Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

We have been given some huge zucchinis by some friends from church and I didn't know what to do with them! Then I remembered that one of the ladies in our previous church brought some chocolate zucchini bread and I got to taste it there and couldn't believe it had vegetable in it! It was so moist and really tasty and with no hint at all that there's zucchini in it, just plain good chocolate yummy-ness in each bite. I was hooked!

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Am always delighted to have left-over bananas as these yummy fruits provide us an excuse to make one of our staple quick bread recipes - Banana Nut Bread. My kids, however, are not always keen with the "bread with nuts" version so to accommodate them, I often make another version loaded with chocolate chips or chunks. However, since we are huge dark chocolate fans, we almost always use the 70% chocolate bar or the bittersweet chocolate for our baking, banana bread included. That way, it doesn't become overly sugary in taste but provides a nice yummy contrast to the sweet bananas.

Feel free to use either choco chips or chunks. But one tip I highly recommend to make anything you bake with chocolate yummy - make sure you use a good quality chocolate - preferably one that you actually eat, not the baking kind. With this you can be assured that your sweet creation is totally scrumptious and full of yummy chocolate goodness! Hope you enjoy this moist and delectable Dark Chocolate Banana Bread!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 stick Butter, softened*  

3/4 cup Sugar 

3 very ripe Bananas

2 Eggs, room temperature

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Orange/Lemon juice 

Grated zest of one Orange or Lemon (optional but great for extra tang and flavor!)

8 oz (1 cup) 70% Dark Chocolate chunks or Chocolate chips 

*To soften the butter, take it out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature about an hour before you need it.  In case that's not possible here's a good  link on how to soften a butter quickly.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan or  you can use parchment paper to line your loaf pan, too. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the softened butter and sugar until whipped-creamy roughly 5-6 minutes. A stand mixer would be quite handy with this.

Peel and mash the bananas. If you wish you can put the bananas in a food processor to hasten the process and make sure it's smooth. Do this while the mixer is beating the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and continue to beat until smooth and no more lumps appear. Pour in the lemon or orange juice and the grated zest. Beat just until combined.

Fold in the dry ingredients (flour mixture). Gently fold in the chocolate chips or chunks. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Dreams (Part 1)

Please note: To find the recipe, find the photo of the yummy sweet treat you are looking for and then click on the link underneath. That should lead you to the recipe. This is a collection of recipes from our blog and other amazing food bloggers. 

By this time, if you are a regular follower of this blog, it has become obvious that we are addicted to chocolate. I am not much of a sweets person (hence there are more savory recipes than sweets here) but I make an exception when it comes to chocolate. Actually, it is my hubby who turned me into a chocoholic. He just loves chocolate especially the bittersweet variety. 

Chocolate Brownie Waffles

Hubby was very kind to give me a waffle maker as gift for Mother's Day. Actually, I have always wanted one so when he asked me what I wanted, I didn't hesitate to say - waffle maker. We are somewhat practical that way, we ask each other what we need and then when we get it, we are actually happy because we know it's something that we need and there's no need to go back to the store because we didn't like what we got. Of course, birthdays are another story, this is when we surprise each other and not let each other know what we are actually getting. That way, we get the best of both world. But it helps that hubby and I know each other fully well after 11 years of marriage so we usually end up with gifts that we truly love and not anything weird. That's a blessing....but I divert.

3-Ingredient Nutella Brownies

Oh Nutella, isn't it one of the most amazing food invention? You can add this to any recipe (dessert, of course) and it just transforms it into something divine. This is why I love to experiment with it and use it whenever I can. And so far, everything I have added it into has become a family favorite, whether in a cheesecake or in cookies and now in brownies.....I wonder what next?

No Bake Chocolate and Caramel Crunch Bars

This is a wow recipe, simply wow! Not only because it's a No Bake super-easy recipe but because it is totally scrumptious. Layers of pecan crumb crust, delicious caramel filling and then melted chocolate on top - how can you ever resist that?

Nutella Chocolate Chunk Cookies

By this time, if you follow our blog, you already know that we love Nutella. Not that we eat it on a daily basis, however, when we buy a big jar on occasion, I make sure that a portion of it is used or converted into something yummy! After all, who really can resist a recipe that has Nutella in it?

Salted Chocolate Hills

I have attempted to make some snacks for hubby and myself that are healthier and do not contain all the bad stuff that comes from processed food. After some trial and error, I was finally able to make these coconut chocolate almond balls that were really delicious and great for nibbling when your stomach is grumbling. Now, I could have easily just named these as Chocolate Almond Balls or something like that  but hubby had a better idea. 

