Sweet Sugar Eggs

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Lorinda

What’s pink and purple and yellow and white and green and covered in roses and violas and miscellaneous unidentifiable flowers and filled with bunnies and chickens and baskets of eggs and more flowers and bees and rainbows and clouds….

Gasp. Coming up for air, here.

Panoramic sugar eggs, of course!

For the last week my kitchen and dining room table have been taken over by these eggs. Here’s what happens: I make up a couple of bowls of colored sugar to fill my egg molds with. Then, when they’ve dried for a few hours I turn the molds over and scrape out the soft sugar, which goes back into the bowl. Do you see what happens here? There isn’t quite enough for another whole egg, so I add more sugar and fill more eggs, then scoop the extra back into the bowl. And….repeat.

Somehow I just don’t have it in me to throw away the extra sugar.

The smart thing would be to start with a light color (like pink) and when the pink egg is filled and scooped, add a little extra sugar and a couple of drops of food coloring and turn it into something darker, like purple. At some point, though, you will have to throw away a little sugar. After a week of this madness, I finally reach the point where I can cheerfully do that.

Rather than give you instructions on this blog, here’s the link to a Yummy Northwest column I did a couple of years ago that shows you the basics of making SUGAR EGGS

I made some cute bunnies, carrots, and bees using gum paste. If you’ve never tried working with gum paste, you’re missing out on a lot of creative fun. It’s like playing with clay, only it hardens into something resembling tooth-breaking porcelain. Once made and dried it will last and last. I like to use the powdered gum paste; that way I can just make as much as I want. Keep it in a heavy plastic bag when you’re not using it, because it will dry faster than you’d ever believe.

For my bee I just made a little body, painted it with yellow food coloring, painted on stripes and eyes with black food coloring, and stuck two slices of jelly bean on it for wings.

Gum paste bee on a royal icing flower.

For the bunny, begin with the head. Make a small ball. Give it a small triangular nose and press a mouth (shaped sort of like a soft “W”) under it with a toothpick. Poke two holes in the top for ears. Make ears, dampen the base of them slightly, and stick them in the holes. Poke a toothpick in the bottom of the head where it will connect with the body and let the it dry until the ears are stable. Meanwhile, you can paint the inside of the ears, the nose, and the cheeks with a little pink food coloring or petal dust.

For the bunny’s body, make a ball of gum paste slightly larger than the head. Make two flat feet (press lines with a toothpick for toes) and set the body on top of them. Any time you put two pieces of gum paste together, it helps to dampen the place where they connect. A damp washcloth works perfectly for this. Add a fluffy tail. Add the head, poking the toothpick into the top of the body. If the toothpick is too long, shorten it with a pair of scissors. Add arms, either individual paws or one long piece that stretches all the way around. You can have it hold a candy egg, flower, or carrot if you’d like.

Cute little guys.

Speaking of carrots, I’m SURE I don’t have to explain how to make one, right? But for the record, adding a little food color to the gum paste is simple, but it will get your hands messy. Plastic gloves might be a good option if that kind of thing bugs you. Also, powdered food coloring is easier to work with. If you use liquid, you may have to add a little more powdered sugar to the gum paste too.

Have fun with these! Go to your favorite search engine and find articles on shaping royal icing flowers and little critters – ducks, chickens, lambs, etc. I covered pieces of spaghetti with green gum paste for flower stems and made a basket with gum paste and then brushed it with dry cocoa to give it a light brown color. Use your imagination…or better yet, ask a child for advice! Go through your favorite candy store to find all kinds of potential decorations.

An upright egg with a peep hole.

This one lays flat with a peep hole in the pointy end.

Half an egg on a sugar stand.

Beware. Sugar eggs are addictive to make. Oh, and though everything is edible (well, except for that toothpick) I really don’t recommend gnawing on these. They’re just to look at, okay?

Fly on the Wall – March

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Lorinda

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 14 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.

Let’s see, my buzzy friend. You hitched a ride in my car with me to California last month, survived a blizzard, had fun at Disneyland with my daughter and her family, and then you hung around with me while I was sick and being a most unpleasant house guest. That’s where we left the story last month.

