Sunday, January 20, 2013

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts


Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.



Artichoke Cheese Toast


1/4 cup butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 French bread loaf (about 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to BROIL.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichoke hearts, Mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and sour cream to the skillet and stir to blend. When completely combined remove from the heat.
Slice the bread lengthwise. Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly onto the bread. Broil for about 4-7 minutes or until cheese has melted an bread is hot. Do not walk away. Watch the bread closely or it could burn.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins

230 grams (1 3/4 cups) self raising flour
150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
113 grams (1/2 cup) melted unsalted butter
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tbsp Nutella, at room temp

Pre-heat your oven to 180C or 350F. Line your muffin tins with paper liners, or usesilicone trays like I did.
In one bowl combine your flour, sugar & salt. In another combine your eggs, butter, mashed bananas & vanilla.
Tip one into the other and gently fold together.
You want your batter to be thoroughly mixed, but still lumpy and utterly hideous. (A smooth batter makes horrible banana bread, trust me.)
Divide your mixture between your cases, each one should be just about half full.
Take a teaspoon of slightly warm Nutella and pop a blob (technical term) onto the centre of each muffin. Use a cocktail stick or skewer to swirl the Nutella into the muffin without turning the whole thing chocolatey.