutes. Transfer 2-3 cups of the icing to a bowl, reserving the remaining icing, and fold in the figs, pecans, cherries, and raisins.

4. Arrange 1 of the cake layers, flat side up, on a serving plate, spread it with half the dried-fruit icing, and top the filling with another cake layer, flat side down. Spread the top layer with the remaining dried-fruit icing and top the filling with the remaining cake layer. Spread the top and side of the cake with the reserved plain icing .To garnish, either leave the top of the cake plain, sprinkle with pecans, or to do what I did, take a dried fig and flatten it. Using a very sharp paring knife, cut a "W" out of the top. This will become your tulip! Use log pieces of pecans for the stems. For the ribbon I used big dried cherries that I cut into a strip, and two that I flattened and cut a "V" out of.

5. Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to eat it. The frosting is very light and sticky at room temperature. When it's refrigerated it gets firm and sets a bit better and makes it much easier to transport.