We traveled to Modesto, you and I, to visit my oldest son and his wife. I spent a few days recuperating, dozing and reading, while you explored their back yard. (They have 2 dogs, so I KNOW what you were doing out there. Gross.)

In the evenings we talked, ate, and drank wine, and I learned things about my kids’ teenage years that I’m probably glad I didn’t know at the time. If any of you readers have young children, your day will come! Usually when I hear these stories I nod wisely and say “We knew more than you think we did” which makes us look omniscient and makes them think they never really got away with anything. You might save that little gem for later when they tell you stuff that makes your hair stand on end.

From there I made my way north again. Since my poor grandchildren had been stuck with “Gross Grandma” for two weeks while I was sick and crabby, I had to try a little damage control. I was heading to my cousin’s in Oregon, but had enough time to put on makeup and curl my hair and sweep through Redding with a gift for each child. See? I can be “Fun Grandma!” I brought Taunee the Ken doll she wanted badly. I was there less than two hours, but by the time I left Ken had hooked up with Barbie, was sweet talking her, and they’d produced a baby. That guy works fast!!

I was off and running again, north to Oregon.

More good food, wine, and a comfy bed at Cousin John and his lovely wife Kathy’s home. I could really get used to having others cook for me! After a couple of days of pampering, I felt good enough to head home. Luckily, the weather was delightful and I had long (12 hours) but uneventful drive home. Yes! I know I was happy to tumble out of the car at home, and I’m sure my little fly companion was too. I came home to a clean house, dinner in the oven, and a relieved husband. Sweet.

Egg production has been down in the chicken yard, but every time we start talking about…um…eliminating some of the old chickens, they start laying like crazy. Here’s an egg we got recently. I can just see one of the old girls going: “Must.Produce.Egg.Gruuuunt. Nope, that’s the best I can do.”

What the….

Really? That’s all you’ve got?!

Big whoop.

And, while I have eggs on my mind, The Man came up with an idea for little cakes that turned out so cute. Here’s a link to my blog for Deviled Cakes. I’m going to put them on the table during our Ladies Spring Tea next month and see the funny reactions. Maybe I’ll get a couple of good pictures for next month’s Fly on the Wall.

Yes, these really are CAKES!

If you think Caesar had it rough, look at what the Ides of March brought us:

Ugh. Not the day I was hoping for…

I love winter, and I love spring, but I really dread this in-between mess. Beware the Ides of March, indeed!

Easter candy is my most uncontrollable guilty pleasure. When the kids were little I’d buy tons of candy for “decorating” but would put the boring stuff like jelly beans and salt water taffy in the cute little bowls and hide the good stuff for myself. The Reeses peanut butter eggs, Cadbury mini-eggs, Russell Stover marshmallow eggs…all were stashed in closets, or sometimes in the freezer disguised as bags of “broccoli”. I know, I know…I’m unspeakably ashamed. My children will probably end up on an analyst’s couch one day talking about how withholding their mother was.

I admit I had a carton of marshmallow eggs hidden in the baking cabinet this year, but for the most part, I’ve gotten so much better about sharing. I HAVE!

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Speaking of Easter, every year I make sugar eggs. I don’t know why, exactly; it’s just an urge. Bags of icing of every color, sugar eggs in various stages of completion, sugar egg carcasses that bit the dust…my ~~dining room table~~ craft table is covered with debris. Rather than clean it up, I have convinced myself that I must make more sugar eggs. There’s no sense in cleaning it up if I’m going to make more, right??? Um. Anyone want an egg?

Hooooeeeeee. Did I do that?

Right now there is more sugar flying than flour, but still…I love this gift my daughter made me!

Love that girl!

That’s it for me. It’s been a pretty dull month here. My youngest son (aka: Lord Voldemort) will be here next week, so I should have some good stories to tell. Until then, try buzzing around these other homes and see what’s happening!

Baking In a Tornado
Just a Little Nutty
Menopausal Mother
The Sadder But Wiser Girl
Follow Me Home
Spatulas on Parade
Stacy Sews and Schools
The Momisodes
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
Someone Else’s Genius
Pink Heart String
Spinster Snacks
Juicebox Confession

Deviled Cakes!

