Moist Zucchini Carrot Bread

 

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."

- Jim Davis

 

 

Isn't this a great time of year? Harvest time! I've got carrots and zucchini fresh from the ground, raspberries and blackberries ready for picking, and lots of ripe apples on my trees.

 

Carrots from my garden

 

I'm not the best gardener in the world, and I've only kept a garden for maybe 5 years, but I'm always amazed that I'm able to actually grown something! Every single time I harvest something from my garden it feels like a complete miracle to me.

 

 

Zucchini from the garden

 

Carrots, zucchini, and green beans are vegetables I grown every year. (I usually grown pumpkins too, but not this year.) I grow zucchini really just to make quick breads from it. And also because it's so darn easy to grow, I'm so proud of myself when I see those torpedo sized zucchinis! I practically jump for joy, as if to say, "I did it again!" "Yes!" When in truth as long as I water them regularly, (or if I get lucky and it rains) it has very little to do with me. That plant wants to grow. It's alive. It has an agenda. To live, to thrive! Zucchini plants just so happen to have a stronger will than some other more finicky plants.

 

 

Raspberries ready for picking - (Don't mind the chicken in the background.)

 

I know, I know, you're not supposed to let them get that big, but when I'm really just growing them for bread, and for other shredding purposes, like fritters, I don't think it matters. But I don't let them all get that big, I do harvest some when they are small, for slicing and cooking simply, in olive oil and fresh rosemary. And I admit, I don't always mean to let them get that big, sometimes it's an accident. It seems they get that huge overnight.

If using huge over sized zucchini like I did, remove the seeds by slicing the zucchini down the middle lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. If using small zucchinis from the grocery store, there is no need to remove the seeds.

 

Since I like baking with zucchini, I wanted to create another quick bread recipe to utilize the vegetable. (See also my Triple Chocolate Zucchini bread) Since I had fresh carrots on hand, I decided to add those as well. The result is a moist, nicely spiced, carrot cake like, bread.  

 

At times like this, I am very grateful to have a food processor to shred stuff for me.

This bread is so darned versatile, I love it. I added raisins, but you don't have to. You can add any other dried fruit instead, like dates or dried chopped apricots, or omit them altogether. I added walnuts, and I sort of do think they are needed, but if you have someone who's allergic, or you absolutely hate nuts, leave them out, I'll understand.

Carrots from my garden

These can even be made into muffins! Or small loaves! Or any shape your little heart desires. (I don't really think your heart is little, it's just an expression.)

This recipe is super easy, really you just mix up dry ingredients, then wet, then add the carrots and zucchini.

 

This bread is super easy too. You really just stir it all together. You only need a few bowls, a whisk and a spoon. No mixer needed.

 

I like to soak raisins before using to plump them up

This bread has a special little treat. A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is added to the top, to give a not too sweet bread, a little something special.

Add the drained raisins and nuts and it's ready for the pans

If you have zucchini haters in your family, no worries. They will hardly be able to tell that it's there. You can't taste it at all. Just make sure they don't look at it too closely, they may detect the little green specs of color and run the other way.

I made one large loaf, 2 small loaves and 2 small rounds. For the large loaf I used a parchment paper sling to easily remove the loaf from the pan. I don't think it's necessary for the smaller ones. I added more nuts to the top, as well as a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Happy fall! Soon I will be decorating for Halloween and stopping by Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte (and my obligatory birthday cake pop, I can't seem leave Starbucks without one.) It's the little things in life that bring me joy, you know?

 

Right out of the oven

If you have lots of zucchini like I do, Try my Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread, it's excellent! Seriously, it's amazing, you won't be disappointed.

Chantilly Green Indiana Glass Cake Stand available at House of Lucien.

