Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 February 2014

Banana and Chocolate Bread (incl. recipe)

When there are bananas that are too far gone to be eaten and enough ingredients in the cupboard, it would be rude not to make some sort of banana bread. I've made it a few times so this time I thought I would add a chocolate twist. Ok so a banana and chocolate bread is nothing original, but I fancied it.

 





Recipe:

225g self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
115g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
Splash of milk
100g chocolate (I used Galaxy but you can use whatever suits your taste)

1. Preheat your oven to 160 celsius / 325 farenheit / Gas Mark 3, and line your tin with baking paper.
2. Melt 2/3rds of the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn. Set aside.
3. Mix together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Lightly whisk the eggs and add to the mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition of the eggs. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a little sifted flour.
5. Mash the bananas and stir in to the mixture, along with the milk.
6. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and combine.
7. Drizzle the melted chocolate in to the mixture and stir lightly so you get a swirl effect .
8. Pour the mixture in to the tin and bake for approximately 1 hour (this may vary slightly depending on your oven. Mine can be a little temperamental). Check the bread is cooked by inserting a skewer and checking it comes out clean.
9. When cooked, leave for a few minutes in the tin then turn out on to a cooling rack.
10. Melt the remainder of the chocolate and drizzle over the top. Either cut straight away and eat warm or leave to cool and enjoy later.

Happy baking! 




Thursday, 13 February 2014

Homemade Valentines Day Cookies

This year I decided to make Paul some Valentine cookies. Of all the things I bake, my cookies are his favourite, so I knew he would appreciate and enjoy them. I had to make them and give them to him early though as tomorrow we are off to Venice (my Valentines and one of my Christmas presents from him. I know you can't really compare cookies to Venice!).

I usually make these with sugarpaste on top for decoration but as he prefers them without it I did some plain and some with chocolate decorations. I used a chocolate flavoured piping icing which I found at the supermarket and some chocolate curls. Paul said they were my best cookies yet - high five to me!