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Lorinda

For a fun spin on traditional Easter food, make these sweet little cakes that look like deviled eggs! The cake is tender and white, and is covered with a light coating of white chocolate, then decorated with yellow whipped buttercream icing. A dash of red sprinkles gives the appearance of paprika. At first glance, they will really fool you!

You can’t fool everyone…

We may have an eensy-weensy problem here, though. The pan I used (Wilton’s Petite Egg Pan) is no longer available. If you are lucky enough to have one, or there is someone you can ~~steal~~ borrow one from, you’re set. OR if you are wealthy and money is no object, there is a similar pan on the market that runs around $100. Such a deal! Worst case scenario, Wilton has a small egg pan that has designs on it. Since you really only see the top of the egg anyhow, I think it would work just fine. Hopefully you’ll figure something out, because these are just so much fun to make!

I’d love to say I thought up this idea, but The Man was the one who came up with it. I guess now he’s the idea man, and I’m the lowly person who does the grunt work. Meh…that’s okay. He deserves his moment in the limelight for this.

I tried to make the whitest cake possible, so used coconut oil instead of butter (it adds a lovely coconut flavor, but you can use shortening if you’d like) and didn’t use vanilla. If you have clear vanilla, go ahead and put a teaspoon in when you cream the oil and sugar together. Also, because I used whipping cream in the frosting to make it look fluffier, these really should be refrigerated.

Oh, I love these!

Deviled Cakes!

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes a LOT. At least 7 dozen, maybe more. You could also make 2 dozen and bake the rest of the batter in a 9" cake pan for another use.

Ingredients

½ cup room temperature coconut oil (or you may substitute shortening)
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla (optional)
2¼ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cup buttermilk
5 egg whites
1 pound white candy melts (get the whitest ones possible. I used Wilton's "Bright White"
½ cup butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Yellow and orange food coloring

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Prepare pan by greasing and flouring, or by spraying with a flour/oil combination spray like Baker's Joy.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
In a large bowl, cream the oil (or shortening), sugar, and clear vanilla. I used less oil than normal, so it won't get fluffy. Just mix it together really well.
Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning with the flour and ending with the buttermilk, about a third of each at a time.
Beat for one minute on medium-high speed.
Fold in the egg whites.
Fill each egg cavity almost to the top.
Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown and turn out onto racks to cool.
Slice the domed tops off of each egg.
Melt the white chocolate melts in the microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring each time until completely melted.
With a table knife, spread a layer of white chocolate on the flat side (top) of each egg.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Mix well.
Add the whipping cream a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency for piping, adding a little more cream or powdered sugar if necessary.
Add a little yellow coloring and a TINY bit of orange or red. Whip the frosting to combine. Adjust the color to resemble deviled egg filling. Continue to beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy.
With a star tip, pipe the "yolk filling" on each egg. Dust with red sugar sprinkles.

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Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Fill the eggs ALMOST full (I overdid it just a little in this photo)

Bake about 9 minutes.

Level the tops (eat the scraps) and “frost” with white candy melts.

Pipe the frosting and add sprinkles. TA DA!

Chicken Pot Pie

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Lorinda

Chicken Pot Pie!

We’re at that awkward time between winter and spring, where I don’t know whether to cook hearty meals or start pretending the weather is nice and the green foods I find at the grocery store are fresh and wholesome. A hearty meal won today!

I’ve given you a link to one of my pot pie recipes before, but I changed it up a little (I try never to use canned soup now) and like this version much, much more. Hope you’ll agree.

If you’ve followed any of my posts, you know that my unofficial motto is: “If it’s worth making, it’s worth doubling.” Seriously – if it’s worth the time to make something, make a LOT of it and freeze it. You’ll be glad when you’re caught with unexpected company or just don’t feel like entering your kitchen.

This pot pie recipe makes two generous pies. Freeze one and inhale the other! Click on this link for my favorite pie crust recipe. You’ll have to double it, of course.

One to eat…

and one for the freezer!

Here’s my version, but as always, feel free to customize it to your tastes. Add mushrooms, celery, herbs, bacon, broccoli, green beans, cheese…well, you get the idea. Anything goes!

Chicken Pot Pie

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Serves: 6

A rich chicken pot pie with a flaky crust - a hearty meal that is good enough to serve to company!

