Chocolate Zucchini Bread

It is no secret that cakes and breads are not exactly "healthy." This is a problem because I love to bake and I especially love to eat what I bake! This chocolate zucchini bread is great because it is fluffy, moist, chocolaty, AND relatively healthy! There is absolutely no flour or sugar in this recipe but you would never know it by tasting the bread! I think it actually tastes more like a chocolate cake than a bread!

To make this chocolate zucchini bread you will need:

• 1 cup ALMOND BUTTER
• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 1/8 tsp SALT
• 1 Tbs VANILLA
• 1 tsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 cup ZUCCHINI, shredded (squeeze as much of the excess water out as possible)
• Optional: 1/3 cup NUTS (I used pecans)

Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then put the almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, eggs, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Use a handheld mixer to blend on a medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the vinegar and baking soda to the mixture and blend for another 30 seconds.

Next, fold in the zucchini and the nuts with a spatula.

It won't exactly look pretty... but I promise it tastes good!

Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes depending on how much water you were able to get out of the zucchini.

Note: I would recommend checking the bread with a toothpick every few minutes after the first 25 minutes until it comes out clean.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature!

I cut my bread into pieces that were 3/4 to 1 inch thick which gave me about 10 slices.

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ALMOND BUTTER
• 3 Tbs HONEY
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 1/8 tsp SALT
• 1 Tbs VANILLA
• 1 tsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 cup ZUCCHINI, shredded (squeeze as much of the excess water out as possible)
• Optional: 1/3 cup NUTS (I used pecans)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Put the almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, eggs, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Use a handheld mixer to blend on a medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Add the vinegar and baking soda to the mixture and blend for another 30 seconds.
4. Next, fold in the zucchini and the nuts with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. 
6. Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes depending on how much water you were able to get out of the zucchini. Note: I would recommend checking the bread with a toothpick every few minutes after the first 25 minutes until it comes out clean.

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I adapted this recipe from the following blog: http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/organic-chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/

Strawberry Scones

I made these scones last weekend and they turned out to be delicious! I ran across this recipe online when I was searching for new things that I could make with some leftover buttermilk. I rarely buy buttermilk, so when I have it around I want to use it!

To make 6 large strawberry scones (or probably 8-10 medium sized scones) you will need:

• 3/4 cup (FROZEN or FRESH) STRAWBERRIES, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/4 cup GRANULATED SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 stick very cold UNSALTED BUTTER, cubed
• 3/4 cup BUTTERMILK
• 1/2 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

For topping:

• 1 & 1/2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER, melted
• 2 Tbs LARGE CRYSTAL SUGAR or GRANULATED SUGAR

Start off by chopping the strawberries into bite sized pieces. Then stick them in the freezer while you prepare the dough. Freezing the strawberries will prevent the juices from oozing when you mix them into the dough making the dough too wet. (If you use pre-frozen strawberries you obviously don't have to wait around for the strawberries to freeze which makes the process go faster!)

Cut the stick of butter into cubes and then put it in the freezer with the strawberries to allow the butter to get very cold! When your strawberries are pretty frozen (this could take about an hour if you use fresh strawberries) preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well to make sure all of the ingredients are equally dispersed. Next cut the cold butter into the flour using either a pastry cutter or two knives. You want to end up with pea sized balls of butter in a coarse flour mixture.

In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the buttermilk mixture and frozen strawberries over the flour mixture.

Gently mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients with a spatula until the dough just starts to form. (I had to add a few extra tablespoons of buttermilk to get the dough to come together. If you need to add more liquid be careful to not add too much, add it one tablespoon at a time!)

Once the dough will just hold together, (I should still be kind of crumbly!) form it into a rectangle on a floured surface. Press the dough out to be about 1 & 1/2 inches thick.

Next, brush the melted butter onto the dough and sprinkle the sugar on top. The sugar will almost create a crust on top of the scones once baked.

Cut the large rectangle into 6 pieces and then transfer them to the baking sheet. You could cut the scones into smaller pieces if you don't want such large scones.

Then bake for 25-30 minutes! Look how much they grew!

 Don't they look yummy!

