TWD: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

This weeks tuesday with Dorie was chosen by Heather of Sherry Trifle. 

I really really love a nice, spicy gingerbread. It makes you think of the holidays all over again.

When I saw this weeks choice was gingerbread, I got excited.

I decided, at the last minute to not put the chocolate icing on top, I think it was probably cause I was just lazy, but i'm sure it would've tasted great.

I had it for dessert, but the rest of my family nibbled on some pieces for breakfast the next morning. This was a great, tasty recipe!

Thanks Heather!

Brioche !

No TWD this week, way too stressed with finals. =/

But I DID try a different recipe from Dorie's book. This Brioche recipe.

After making those sticky buns, I really got inspired to try and make breads.

So I went through Dories book and found this recipe.

I'm not going to lie, it does take work, and a lonnnng waiting time(hours for rising INCLUDING the overnight fridge chill). But let me tell you...it was SO worth it!

After they're out of the oven, you have the most amazing, mouth watering smell of fresh baked bread. My kitchen smelled like a pastry shop. It was fantastic.

It was really hard to wait until the loaves finished cooling, before my family and I sliced right into them. But that first, warm bite was alllllll worth it. Sweet, flakey, and DELICIOUS!

My parents even said it was one of the best breads they'd ever tasted! And it really was.

I sliced, and toasted these and served them with dinner. But they should really be toasted with jam and butter for breakfast. Mmmm. 

I'm not going to post the recipe, cause it's way too long to type, but if you have Dories book(pretty much everyone), I highly recommend trying it.

Pecan Sticky Buns

EVERYTIME my grandparents come over and i've made some dessert,my grandpa ALWAYS begs me to make him pecan stick buns. He tells me the stories of how when my mom was growing up he'd constantly make all these homemade breads, and rolls, and buns, and that sticky buns were the best thing he's ever made.

Well, i've never made sticky buns before, so I was very excited to start. This recipe is from the Better Homes baking book, and didn't look too hard to do. And to my excitement, wasn't at all!

My grandparents were just arriving as I was inverting them onto a plate, and the house smelled absolutely AMAZING. After dinner, I served them to my grandpa and waited anxiously for his reaction. After a nice big bite, all of a sudden he JUMPS up and gives me the BIGGEST hug ever. He said they were amazing, and one of the best sticky buns he's ever had! I was so happy! Even my dad had 2, and my brother warmed up 2 this morning for breakfast! 

If you like sticky buns, I recommend making these for your families. It'll make you feel SO good.

Pecan Sticky Buns

from the Better Homes baking book

2 tsp active dry yeast

1-1/4 cups warm water

3 tblsp butter, softened 

3 tblsp sugar

2 tblsp nonfat dry milk powder

1 tsp salt

3 to 3-1/4 cups bread flour

FILLING:

1/3 cup butter softened

1 tblsp sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

SAUCE:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, sugar, milk powder, salt and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. punch dough down. turn onto a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16in. x 10inch rectangle. spread with butter; sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. roll up jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal. cut into 12 slices; set aside.

4. in a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup; cook over medium heat until the sugar is disolved. stir in pecans. pour into a greased 13x9in. baking pan. place rolls cut side down over sauce. cover and let rise until double about 1 hour.

5. bake at 375 for 20-25 min. or until golden brown. cool for 3 min. invert onto a serving platter.

DEVOUR!

Banana Banana Bread

I had 6 insanely ripe bananas sitting on my counter today, and my mom told me I should do something with them or she was going to just throw them away.

Well, you don't just throw away ripe bananas!

So I came across this recipe on the Allrecipes website and it had 3,522 reviews ALL say how absolutely AMAZING this banana bread was. Of course I had to try it out.

I'm happy to say those 3,522 people were so right! This really was the best banana bread recipe.

Although, this really isn't a dessert, but more of a breakfast bread cause of basic and not as sweet it is compared to a banana "cake". I really recommend trying this.

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed bananas (aprox. 5-6 bananas)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture, stir just to moisten. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in oven for 60-65 min. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

DEVOUR. 

TWD: Black and White Banana Loaf

"This sh*t is bananas...B-A-N-A-N-A-S!!"

Come on, it's not like you don't use that song to help you remember how to spell the word "BANANA"...or maybe that's just me...

Kay, onto the food.

One of my top 5 FAVORITE quick breads to eat, and bake is banana bread. I think it's also cause i'm a big banana freak. ANYTHING with banana in it, i'll eat. I grew up eating banana breads, mostly cause my grandma had a great banana bread recipe that she gave to my mom, and my mom gave to me...buttt today's recipe isn't from my grandma. It's from, of course, Dorie. This weeks tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Ashlee from A Year in the Kitchen.

I loved how it included both the chocolate and banana flavors together. Such a great pairing if you ask me. Annnnd, it has just a little bit of rum added to the bananas, that just gives it that nice touch.

Black and White Banana Loaf

from Baking from my home to yours

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 ripe bananas, peeled

squirt of fresh lemon juice

grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tblsp. dark rum

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick plus 2 tblsp. unsalted butter, room temp.(10 tblsp.)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

Butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-x-2 1/2-inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on 2 regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with the lemon juice and zest, then stir in the rum.

 Melt the chocolate and 2 tblsp. of the butter in a microwave oven, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.

Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining stick of butter(8 tblsp.) at medium speed until creamy, about 3 min. Add the sugars and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. The batter will look curdled, and it will continue to look curdled as you add the ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in the milk, and when it is blended, add the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.

Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into the prepared pan, then, using a table knife, swirl the batters together, taking care not to over do it.

Bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and if the cake starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 min. before unmolding, then cool the cake to room temp. right side up on the rack.

MAKE THIS...you WON'T be disappointed at all.