Ingredients

4 large chicken breast halves (about 5 pounds)
3 cups sliced carrots
3 cups cubed potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup chicken grease
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅔ cup flour
1½ cup chicken broth
2½ cups milk
salt, pepper to taste
Pie crust - enough for 2 deep-dish shells and 2 top crusts

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Place chicken breasts in baking dish and bake until done - about 1 hour. Remove from heat and reserve ½ cup of the grease.
While chicken cools, peel carrots and slice. Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Cover potatoes with cold water until ready to use.
In large saucepan or deep fry pan on high heat, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the carrots. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and add them to the carrots. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the chopped onions and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the chicken grease, butter, and garlic. Stir until butter melts and the mixture is bubbly.
Add the flour gradually, stirring constantly. It will turn into a thick ball of dough. Stir and cook for one minute, turning heat down a little if it begins to brown.
Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring well. You may want to switch to a whisk here.
Add the milk gradually, Whisk continuously! The mixture should slowly thicken.
Reduce heat to low and allow the mixture to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The goal is to make a design on the top of the sauce with the whisk or spoon, and watch it disappear quickly. In other words, not too thick, not too thin. Add more liquid if it's too thick. You may use cream if you want a richer sauce.
Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
Heat oven to 400 F.
Remove the meat from the chicken and chop into generous bite-size pieces.
Drain the cooked vegetables and add the chicken. Add the frozen peas and stir to combine.
Divide between the two pie crusts, just to the top of the pan. Refrigerate any extra filling for another use.
Pour half of the sauce over the filling in each pie.
Cover with top crust. Cut vent holes in the top crust.
Bake at 400 F. for 45 minutes, or until the crust is a rich light brown.
Allow the pie to sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

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Pot pie ingredients. Um…except I forgot garlic, chicken broth, and peas 🙂

Cook carrots 3 minutes (they take longer than potatoes) then add ‘taters.

Cooking the fats and flour.

Pour sauce over meat and veggies.

Dig in!

This is the ultimate comfort food. I remember loving those nasty little frozen pot pies from the grocery store, even though they always were so hot they burned my mouth and accidentally finding meat in them was a real bonus. This pie…THIS PIE…is so much better than those. It’s packed full of chunks of chicken and vegetables that are easily identifiable. No comparison! Make a couple of them this weekend and you will never even pause in the freezer section again.

Mint Bombe

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Lorinda

Do you remember my Brownie Bombe from last December? I thought I’d try a mint version for St. Patrick’s Day, and it turned out yuuuuuuuuumy!

An ice cream bombe is always an impressive dessert, and yet it’s really very simple to make. The trick is to start early – at least a day before you plan to serve it. The bombe must be frozen between layers, then frozen overnight for best results. To make it even simpler you could use boxed brownie mix, jarred hot fudge sauce, and a large tub of non-dairy topping, but making these things from scratch is really easy, I promise.

This mint bombe was made with two ice creams: Mint Brownie and Vanilla. I only used two ice creams this time because I added a core of mint fudge. Feel free to use any ice cream flavor you like; you can’t go wrong with this dessert!

Mint Bombe

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Serves: 12

A core of mint fudge sauce, surrounded by ice cream, surrounded by brownies, surrounded by whipping cream. Mmmm.

Ingredients

One batch of brownies (recipe below)
Two cartons (1.5 quarts each) ice cream
Mint Fudge Sauce (recipe below)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons creme de menthe (or 2 drops of green food coloring)

Instructions

Prepare a 2-quart bowl by lining with foil. Lightly oil the foil.
Press pieces of brownie against the foil, making a thin brownie shell. Make sure all of the foil is covered, but leave approximately ½ –inch of foil showing at the top of the bowl. Reserve the remaining brownies; these will be used at the end.
Remove your first flavor of ice cream from the freezer to let it soften for 10-15 minutes. Put the brownie-lined bowl in the freezer while the ice cream is softening.
With a spoon or rubber spatula, press a layer of ice cream over the brownie layer. You will use the entire carton of ice cream. Bring it all the way to the top of the brownie, keeping the layer as uniformly thick as possible.
Return to the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
Remove the second container of ice cream from the freezer and let it soften for 10-15 minutes.
Fill the center with softened ice cream, almost to the top. With a wooden spoon handle, make a hole in the center for the fudge sauce. This should make the layers of ice cream the same height. If not, add a little more of the second flavor to make the top even.
Fill the hole with mint fudge sauce.
Return to the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
Remove from freezer and crumble the remaining brownies over the top, pressing firmly.
Cover the bombe with foil or plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Lift the bombe out of the bowl using the foil. Turn flat side down on serving platter and remove the foil.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Add in the crème de menthe or food coloring if you are using it, and “frost” the bombe.
Decorate with sprinkles or candy shamrocks. For best results, freeze again until the whipping cream is firm (but it can be cut right away if you’re ready to serve.)

