Hide the Zucchini

There's a new game at our house - hide the zucchini. Our sorry garden failed to do much with the peas, tomatoes and corn we planted, but outdid any expectations with the four zucchini plants we planted. This was about three too many plants!
So, there has been an effort to find new recipes for zucchini! Two from this week are muffins and chocolate cake. I'll be looking for more because there are now several bags of grated zucchini in the freezer waiting for future recipes.

Zucchini Bread (made into muffins)           

My muffins didn't hold their rounded top shape well,
I think because the batter is so moist. I may try
adding oatmeal for a drier batter. 

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons orange juice

½ cup canola oil (I used lemon infused olive oil)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine orange juice, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda; mix well. Add orange juice mixture; stir until just combined. Fold in zucchini and pecans.

2.     Pour into two 8x4-in. loaf pans (or 24 muffin cups) coated with cooking spray. Bake 60-65 minutes (22-25 minutes for muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I have found that a more sure way of checking for doneness is with a food thermometer. When muffins are completely baked, the internal temperature will be 120°.  These still looked moist on top, and I would have baked them longer and perhaps overbaked them if depending on appearance. They are a very moist product, zucchini makes most baked goods very moist. I recommend keeping them in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE                                    

I didn't even get the photo before
a piece was cut out!

 ½ cup (8 tablespoons) butter

½ cup vegetable oil

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream buttermilk, or yogurt

2 ½ cups all purpose-flour

¾ cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons expresso powder, optional but tasty

3 cups shredded zucchini

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

2.     In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth.

3.     Beat in the eggs.

4.     Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt alternately with the flour.

5.     Add the cocoa and espresso powder, mixing until smooth.

6.     Fold in the zucchini and ½ cup chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

7.     Bake the cake for 30 – 35 minutes, until the top springs back lightly when touched, and it seems set. (I needed a few more minutes until the top ‘set’.)

8.     To ice the cake: Slide the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it evenly with 1 cup chocolate chips, and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until a cake tester (toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean.

9.     Remove the cake from the oven, and use a cake spatula to spead the chocolate chips into a smooth glaze. Cool on a rack.

My note: I didn’t find this glaze method very satisfactory, so I used a ready made frosting which can be thinned to glaze consistency in the microwave.

Many are not familiar with the cake batter mixing method of alternately adding dry and wet ingredients. I remember being taught this in 4-H Foods many years ago, and that you start and end with the dry ingredients, but wasn’t sure why, except it incorporates the ingredients better. From King Arthur Flour’s website, here are the explanations.

First, whisk dry ingredients together to evenly incorporate the ingredients and avoid lumps. Start and end with dry ingredients because there is usually more of the dry ingredients then the wet  ingredients.

This alternating of ingredients in smaller amounts is to not ‘shock’ the air out of the batter by dumping in a lot of flour or splashing in a lot of liquid all at once. By adding these ingredients a little at a time the air bubbles are preserved and the cake will be lighter.

This method also helps the butter batter absorb the liquid more easily. Otherwise, the eggs and butter or oil could only hold so much liquid and the result would be a separation of the batter, which makes a heavy cake.

Starting with the flour brings the batter together to help absorb the excess liquids and helps prevent the batter from separating. This also helps make a lighter cake.

There’s your food science lesson for the day!

Jello - Take 2

A few months ago (blog of April 23) I wrote of the waning and rise of popularity of Jello. These desserts and salads make an easy to make and take dish. A recent meeting of our Extension women's group seemed to be the Day of Jello, as several varieties were presented.
This month I've made a couple of good recipes that I'll do again. The Rhubarb Pear Gelatin makes a good tart/sweet dessert or salad and used one of my favorite flavors - Rhubarb. It is from a Taste of Home magazine of 13x9 (pan) recipes. The Creamy Orange Fluff salad is from Kids A Cookin', (http://www.kidsacookin.org)  K-State Extension website for children's recipes. We made it in quantity to serve 120 for Vacation Bible School supper and I didn't get a photo. But it was well liked!

