#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Chocolate Truffle Bread

If you look at my recipe index, you'll find a whole list of quick breads, but none that are chocolate. It was about time I changed that! Rather than use the chocolate chips that the original recipe called for, I took some Lindor truffles we had hanging out in our pantry, cut them in half so that the liquid centers were exposed, and dumped the pieces into the batter. I had no idea how this would affect the bread, but it ended up forming gooey pockets within the bread, mostly in the center of each mini loaf. I of course loved this little touch, but I think using 2 cups of chocolate chips would yield a similarly yummy bread!

The crumb on this bread was perfect--tight but not at all dry. These sliced neatly and I noticed that the chocolate flavor developed over the few days they lasted wrapped up in the fridge. The original recipe yielded two regular sized loaves, but I couldn't resist the chance to use my mini loaf pans. If you use regular sized pans, you'll need to increase the baking time by at least 10-15 minutes, but check them frequently so you don't overbake!

As if the chocolate bread wasn't decadent enough in and of itself, I had some leftover peanut butter cream cheese frosting in my freezer (from the breakfast brownies!) that I thawed to spread on slices (thanks for the idea Karly).

One Year Ago: Italian Pasta Salad


Chocolate Truffle Bread
adapted from Food Network (Paula Deen)


Ingredients:
-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-2 cups sugar
-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 cups milk
-1 cup vegetable oil
-3 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 dozen Lindor chocolate truffles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour 4 mini loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Beat in milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla at medium-low speed, just until combined.
4. Cut truffles in half and add to batter, mixing to combine.
5. Divide batter evenly among the 4 prepared loaf pans (about 2/3 full for each). Bake 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Place loaf pans on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each loaf before removing from pans. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

This post is linked to Eat at Home.