When he saw what these little chocolate balls looked like (quite dark brown), he said it reminded him of the famous natural wonder in the Philippines called Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Please find below the photo of what the Chocolate Hills look like. From a distance these tiny cone-shaped hills look like chocolate-covered mountains especially during the dry season when the grass has thinned out. He then told me why not name this particular dish - Chocolate Hills as they sort of look like them. Perhaps I need to work more on shaping these little mounds into cone-like structures so they look quite similar to the Chocolate Hills. In the meantime, I thought this should do. What do you think? :)

These little nibbles are a great snack as they are not overly sweet (you can adjust the sweetness to your taste) and has a great contrast of sweet and salty flavors. Since I only used natural sugar such as honey or maple syrup as sweetener, it's actually good for you. Also, these are completely gluten-free, raw, vegan and truly delicious! Enjoy each yummy bite!

Photo credit here.



Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups shredded dried Coconut
1 cup Almond Flour
3 oz dark Chocolate (70-80 %) or 1/3 cup raw Cacao Nibs*
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1-2 Tablespoons Honey
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*As Cacao Nibs are unsweetened (not sweet and slightly bitter), you may have to increase the amount of honey or maple syrup by an additional 1-2 Tablespoons or  to taste.

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients and pulse in a food processor until well-blended. Continue to process until it has a paste-like consistency (a little sticky). Shape into balls by using your hands or use a rounded tablespoon to shape them into hills. Or, if you're not bothered about shaping it just eat with a tablespoon!

Enjoy these yummy snacks!

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No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

We love sweets in our family! Too much, I think!!! And if there is one dessert that we all can agree on - it's got to be cheesecake - it's pretty obvious as I now have about 4 cheesecake versions on this blog and yes, there'll be more to come. We simply cannot resist the creamy, sweet and rich nature of this delectable dessert! It's especially better when mixed in with some chocolate, right?

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oh muffins! They are a family favorite and definitely one of the first ever baked treats I have ever tried. The first one I have ever attempted was a blueberry muffin recipe. I was so excited when it came out edible. That's what happens when you are a first time baker. :) I discovered that the muffins are even better when I use fresh or frozen Michigan blueberries; they are the best!

Chocolate Marble Cake

I confess I am not much of a baker. I am often intimidated by baking techniques especially when it comes to cakes. I have done a few cakes here and there but they are often pretty simple and uncomplicated. You may notice that a lot of my cakes are cheesecakes as not only are they my true favorite, they are quite easy to make. One of those cakes I have often wished to make was a marble cake. Before, just thinking about attempting one scared me so I postponed making one for the longest time.

Chocolate Applesauce Cookies

Chocolate and applesauce flavored cookies that are melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. So flavorful and light, you simply can't have just one!

I have a splitting headache as I write this post tonight so am afraid you won't get much of a write-up with this cookie recipe. Suffice it to say these chocolate and apple flavored soft cookies will become your kids' favorite. I can say that as my two tots absolutely loved these. Oh yes, hubby and I had a fair share of these cookies, too. So flavorful and quite light, you simply can't have just one. They are uncomplicated to assemble too so even your kids can help you make these. Make it a baking weekend and make these with your family. Please enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Even when I was in the Philippines, chocolate crinkles have been a huge favorite of mine. I was in college then and though I had often wished to learn how to bake these gorgeous cookies, I never dared to do it. I suppose it doesn't help when you don't really have a proper oven at home....lol :) Nonetheless, I knew that someday when I got married, I would have to learn to make these beauties. That day has arrived.

Valentine Desserts

Wondering what to make for Valentine's Day? Look no more, here's a fantastic line-up of fabulous Valentine's desserts! Make any of these and you're sure to please your loved ones! Enjoy

Chocolate Pecan Pie

The ultimate dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas - CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE! This is superbly yummy, easy and looks so pretty, too!

Ok, I wanted 2013 to end with a big bang and I also wanted to welcome 2014 with something big, therefore I have decided to write this delicious recipe as my final post for the year. I love nuts and chocolate, so it is but appropriate to make a dessert that has both - CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE!

I honestly don't know if there's anything else that sounds as yummy as that combination! I leave that judgment to you so without further ado, here's a super-scrumptious dessert that is the fitting end to what has been a truly wonderful year for blogging! Thank you so much dear readers for your continued support and loyalty to our blog. I wouldn't still be blogging if not for your amazing help and encouragement. I hope you enjoyed all the posts of 2013 as much as I enjoyed writing each and everyone of them.