 

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Moist Zucchini Carrot Bread

 

An original recipe by me, Melissa aka The Alchemist

 

Makes 2 regular sized loaves, or about 6 small loaves, or 24 standard sized muffins

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 1/4 cup (250 g.) brown sugar, packed

 

1 cup (200 g.) white sugar

 

3 eggs

 

3 cups (420 g.) all purpose flour

 

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

 

1 1/4 cup (296 ml.) vegetable oil

 

2 heaping cups (13 oz.) (373 g.) shredded zucchini

 

1 1/2 cups  (6 1/2 oz.) (183 g.) shredded carrots

 

3/4 tsp. salt

 

2 tsp. baking soda

 

2 tsp. baking powder

 

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

 

3/4 tsp. allspice

 

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

 

1/4 tsp. cloves, optional, if you don't like cloves, leave it out

 

1 cup (110 g.) chopped walnuts

 

3/4 cup (90 g.) raisins or dates, or another dried fruit OR go in a whole nother direction and add chocolate chips (if you add chocolate chips the only spice I personally would add in cinnamon - optional 

 

more walnuts for topping - optional

 

cinnamon sugar for topping - optional

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.

 

If using raisins, place them in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let sit to plump while you get the other ingredients together, 10 minutes or so.

 

Combine the dry ingredients, (flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt baking soda, baking powder, and spices) into a large bowl and whisk together, making sure you break up the brown sugar and that it is combined well with the other ingredients.

 

In another large bowl add the eggs and whisk to beat them a bit. Add the oil and vanilla extract and whisk again. Put the whisk down and get a large or wooden spoon. Stir in the dry ingredients to thoroughly combine it with the wet ingredients. Stir in the shredded zucchini and carrots until combined. Now stir in the nuts and strained raisins (if using) or other dried fruit or chocolate chips (if using.)

 

Prepare pans for using. If using small loaf pans or making muffins, grease the pans (or muffin tins) well. If using large loaf pans grease pans, then make a sling by placing a piece of parchment paper one way so it hangs over the sides, then the other way, also hanging over the sides, to create a sling to easily lift the bread out when done. (Also pictured above.) Grease the parchment paper as well. Pour the batter into prepared pans, 3/4 of the way full.

 

Sprinkle more chopped walnuts (if desired)  on top of loaves or muffins and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the nuts (if desired.)

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Times listed below.

 

 - For standard sized muffins about 24 minutes

 

 Bake large loaves for 50 - 70 minutes depending on size of loaf, if a tall loaf it will take longer, while shorter loaves will take the lesser time.

 

Bake small loaves for about 28-32 minutes

 

 

 

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Fresh Rosemary Bread

"With a piece of bread in your hand you’ll find paradise under a pine tree."

 

– Russian Proverb

I made this rosemary bread to eat at a BBQ I hosted. Bread may seem strange to serve at a BBQ, homemade bread even stranger perhaps. Here's the way I see it. When guests come over to my house, I want them to eat well. Of course you want them to eat well, you say! What that means to me is to serve food you don't normally get. Special food.  What that means from one person to the next is subjective. For these particular guests, I know they like bread, for example. I also know that one of them loves dessert and goes on and on about fresh whipped cream.

I used fresh rosemary from my very mature rosemary bush. I've added different amounts in the recipe for mature rosemary such as mine, or rosemary from the grocery store since mature homegrown rosemary is stronger in taste than what you would get from the grocery store.

So for dessert I served a homemade pound cake (recipe coming soon) topped with fresh peaches and lots of really spectacular homemade whipped cream. What made it so special is I used the best cream available to me, Twinbrook Creamery cream. Almost raw, and from Jersey cows, so it's even higher in fat content. I mean this stuff is ridiculous.

My bread rising it's first rise

Bread isn't really special in and of itself, but homemade bread is quite special. The smell that wafts through your house while it bakes is hypnotizing. I mean how often do you get homemade bread?

My dough rounds about to rise for the second time

Since I'm in the kitchen most of the day when guests come, making bread is easy. Most of the time spent is in the rising. I used a Kitchen aid mixer to knead my dough, but even if you knead it by hand, that only takes 10 minutes or so. Definitely worth it. Heck, if you have a bread machine, you could make the dough on the dough setting and just bake off the rounds in the oven.

After the second rise, ready for the oven

This bread in particular is crazy cheap too. I mean it's only flour, yeast, a bit of sugar, some rosemary, (My rosemary came from my garden so I didn't have to pay for it) and a little olive oil.