Rhubarb Pear Gelatin                                              

 3 (3-oz) packages strawberry gelatin

2 cups miniature marshmallows, divided

4 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb

2 cups water

⅔ cup sugar

2 cups cold water

1 can (15 ¼ oz) sliced pears, drained and chopped

1.     Place the gelatin and 1 cup marshmallows in a large bowl; set aside.

2.     In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Remove from the heat; pour over marshmallow mixture, stirring to dissolve gelatin. Stir in the cold water, pears, and remaining marshmallows.

3.     Transfer to a 13/9-in. dish. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until firm.

Note: using frozen rhubarb is actually better; the freezing process breaks up some of the fibers and makes the rhubarb softer.

Orange Fluff Salad        

1 container (12 oz) low fat cottage cheese

1 package (3 oz) orange gelatin

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple with juice

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup whipped topping

Directions: 

Combine cottage cheese and gelatin powder in mixing bowl.

Fold in pineapple, drained oranges and whipped topping. 

Chill until serving time. 

Peppered Parmesan Veggie Bread

The National Festival of Breads was a month ago, and I'm still enjoying trying the recipes and enjoying the memories of friends and connections that were there. Patrice Hurd, a finalist in the FOB, is one new friend. I was fortunate to be assigned to be Patrice's assistant during the contest. That meant I could be her 'go-fer', I could do almost everything but touch the ingredients. And I didn't have to wash the dishes - they were sent away in a plastic tub to the hotel kitchen to be returned clean (although still wet).
Patrice enjoys baking as a winter activity, and in northern Minnesota, there is a lot of winter. She has baked for her family most of her life and passed the skills and traditions on to her daughters and now grand-daughters. That's my hope too; Daughter loves to cook and bake, and in the future I hope to be teaching Granddaughter some kitchen love. One of the things I noticed with many of the FOB finalist recipes is the addition of special and sometimes unusual ingredients to add a special taste to the recipe. This Veggie Bread has carrots, spinach, and steel cut oats; all which add nutritional value and taste.
With each recipe, I learn new things. Working with Patrice I appreciated her organized methods of making three preparations of her recipe as she dove-tailed the steps and times. She has written this recipe in a clear and orderly manner, notice that you are directed to use the food processor with the drier ingredients first, so it is easier to clean. I also learned to use a 'lame', which is a double-sided very sharp blade used to slash the tops of bread loaves. The importance of weighing ingredients and checking the temperature of the loaf to determine doneness were also techniques most of the contestants used.

Peppered Parmesan Veggie Bread 

The loaves shine as Patrice brushes
them with melted butter.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dried minced onion

½ teaspoon ready-to-use minced garlic

3 tablespoons light olive oil

2-ounce wedge Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into a few pieces

2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 ½ cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, divided

2 to 2 ½ cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour, divided

2 (¼-oz) packages Red Star Platinum Yeast

¼ cup dry steel cut oats

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons coarsely cracked multi-colored peppercorns

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ cup dry buttermilk powder

1 ¼ cups water

1 large egg

1 cup firmly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped

½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1.     Combine onion, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl; set aside.

2.     Pulse cheese in food processor until finely chopped (will be about ½ cup) and remove. Finely chop enough carrots in food processor to measure 1 cup and reserve.

3.     In a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle, mix together 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour, 1 cup bread flour, yeast, oats, salt, pepper, sugar, and buttermilk powder.

4.     Heat water to 120° to 130° F and pour over the dry ingredients; blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Mix in egg, spinach, olive oil mixture, cheese, and carrots. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes.