Looking forward to 2014 and beyond!







For the crust:

Ingredients

1/4 cup Pecans
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup brown Sugar
1/2 Salt*
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
6 Tablespoons unsalted Butter, sliced into 6 parts

*Preferably sea salt, if you can find it.

Handy tool: Food processor

Procedure
                   
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until nicely browned.  You can also dry-fry (roast) the pecans on the stove top using a small skillet. Just be careful not to burn it.

Grease or butter a 9-inch pie pan/plate.

In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and the toasted pecans until coarse. Add the butter and pulse until everything is combined.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pie plate, patting the dough along the sides of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

For the Pie Filling:

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted Butter, melted
1/2 cup brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt*
2 Eggs, room temperature
3/4-1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract (optional)
2 cups Pecans
5 ounces, dark eating chocolate (60-70 % Cocoa), coarsely chopped

*preferably Sea Salt, if you can find it.

Procedure

In a bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar and salt. Add the eggs, vanilla extract (if using) pecans and the chopped chocolate and quickly stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into the cooled crust. You can opt to re-arrange the pecans in a pattern like I did but if you're in a hurry, this is unnecessary. You can just dump all in the crust.

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. Please enjoy!

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Banana Eggnog and Chocolate Loaf Cake

For us the holidays are not complete without Eggnog. I have never had this drink until I came to the US and immediately fell-in-love with it. I feel like I am drinking custard sauce when I have it and that's why I love it. And yes, I have even used it as custard on cakes and definitely as creamer on my coffee. Even though I have had it for years, I have never attempted cooking or baking with it. I thought 2013 would be the year to make something with eggnog. I didn't have to think hard as to what I wanted to use it for. I already planned to use up some browned spotty bananas for a cake and decided to add some eggnog to the mix. The eggnog taste is quite subtle on the batter itself  hence I decided to add some eggnog glaze. Of course to make it even more scrumptious, I threw in some choco chips! Anything is good with chocolate, right?

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You can never have enough Christmas cookies. My kids love cookies so occasionally I indulge them by making a batch of choco chip cookies that they truly love. I was about to bake another set of cookies when I thought of adding some Christmas colors to them - still chocolate cookies but with specks of red and green. Thankfully, it's the time of year when holiday M&Ms are aplenty so I grabbed a pack from the store for baking and for nibbling, too. To double the chocolate goodness I added a bar of Ghirardelli dark chocolate which I coarsely chopped and lovingly folded into the cookie batter. The result is a luxurious and truly scrumptious Double Chocolate Chip Holiday Cookies. Crisp on the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, full of chocolate goodness that practically melts on your mouth - see below for proof....need I say more? Please enjoy in moderation. :-)

No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

Last summer, I made a luxurious White Chocolate Cheesecake that I paired with fresh Raspberries. It's been an instant hit not only at our house but in the blog too as it is one of our most popular recipes. That was inspired by a cake we once tasted at a friend's house in England. Hubby fell in-love with it (being a huge chocolate and cheesecake fan!) and urged me to make a version of the same. That gave birth to the summer fresh raspberry version. When our friend Amy, blogger at Crumbs In My Mustachio invited me to join her and other bloggers for the 12 Cakes of December feature project, I readily said yes because in my mind I knew I had to make a winter version of this delicious summer cheesecake.

Coconut Cherry and Chocolate Bars

Once a month we have a Fellowship Dinner at our church. That means we are requested to bring a salad or appetizer, a main dish and some dessert. Oftentimes, I focus more on doing the main dish as I often try to make a Filipino dish which depending on the recipe can require some prep time. It is during this time when I wish to make a simple dessert that won't compete for attention with the main dish. So I did some google search and looked for a dessert that uses a cake mix, after all I already had one on hand, it was just a case of what do I do with it.

Triple Chocolate Wacky Cake with a Dark Chocolate Ganache

Hubby and I love to entertain in our home. Nothing fancy, it's just great to have people around and talk to them and get to know them better. Often I try to inquire whether some of them have dietary restrictions or they inform me that there are certain foods that they need to avoid for some health reasons. That was the case when we invited one of our friends over for dinner. She mentioned she cannot have dairy as her constitution does not agree with it. It wasn't much of a problem for me to make a menu without dairy as many Filipino dishes hardly use it so that's fine.