After baking shortly you brush the bread with oil and top with more rosemary and some coarse salt

This bread is well worth the little effort it takes. The recipe is adapted from Food Network's, Almost Famous Rosemary Bread. It has lots of great reviews with good reason. It's soft and tender, and fragrant with fresh rosemary. I love the crunchy bits of salt that top the bread. It can be dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or simply spread with soft butter.

Right out of the oven!

We ate our bread with a Caprese salad with buratta cheese and heirloom tomatoes. We drank watermelon mojitos made with fresh mint from my garden. Our dinner was kebabs on the BBQ, with 3 different homemade dipping sauces: fresh pineapple teriyaki, chimichurri, and a tzatziki sauce. It was a fun and relaxing warm summer night, filled with laughter, great friends and great food.

Here is the BBQ where I served this bread. The salad is a Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and Burrata. It was delicious!

 

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Fresh Rosemary Bread



This recipe is adapted from Almost Famous Rosemary Bread from Foodnetwork.com

This recipe makes 4 small rounds

The bread is best eaten the same day it's made

Ingredients

1 1/4 oz. packet (or 2 1/2 tsp.) of active dry yeast

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing

2 1/2 cups (312 g.) all purpose flour plus more for dusting

4 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped finely (if you have your own rosemary bush and it's pretty mature, use 3 - 3 1/2 Tablespoons) If you are buying it from the store, use the 4 Tablespoons. OR if using dried rosemary, use 1 Tablespoon

1 tsp. fine salt


For Topping Bread

Kosher salt or another type of coarse salt

1/2 Tablespoon fresh, finely chopped Rosemary - or if using dried also use 1/2 Tablespoon

Directions

Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water (105°–115° Fahrenheit, (41°–46° Celsius) 
in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer.) Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, the rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.) I used a mixer with the dough hook and I needed to add a little more flour. If it feels too wet when done kneading, add more flour until it feels like dough and is not wet or sticky.

Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 6.

Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher or coarse salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.


I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Fresh Cherry Skillet Cobbler

 

"Cooking demands attention, patience, and above all, a respect for the gifts of the earth. It is a form of worship, a way of giving thanks."

 

- Judith B. Jones

We're deep in the midst of the summer fruit season and I'm loving it! Fresh cherries, peaches, and berries, I adore them all. Even tomatoes. A fresh, in season, homegrown tomato is unlike any you can purchase in a mega mart.

Using my cherry pitter to remove the pits

 

Fresh cherries may be my favorite of them all. 

 

Making the batter

In fact, a few weeks ago, we returned from a trip to the Fruit loop in Oregon, where we like to visit fruit farms. We indeed purchased many pounds of cherries. 

 

Melted butter from the oven

Unfortunately, those cherries were gone before I knew it. In previous years I have purchased pounds and pounds of them. On one trip, I brought home and pitted probably 15 pounds of assorted varieties of cherries and froze them. Those are long gone.

I buy vanilla beans online and keep them wrapped tightly in many ziplock bags. They do stay fresh for months. Much better than spending 8 dollars on one dried up bean from the grocery store.

 

It's just so nice to open your freezer in the winter and pull out some delicious summer fruit. You can use them in baking recipes such as this, or in smoothies, or making ice cream or sorbet, the list is endless. 

To use a vanilla bean, you scrape out the seeds and use only them. This leaves the pod, which has lots of flavor left inside. So I always put the empty pod in a container of sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Maybe one of the reasons I love fruit so much is because I love desserts like this one. Crisps and cobblers are one of my favorite desserts.

This particular recipe I based loosely on Michael Symon's blueberry iron skillet cobbler. So needless to say, you can use blueberries, or raspberries, or of course cherries in this recipe. I bet fresh peaches would be great too!

This is a very casual and heartwarming dessert. The batter rises to the top and hugs the cherries, forming almost a cake like cobbler. This is not the type of cobbler I'm used to, but it's tasty nonetheless. The lemon adds a nice dimension to the sweetness of the batter and the cherries, and the vanilla bean makes it special.

Ready for the oven - It's important to put the skillet on a baking sheet so it doesn't spill over

 

 

 I hope you enjoy this beautiful season and it's bounty while it's here. I'm doing my best to by eating gobs of fresh fruit and in season vegetables every day. For I know it will be but a mere moment before they're gone.