5.     Stir in remaining white whole wheat flour (1 cup) and enough bread flour (1 – 1 ½ cup) to form a soft dough. Remove paddle, cover dough with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Knead dough with hook until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (I have trouble kneading with the electric mixer, my dough seems to be too sticky, so I started the process in the mixer, then transferred to a floured surface to complete the kneading.) Transfer dough to a greased bowl; cover, and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

6.     Lightly grease two 9”x5” loaf pans. Deflate the dough and divide into half. Shape into loaves by rolling each piece of dough into a 14”x7” rectangle. Starting with shorter side, rollup tightly, pressing dough into roll. Pinch edges and ends to seal. Place in pans, seam-side down; cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 45 to 60 minutes. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 375° F.

7.     Using a sharp knife or lame, cut three diagonal slashes, ¼” deep, in each loaf. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of the loaf registers about 200°F. Remove loaves from oven. Brush with melted butter and after 5 minutes turn out onto a rack to cool.

Lots of healthy ingredients-
carrots, spinach, cheese, oats, and more!

Mixed, kneaded and ready to rise.

Using the lame to slash the loaves.

Baked - use a thermometer
to check the doneness - 200 degrees.

Tasty! We've eaten it with butter as a side,
with peanut butter & jelly, and as a sandwich
with turkey. Its good in all these! 

Pudding Swirl Loaves

Jane Fry of Elk Falls, KS

Each recipe has the baker or cook's special touch. Part of the fun of National Festival of Breads is learning the unique touch that the finalist brought to her recipe. I've learned new ingredients and new techniques as I've explored this year's recipes.
Jane Fry was the first Kansan to be a NFB finalist. I've know Jane for years and it was exciting to see her recipe and visit with her again at the contest coordinated by Kansas Wheat Commission. Jane is talented in many ways, besides being a master baker, she and her husband create beautiful pottery at their Elk Falls studio.
The unique feature of Jane's bread is the dry pudding mix used in the filling. Her original recipe uses dark chocolate instant pudding in the filling; for the preparation I did this week I wanted a lighter, more summery taste and I used lemon pudding. The pudding adds a sweet tasty flavor to the bread, the lemon flavor went well with fresh fruit for a summer morning. I'm looking forward to trying other flavors and using the chocolate pudding for a Christmas treat. These loaves are also shaped in a new way that may be attributed to Jane's experience with shaping and forming pottery.

Chocolate Swirl Loaves                                                  

the chocolate pudding mix adds a
rich color and flavor to this recipe

Dough

1 large egg

Approximately 2 cups water (80 degrees F)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons (1 oz) salted butter

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup King Arthur Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour

2 ½ to 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

2 ½ teaspoons Red Star active Dry Yeast

Filling

6 tablespoons melted salted butter, divided

1 (3.56-oz) box dark chocolate instant pudding dry mix, divided

1 tablespoon melted salted butter; for brushing on loaves

Directions

1.     Break egg into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and fill to the 2-cup line with water. Place dough ingredients into bread machine pan and set on dough cycle. Add additional water or flour as needed to form a soft dough.

2.     Lightly spray two 8” or 9” round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, deflate it, and divide in half. Cover one half until ready to shape.

3.     Roll other half into a 12”x12” square. Brush 3 tablespoons melted butter, covering the entire dough, and sprinkle with half of the dry pudding mix, about 4 ½ tablespoons.

4.     Tightly roll dough into a log, jellyroll style, and pinch seam together to seal. Place long seam-side down and lightly pat to 12”.

5.     Using kitchen shears, cut log lengthwise down the center, cutting completely through the log, stopping 1” from the end. Twist pieces together keeping cut edges up. Position twist in the pan (like a wreath) snipping the final 1”
 of dough. Twist, tuck and pinch dough to make ends meet. Repeat with other half. Cover loaves with plastic wrap and let rise 40 to 50 minutes, until almost doubled. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

6.     Bake 30 to 40 minutes. If needed, tent bread with aluminum foil during the last part of baking to prevent over-browning. The bread is done when it’s golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted registers about 200 degrees F. Remove loaves from oven and after a few minutes, turn out onto a rack and brush with melted butter.

roll up jelly roll style

flatten, snip and twist
you can see the ribbons of pudding

wreath shape into pan for baking

baked and golden

a summer morning brunch on the deck!