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Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:
To make 6 large strawberry scones you will need:

• 3/4 cup (FROZEN or FRESH) STRAWBERRIES, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/4 cup GRANULATED SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1 stick very cold UNSALTED BUTTER, cubed
• 3/4 cup BUTTERMILK
• 1/2 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

For topping:

• 1 & 1/2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER, melted
• 2 Tbs LARGE CRYSTAL SUGAR or GRANULATED SUGAR

Directions:

1. Chop the strawberries into bite sized pieces. Then stick them in the freezer while you prepare the dough. 
2. Cut the stick of butter into cubes and then put it in the freezer with the strawberries to allow the butter to get very cold! 
3. When your strawberries are pretty frozen (this could take about an hour if you use fresh strawberries) preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well to make sure all of the ingredients are equally dispersed. 
5. Cut the cold butter into the flour using either a pastry cutter or two knives. You want to end up with pea sized balls of butter in a coarse flour mixture.
6. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the buttermilk mixture and frozen strawberries over the flour mixture. Gently mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients with a spatula until the dough just starts to form. (I had to add a few extra tablespoons of buttermilk to get the dough to come together. If you need to add more liquid be careful to not add too much, add it one tablespoon at a time!)
7. Once the dough will just hold together, (I should still be kind of crumbly!) form it into a rectangle on a floured surface. Press the dough out to be about 1 & 1/2 inches thick. 
8. Next, brush the melted butter onto the dough and sprinkle the sugar on top. The sugar will almost create a crust on top of the scones once baked.
9. Cut the large rectangle into 6 pieces and then transfer them to the baking sheet. You could cut the scones into smaller pieces if you don't want such large scones. Then bake for 25-30 minutes! 

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I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found on the following site: http://www.breadtastic.com/quick-breads/tartines-strawberry-buttermilk-scones/

Banana Muffins

These muffins are soft, moist, and extremely flavorful! They are the best banana muffins I have had in a long time. They are incredibly easy to make and you don't even have to dirty any dishes!

To make 12-15 of these delicious muffins you will need:

• 3 ripe BANANAS (about 1 cup mashed)
• 2 EGGS
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 3/4 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp CINNAMON
• 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped WALNUTS or PECANS

To minimize the number of utensils you will need, measure all of the ingredients with a 1/2 measuring cup and 1/4 teaspoon. Then use either a large freezer baggie or a medium sized bowl to mix the ingredients up in. If you use a baggie, you can just throw it away after the muffins are made, no clean up! I didn't have a baggie big enough so I just used a bowl. (One bowl isn't bad though!) Another perk to using a baggie is that you can seal it and use your hands to mix the ingredients together where you need a fork or spoon to mix the ingredients in a bowl.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Then line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Start making the batter by mashing the bananas.

Mix in the eggs and sugar, making sure that eggs are incorporated before adding the sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. When the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the oil, vanilla, optional nuts, and then mix well.

If you are using a baggie, snip the bottom corner off the baggie creating a small hole and squirt the batter into the cupcake papers. If you are using a bowl, you will have to simply pour the batter in. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full with batter. (I skipped the cupcake papers and the muffins still turned out great!)

Bake the muffins for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean!

I know the muffins look a little bit dark around the edges because I didn't use cupcake papers, but they aren't hard or burnt tasting at all!

These muffins are so good! You can't eat just one!

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Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe BANANAS (about 1 cup mashed)
• 2 EGGS
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 3/4 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp CINNAMON
• 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped WALNUTS or PECANS

Directions:

To minimize the number of utensils you will need, measure all of the ingredients with a 1/2 measuring cup and 1/4 teaspoon. Then use either a large freezer baggie or a medium sized bowl to mix the ingredients up in. If you use a baggie, you can just throw it away after the muffins are made, no clean up! I didn't have a baggie big enough so I just used a bowl. (One bowl isn't bad though!) Another perk to using a baggie is that you can seal it and use your hands to mix the ingredients together where you need a fork or spoon to mix the ingredients in a bowl.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Then line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. (I skipped the cupcake papers and the muffins still turned out great!)
2. Start making the batter by mashing the bananas. 
3. Mix in the eggs and sugar, making sure that eggs are incorporated before adding the sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. When the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the oil and vanilla and mix well. 
4. If you are using a baggie you can snip the bottom corner off the baggie creating a small hole and squirt the batter into the cupcake papers. If you are using a bowl, you will have to simply pour the batter in. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full with batter. 
5. Bake the muffins for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean!

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I got this wonderful recipe from the following blog: http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2013/10/the-best-banana-bread-muffins-ever.html

Kahlua Pecan Pie

If you like pecan pie and you like Kahlua then you will definitely love this pie! I got a bag of pecans for Christmas so I decided to try this pie out. It is basically a pecan pie with a Kahlua kick and it is wonderful!

