Wake-Up Cocoa Quick Bread

Recipe from SmallKitchenCara via Food52

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes one 9”X5” loaf

The recipe author describes this quick bread as a loaf cake inspired by pain d’epice, but made with cocoa and espresso powder rather than spices and honey.  I prepared this for my family for the holidays as a breakfast treat.  I was delighted that both my grandchildren absolutely loved it.  Each morning, Sandrita and I had it toasted and spread with Chocolate Nut Butter Hummus and Luis had it un-toasted and unadorned.  (I also ate a sliced apple with it while the children ate bananas.) This bread, once completely cooled, freezes beautifully.  It’s definitely a keeper and will now become a holiday breakfast tradition.

Cooking oil spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole wheat flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

4 Tablespoons good quality cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa powder.)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 large egg

1 ½ cups milk

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Spray a 9”X5” loaf pan with cooking oil and set aside. (I used a parchment paper loaf liner and sprayed it with cooking spray.  You could probably butter the pan and sprinkle in some unsweetened cocoa powder, tapping out the excess to prepare the pan.)

Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine the butter with the sugar and espresso powder.

Add the egg, beating to distribute evenly, then pour in the milk.

Using as few strokes as possible, stir in the dry ingredients.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is dry and is slightly cracked.  (I also checked using a toothpick in the center of the loaf.)

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 

Remove the loaf from the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Moist Mocha Chocolate Cake with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
16 servings (1 serving equals 1 square)

If you are looking for a moist, scrumptious cake that’s not too sweet, this is the ticket.  The cake itself is good enough to eat on its own or with a little whipping cream or a dip of ice cream or with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. The frosting is quite nice, but if you are looking for a really sweet frosting, this is not it. When I first made this cake, we had a couple workmen at the house.  One said that he needed another piece to make sure he liked it J The other loved the cake, but thought I should’ve put a thicker layer of the frosting.  In a nutshell, this cake is a winner and I will definitely make it again.   

Cake

Cooking spray
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1½ cups low-fat yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water
2 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (I used bittersweet.)
Frosting

1 (8-ounce) bar Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese) or cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon coffee liqueur or vanilla
1 small square dark chocolate

Arrange rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk together flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl, then sift ingredients through a fine mesh strainer.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and oil. Add eggs and egg whites and whisk to incorporate. Fold in yogurt, vanilla, sugar and dissolved espresso powder. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 90 seconds or over a double boiler. Fold chocolate into batter.
Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated; do not overbeat. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.  While cake is cooling, make the frosting.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until soft and creamy. Spread frosting evenly over cake and cut into squares. Finely grate one small square of chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the cake.

Nutritional Information per Serving:  195 calories; 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat); 42 mg. cholesterol; 237 mg. sodium; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.5 grams fiber

Coffee Crème Brûlée

Coffee Crème Brûlée is crispy sweet on top and creamy underneath.  Yummy!

Recipe from La Cascata: Kauai, HI via Bon Appétit  

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 8

When you need to make a lovely dessert for a small crowd, this will fill the bill very nicely. It has a wow factor because sugar is “burnt” on top and leaves a beautiful sweet crust, which the dessert spoon must break through to get to the creamy deliciousness underneath.  Begin preparing this a day before you plan to serve it. The sugar is caramelized quickly under the broiler, but a small blowtorch (made for the kitchen) works well, too. 

4 cups whipping cream

1 cup plus 8 teaspoons sugar (divided)

2 Tablespoons coarsely ground espresso coffee beans

(You can substitute medium roast coffee beans coarsely ground for the espresso beans.)

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 large egg yolks

1 large egg

Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large roasting pan.  Place eight 3/4-cup custard cups on top of the towel. (The towel will prevent the custard cups from sliding around.) Combine cream, 1 cup sugar, ground espresso beans, instant espresso powder and cinnamon stick in heavy large saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar and espresso powder dissolve. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 30 minutes. Strain through fine sieve.  (You can also use a cheesecloth for this.)  Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk egg yolks and egg in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. (You may wish to strain through the sieve again to make sure the mixture is very smooth.  It’s easier to do the next step if you pour the mixture into a bowl with a lip for pouring the mixture into the custard cups.)  Divide among custard cups in pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups.  Bake custards until center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Cool; refrigerate uncovered overnight.  Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard. Place custard cups on baking sheet. Broil until sugar is brown and caramelized, rotating baking sheet to broil evenly and watching closely to avoid burning, 1 to 2 minutes. Chill custards 1 hour. 

The custards, resting on a towel in their water bath, are now ready to go into the oven.

Hold the flame about 2 inches from the top.  Move the flame in a circular motion until the sugar melts and forms a smooth surface.