 

 

 

 

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Fresh Cherry Skillet Cobbler

This recipe is loosely adapted from Michael Symon's Cast Iron Blueberry Cobbler

Makes one 8 inch cast iron skillet, about 4 servings

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons (80g.) butter

1 cup (140 g.) flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup (236 ml.) whole milk

3/4 cup (150 g.) sugar plus 2 Tablespoons, divided

Juice and zest of one small lemon, or half of one large lemon

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, use seeds only - or if vanilla beans are not available, use 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

2 cups (300 g.) fresh or frozen sweet cherries, like Bing or Rainier cherries - pitted


For Serving

vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream for topping, optional


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.

While oven is preheating, place the butter in the cast iron skillet, then put in the oven to melt.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and the seeds from the scraped out vanilla bean. Stir in the milk, the 3/4 cup of sugar, the lemon juice and zest and whisk together until mixed well.

Mix the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar with the pitted cherries in another bowl.

Remove the skillet with the butter melted inside, from the oven. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Top with the sugared cherries. Place the skillet on a baking sheet, in case some of it overflows it will catch it. Bake until brown and the batter has risen above the fruit, about 40-45 minutes. Make sure the batter has set, and it's not still gooey inside by sticking a sharp knife into the center, if it comes out clean it's done. If it's still wet, it needs more time.

Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, optional.


I hope you love it!

 

Easy Nutella Brownie Bites

 

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.  A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."

 

~Ada Louise Huxtable

 

Oh my, it's Summer, glorious Summer! A time where I want to bake, but the recipe has to be simple, quick, easy and baked at night, after it's cooled down a bit. So a recipe that keeps well is good. And brownies keep well, or I should say they store well, they don't really keep well if they are good (like these) and you keep eating them, if you know what I mean.

 

 

Spray your measuring cup with non stick spray so it comes out easily

And I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while now. You may have seen this recipe around Pinterest, or around the Internet in general. Usually called, Easy Nutella Brownies, or 3 ingredient Nutella Brownies, something like that. They are famous because they are pretty much awesome. And super easy! Everyone loves that.

Stirring up the batter - These are so darned easy, you basically throw a few ingredients in a bowl and stir them together to make the batter.
 

And yes, they are just a few ingredients. It's pretty cool how you basically mix Nutella, flour and an egg and it makes brownies.

Spooning the batter into muffin tins

BUT, this isn't that recipe.

It's slightly different. I made that recipe. I ate one and thought it was good. But for me it wasn't chocolaty enough. I want my brownie to be full of chocolate flavor. So I replaced some of the flour with cocoa powder, and I loved the results. I also added a pinch of salt, and I loved that too.

Right out of the oven

And then just to bring the Nutella flavor home, I frosted the things with the stuff! I think it just finishes them off perfectly. If you like nuts, adding chopped hazelnuts inside as well as on top wouldn't be a bad thing.

These would be great for any Nutella lover. Or great for a party!

And they are seriously easy. So they leave you plenty of time to enjoy this beautiful season!

I frosted mine with Nutella as well as being full of it, and I loved the results

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Easy Nutella Brownie Bites

These brownies are fudgy in the center and sort of cakey on the sides from slightly under cooking them. Make sure you don't overcook them.

Makes 8 brownie bites, but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled


Ingredients

1/2 cup (118 ml.)Nutella at room temperature

1 egg

2 Tablespoons (16 g.) Unsweetened Cocoa

3 Tablespoons (24 g.) all purpose flour

pinch of salt

More Nutella for frosting - optional


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.

In a medium sized bowl add the Nutella, (if it's not already at room temperature, if it's straight from the fridge, put it in the microwave for about 40 seconds first) and the egg and stir until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.

Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, or line it with liners. With a spoon scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Until the edges and sides are set, but the center is still not set. A toothpick should come out clean around the sides, but the middle will be wet. As they cool this will make them fudgy in the middle.

Let them cool on wire racks for 10 minutes or so, then remove from the pan and let cool completely before frosting. If you serve them when they haven't cooled completely they may seem uncooked in the middle. But when they cool they will be fudgy and delicious. Keep stored in an air tight container in the fridge and serve at room temperature. They should keep for 3 days stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!