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Brownies:
1 cup powdered cocoa
3 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease and flour a 10×10” (or 8×12 or 9×12) pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the melted butter, oil, and vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
6. Spoon into prepared pan and level with a spatula.
7. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Don’t overbake.

Mint Fudge Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup mint chocolate chips (or use semi-sweet chocolate and add a few drops of peppermint extract)
1/2 cup cream

Combine all ingredients in a small pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently until chips are melted and the sauce is completely smooth. Pour into a small bowl to cool and thicken.

Press brownies into the foil-lined bowl.

Add a layer of mint ice cream. Freeze until firm.

Add vanilla ice cream, make a hole, and pour in mint fudge sauce!

Add a brownie top (which will actually be the bottom…)

“Frost” it with whipped cream.

Freeze, slice, and serve!

St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, so start one of these this weekend! Seriously, if the bombe in-progress sits in the freezer for 4 or 5 hours between steps, that’s perfectly fine. Work it around your schedule! Even if you don’t serve it for a few days, as long as it’s covered up in the freezer, it will come out perfect.

A sweet little Irish wish for you:

Sláinte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mná go deo!
(Health to the men and may the women live forever)

Okay, maybe a little nicer:
May your home always be too small to hold all of your friends.

Sundae Swirls

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Lorinda

When we moved from the city to the country seven years ago we knew we would be making some concessions. There would be no malls, Starbucks, pizza delivery, or ballet. What we didn’t understand, and trust me, we might have reconsidered, was that there would be no Dairy Queen.

We used to live less than ten minutes away from our local DQ and often flipped a coin to see who’d make the drive for Peanut Buster Parfaits or Buster Bars. Every once in a while one of us will suggest that the other “run down” and get one of these treats, and then we laugh like hyenas. After seven years I thought I had successfully managed my addiction.

Then I visited my son in California, and was treated to a Buster Bar. Vanilla ice cream with fudgy, peanutty layers. The longing hasn’t left me since.

So…there I was, sitting in my chair, fantasizing about Buster Bars, when an idea for a cookie came to me. The inspiration may have been from DQ, but the cookie took on a life of its own. And it only took me two tries to get exactly what I imagined: a vanilla dough with swirls of chocolate and peanuts.

Maybe if I put a glob of vanilla ice cream between two of them….

Sundae Swirls

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes approximately 36 cookies

Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup coconut oil (you may substitute shortening if you prefer)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons vanilla (yes...you want a LOT of vanilla flavor!)
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled (chips are fine...semisweet or milk)
1½ cups lightly salted Spanish peanuts

Instructions

Cream together the coconut oil (or shortening) and butter.
Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat well.
Add the milk, vanilla, and eggs. Beat for one minute.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
Working with half of the dough at a time, place the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Dust the top with flour and put another piece of parchment over the dough. Roll out into a 12-inch by 8-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you. Use your hands or a spatula to shape the dough if necessary to get the sides straight.
Spread half of the melted chocolate on the dough, leaving a ½-inch clean edge, and sprinkle with half of the peanuts.
Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough like you would for cinnamon rolls. It may help to use the parchment to lift and help roll the dough. Try to keep it snug, with no air pockets.
Roll up the roll of dough in the parchment and place in the refrigerator. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Allow the rolls to chill for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Slice the rolls into ½-inch slices and place 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until they begin to brown. For softer cookies, bake them to a golden brown. For crispier cookies, let them get a little darker.
Cool thoroughly on racks until the chocolate is firm.