To make this delicious creation you will need:

•  1 (9 inch) PIE CRUST, chilled (Either store bought or home made. Click here for my favorite pie crust recipe!) 
• 1/4 cup BUTTER
• 3/4 cup SUGAR
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• 3 EGGS
• 1/2 cup KAHLUA
• 1/2 cup DARK CORN SYRUP
• 3/4 cup EVAPORATED MILK
• 1 cup PECANS, chopped

Start off by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Next, take the chilled pie crust dough and place it into a 9 inch pie pan. Carefully press the dough into the corners of the pan so that the dough lines the bottom and sides of the pan. Then tuck the overhanging dough on the edges under itself and pinch with your fingers.

I didn't pre-bake the crust, but I may try that next time. If you choose to pre-bake the crust I would recommend making an aluminum foil tent around the crust once you have added the filling to prevent it from burning. (As seen in the picture below...kinda...)

Ok, now to make the pie filling! In an electric mixer cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour.

Then, one at a time, mix in the eggs.

Once the eggs are well incorporated add the Kahlua, corn syrup, evaporated milk, and pecans. Mix well!

Pour the mixture into the pie pan and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F.

After the 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue baking for another 45-50 minutes.

Allow the pie to cool and then serve either at room temperature or chilled! Don't forget to garnish with a healthy scoop of whipped cream!

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Kahlua Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

•  1 (9 inch) PIE CRUST 
• 1/4 cup BUTTER
• 3/4 cup SUGAR
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• 3 EGGS
• 1/2 cup KAHLUA
• 1/2 cup DARK CORN SYRUP
• 3/4 cup EVAPORATED MILK
• 1 cup PECANS, chopped

Directions:

1. Start off by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Next, take the chilled pie crust dough (either home made or store bought) and place it into a 9 inch pie pan. Carefully press the dough into the corners of the pan so that the dough lines the bottom and sides of the pan. Then tuck the overhanging dough on the edges under itself and pinch with your fingers. 
• I didn't pre-bake the crust, but I may try that next time. If you choose to pre-bake the crust I would recommend making an aluminum foil tent around the crust once you have added the filling to prevent it from burning. 
2. In an electric mixer cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Then, one at a time, mix in the eggs. Once the eggs are well incorporated add the Kahlua, corn syrup, evaporated milk, and pecans. Mix well. 
3. Pour the mixture into the pie pan and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. After the 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue baking for another 45-50 minutes. 
4. Allow the pie to cool and then serve either at room temperature or chilled! Don't forget to garnish with a healthy scoop of whipped cream!

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Strawberry Parfait

Just looking at the pictures of this strawberry parfait makes me want to go make myself another one! It is sweet from the strawberries, a little tart from the Greek yogurt, and has a nice crunch from the granola. It is pure perfection! By the way, did you know that 'parfait' literally means 'perfect' in French?! 

To make this 'perfect' treat you will need:

• 5-6 oz. VANILLA GREEK YOGURT
• 5-7 STRAWBERRIES, diced
• 6-8 Tbs GRANOLA

I started off by making some of my favorite granola and then diced up some strawberries.

I then layered them into a small glass with the vanilla Greek yogurt. I added about half of the yogurt to the bottom of the glass, then put in about 3 tablespoons of granola, and lastly about 3 diced strawberries. I then repeated this process with the rest of the yogurt, granola, and strawberries.

That's all there is to it! Now dig in and enjoy!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

I just opened a shop on Etsy and these beautiful Christmas cookies are for sale!!

These scrumptious sugar cookies are perfect for holiday parties, gifts, or just to create a little extra holiday cheer! Each cookie is hand decorated with vanilla royal icing and range in height from 3.25'' to 3.75''. For more information go to: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheHungryHood

Please message me if you have any questions about the cookies, or special requests!

Scroll down for some close up shots of the cookies!

Snowman:

Christmas Stocking #1:

Christmas Stocking #2:

Christmas Tree:

Candy Cane:

Stars:

Another shot of all the cookies!

Buche de Noel

I went to my first Meetup on Sunday and of all things it was a baking Meetup! Unfortunately it started to snow about an hour before the event so I ended up being the only person (out of 15) that showed up! It really worked out in my favor though because I ended up getting several hours of one-on-one time with the hostess who is an experienced baker! I was able to ask her all kinds of questions and benefit from her experience. As you can see in the pictures we made a buche de Noel! 

We used a vanilla sponge cake, filled it with a rum pastry cream, and topped it with a chocolate ganache! Then we used marzipan to make mushrooms and holly leaves for decoration!

With some coaching, I think it turned out pretty darn well!

Close up!

One more, just because I'm proud of it!