TWD:Cocoa-Nana Bread

Things have changed a bit around here so we won't be posting every week. With the New Year there are always resolutions to eat better, and these recipes certainly don't help that at all. :) Two of us are having babies, one within days and myself in about a month, so it seemed that right now was the time to slow it down a bit. That said, there is no way we could completely abandon Dorie and her fabulous recipes!

For January, we decided it would be fun to have a TWD Dessert night. We met the first Saturday evening of January at April's house and it was great! Fun for the cousins to get together and play, and fun for the adults to get to taste all of the great treats. Lizzie made the Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake, April made the Chocolate-Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars, and I made the Cocoa-Nana Bread. Lots and lots of chocolate!

So, onto the recipe. The Cocoa-Nana Bread came together easily, and came out of the oven looking, and smelling divine. When it came time to slice it to serve, it fell apart. I was disappointed with the final product. It was dry and crumbly and not the best banana bread I have ever had. Of the three treats that night, April's definitely took the prize.

If you want to give it a try check out Obsessed With Baking for the full recipe, or find it on page 46 in Baking From My Home to Yours.

TWD: Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars

This month we did something a little different. We had a Tuesdays with Dorie night where we each made a Dorie treat and then we got together and taste tested the treats for the month. I would have to say for this month this particular treat was my favorite of the three.


This recipe was very similar to a recipe that is one of our families favorites called Chocolate Revel Bars from the Betty Crocker cookbook. This recipe had a few differences like cinnamon in the oatmeal cookie part of the treat. And then salted peanuts and raisons were added to the chocolate middle section. I must say it surprised me how much liked the salty peanuts mixed with raisons and chocolate. It really made a difference in the flavor of the whole treat.


Basically there is an oatmeal brown sugar cookie like layer with melted chocolate and sweetened condensed milk on top of the cookie base (along with the nuts and raisons I was talking about), and then dabs of oatmeal cookie on top. This makes for a rich gooey treat that must be accompanied by milk.

Thanks Lillian of Confectiona’s Realm for the great Dorie pick. If you are interested in the recipe you can visit Lillians website or it is on pages 114 and 115 of Dorie Greenspans book.

Baby Shower Menu

Last Weekend we had a lovely baby shower for Liz. It was so much fun!! There were people from all different times in Lizzie's life so it was fun to catch up with high school friends, childhood friends, cousins, aunts, college friends, and more. I really wish I took pictures of the food, because it was beautiful and delicious. I thought the least I could do was post the list of yummy things we had and the recipes that I have for some of the items.



Appetizers
boursin cheese and water crackers (costco)

Texas caviar (yummy salsa) & chips made by Whit (maybe she will post the recipe)
Veggie cream cheese pastries (made by Mother Teresa)
Veggie tray *** Thanks KT
Fruit Salad (costco)
Valdosta Pecans w/ Sweetend cranberries, black pepper and orange rind (sold at Costco & Walmart)

Desserts
Whit's delicious Molasses cookies (maybe she will post)
Cherry juju hearts
Cherry Fudge Brownie Torte (from a TWD post)
Banana-Raspberry cupcakes with Lemon cream cheese frosting

(from Cooking Light)
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp. flour
1 1/3 c granulated sugar
1/4 c butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c low-fat buttermilk
1 c mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
3/4 c (6oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of Salt
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 c fresh raspberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Coat 2 (8in) round cake pans with cooking spray (I did cupcakes for cuteness sake for the baby shower); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust each pan with 1 1/2 tsp flour.
3. Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at med speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt, stirring well with a whisk.
5. Combine buttermilk, banana, and 1 tsp vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (mix after each addition just until blended). Pour batter into prepared pans.
6. Bake cake at 350 for 25 min. Cool on wire wrack for 10 min; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Cool layers completely on wire wrack.
7. To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not over beat).
8. Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 1/3 c frosting. Arrange raspberries in a single layer over frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

All the food was loved by the guests. It was a delicious menu and such a memorable day. Now we are just waiting for baby Lulu (original name given by her brothers) to arrive. Can't wait!