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Put dough on floured parchment and roll it around to coat lightly

Yes, I roasted my own peanuts. I do NOT expect you to do that!

Roll dough out to 8″x12″. Spread with chocolate and peanuts.

Use the parchment to help roll it up

Rolled and ready to wrap in parchment and chill

Chilled and sliced

Ready to bake

Baked to perfection!

These cookies won’t drip down my chin or give me brain freeze, but I guess if I get to hankerin’ (that’s how we talk here in the country) for a DQ fix I could pop a couple of them in the freezer and get my “frozen treat” experience. Sigh.

Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Lorinda

By now you may have realized that my cohorts (my mental health support group…my partners in crime) and I are on a roll! We had so much fun with our December group post featuring cakes that we decided to create a new series of recipes each month. We brought you dips in January. February was “Love and Food”. Now we are “Celebrating Green and Welcoming Spring” with recipes that include a naturally green ingredient. This was a little challenging for me since I love to make EVERYTHING green on St. Patrick’s Day, using copious quantities of green food coloring…which was not an option.

Zucchini was my “green” of choice, and I added a little spirulina (you can buy a small amount of it in bulk at most natural food stores) to deepen the color of a chocolate swirl zucchini bread. I originally used Irish Cream in the recipe, but even with the spirulina it just wasn’t green enough, and though it was tasty, I really wanted a little more flavor. Chocolate mint is a combination I love, so I swapped out Creme de Menthe for the Irish Cream and was very, very satisfied. Not a natural green source, of course, but I figure the zucchini and spirulina bought me a little leeway.

Either way is good, so I’m leaving the choice up to you. Or, if you really don’t want to use booze, you can always substitute milk and add teaspoon of peppermint extract for flavor.

Chocolate Mint Zucchini Swirl Bread

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups grated zucchini
4 eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup buttermilk (or regular milk and a teaspoon of lemon juice)
¼ cup strong coffee, cooled
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
⅓ cup creme de menthe
¼ teaspoon spirulina (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Prepare two loaf pans by greasing and flouring, or using an oil/flour spray (like Baker's Joy)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and walnuts. Add the grated zucchini and toss to coat.
In medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Add the oil and buttermilk and whisk until combined.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients (don't put the medium bowl in the sink - you'll use it in a minute) and stir just until most of the flour is incorporated. Put half of the mixture back in the medium bowl.
To one bowl add the coffee and melted chocolate, and stir until it is combined. Don't overstir!
To the other bowl add the creme de menthe and spirulina. Stir until just combined.
Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between the two loaf pans. Pour the green mixture over the chocolate mixture and swirl a little with a rubber spatula or table knife.
Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cooking time will depend on the size of your loaf pans. When I used slightly smaller pans the bread took a few more minutes to bake.
Remove pans to a rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before turning the bread out. Allow bread to cool completely before cutting.

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Dry ingredients in one, liquids in the other.

Add liquids to dry ingredients.

Adding chocolate and coffee to half the batter

Pour the green layer over the chocolate layer

Give it a swirl!

Cooling before they’re sliced

Mmm, mmm good.

Here are links to the other recipes this month. Please visit the ones that have already been posted – there are some impressive ideas from some very talented gals – and then check back because I’ll add the new recipe links as they’re presented.

3/4/14 Pistachio Blueberry Cupcakes, from Baking In a Tornado
3/5/14 Key Lime Chiffon Cake, from Crumbs in My Mustachio
3/6/14 Colcannon Cheesy Potatoes with Kale, from Lemony Thyme
3/7/14 Asian Salad with Chicken, from Tampa Cake Girl
3/10/14 My Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread
3/11/14 Roasted Tomato Spinach focaccia with Parm from Cooking from a SAHM
3/12/14 Lox Me Up and Throw Away the Key from Moore or Less Cooking Blog
3/13/14 Maple Poached Pear Salad with Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese from Hun…What’s for Dinner?

and still to come:

3/14/14 Manila Spoon

The Rowdy Baker

Irreverent offerings from a compulsive baker.

Monthly Archives: March 2014

Sweet Sugar Eggs

Fly on the Wall – March

Deviled Cakes!

Chicken Pot Pie

Mint Bombe

Sundae Swirls

Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread