notes from my food diary

Banana bread appears quite often and almost always expectedly in my household.  What inspired me to bake it again and again is trying out a different flavor combination.  As if to find what makes one banana bread appeals more than the other one.

For the sake of chasing away boredom, I baked one with a riotful flavors.  Yes, it could be quite chaotic in terms of experiencing all kinds of different add-in, but it baked quite nicely and moist.  Test for yourself, maybe you’ll like it too.

Java Streusel Banana Loaf Bread

Yields one 9- x 5-inch loaf

Java Streusel:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup butterscotch chips

Muffin Batter:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup mild coffee or buttermilk

1 cup pureed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup diced firm banana

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Grease one 9- x 5-inch loaf with baking spray and line it with parchment paper on the bottom, grease the paper too.

Make java streusel:  Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture is grainy and coarse.

Make muffin batter:  Cream butter and both sugar in a mixer bowl until well blended.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Pour into the batter with the mixer running in a slow speed.  Next, pour in coffee/buttermilk and pureed bananas.  Fold in chocolate chips and diced bananas last. 

Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Crumble half of the java streusel on half of the batter.  Finally, scoop the last half of the batter and then crumble last half of the streusel on top.

Bake in the middle rack for about 60-65 minutes.  The batter might puff up quite big and as if it will overflow, but it will not.  If the loaf browns too quickly in the middle of baking, lower the oven temperature to 325 degree F (and you could also tent it with aluminum foil) and bake until a cake skewer comes out with little crumbs sticking to it.  Cool on the rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan.  Let it cool completely before slicing.

Source:  adapted from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

There has been a lull in my baking activity.  I didn’t quite plan it but I did feel that I wanted to rest for a while.  Last month I actually tried some recipes, took some food pictures along with it and rewrote the recipes.  I felt a bit burned after that.  I felt a few weeks of not baking anything would be relaxing.  It didn’t mean that I didn’t do anything instead.  On the contrary, my days had been full of other activities.  A week and a half ago, I had a spring break and though the weather was still a bit down my family still enjoyed it.  My husband took some time off for the whole week too so we took advantage of walking for a few mornings in a state park near our house.  The geese were there already since spring has arrived and they could be found near the beach of Willamette River. We also found trillium flowers and skunk cabbage plants which sprung around springtime in the park.  Near the end of the break, we managed to go to Manzanita beach.  We didn’t stay for a night but we did walk on the beach and got a great lunch there.  All in all, this break from baking proved to be a refreshing charge for me. 

Back from a break, I started to think that for some reason I wanted to eat something with coffee flavor in it.  I just wanted something simple and quick, and muffin was the choice at that time.  This cappuccino muffin had cream cheese topping which was sweetened with a bit of sugar.  I love this combination and I hope you too. 

Cappuccino Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Cappuccino Topping

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 teaspoon coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

Muffin Batter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons finely ground instant coffee granules

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup ground almonds

Finishing touches

Cocoa powder

Before you start, preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Place a rack in the middle of the oven.  Generously grease the exposed surface (inner sides) of the pan with nonstick spray and use muffin liners on the 12-cup regular muffin pan.

Make the cappuccino topping:  beat all the ingredients in a food processor until it is smooth, set aside.

Make the muffin batter:  in a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, liqueur, and coffee granules, and blend well.  Stir in the buttermilk and fold the remaining ingredients to make thick but soft batter.

Scoop the batter with a large ice-cream scoop into the lined muffin pan, divide evenly.  Top each evenly with cappuccino topping.  Bake until topping is set and when you stick skewer down the middle, there’s still moist crumb clings to it, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Cool well and dust with cocoa powder.

Source:  adapted from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

I’m married to a man who’s crazy about anything chocolate in bread so I guess it’s my destiny to bake bread every week.  Although I have a bread recipe from my mom that’s good but it takes me a day to do the whole production.  Being such a good wife (right, honey?) I always on the look out for something simpler.  And I think I found my answer in this recipe in Cooking Light magazine last year and I have been wanting to make it since two months ago ;P  I finally had a time to do it last week, boy…I was glad to try it.  This recipe is a perfect recipe to make a quick chocolate-filled bread for me.  The dough didn’t take long to make and since it rested overnight in the fridge, I was free to do something else.  Of course I have to plan ahead whenever I want to make it, but I don’t mind it at all.  Best of all, the bread is still soft even after the day it’s baked.  My only complain was that the recipe stated only 1 1/2 teaspoon of chopped chocolate in it.  I deviated a bit from the recipe, I added about 1/2 tablespoons, but I still found it to be so meager.  Of course, a recipe coming from Cooking Light magazine always has a boundary, but I don’t want any boundary when eating chocolate-filled buns!  Next time I’ll go about 1 tablespoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons of chocolate in it.  This is best eaten the day it’s baked when the chocolate still runny and warm

Chocolate-Filled Buns

Yields 16 servings

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (aobut 7 ounces)

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 packages quick-rise yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups bread flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)

Cooking spray

3 1/2 or more ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 large egg, slightly beaten with little bit of water

Lightly spoon whole wheat flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine whole wheat flour, sugar, slat, and quick-rise yeast in a large bowl, stiriing well with a whisk.

Combine milk, 1/2 cup water, butter, and canola oil in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until mixture is warm (100 to 110 degrees F).  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir 1 minute.  Add egg; stir 1 minute.  Lightly spoon bread flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Add bread flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms.  Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 2 minutes.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; lightly coat top of dough with cooking spray.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and punch down.  Divide dough into 16 equal portions; shape each portion into a ball.  Working with one ball at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll dough into a 5-inch circle.  Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate in the center of circle.  Roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seams to seal.  Place buns, seam side down, on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.  Tuck ends under; cover.  Repeat procedure with remaining dough and chocolate.

Lightly coat dough with cooking spray; cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degree F), free form drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in size.  About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Lightly brush tops of buns with egg wash.

Bake at 375 degree for 17 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

Source:  adapted from Cooking Light magazine, November 2007