Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Mmm!...Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

If you’ve never had zucchini bread, this is one to start with because you won’t believe there’s zucchini in it!  And, if you already like zucchini bread, and if you like chocolate too, you’re gonna love this!

I used a recipe I found awhile back and tweaked a bit to make it my own.  The double dose of chocolate from cocoa & chocolate chips makes this taste more like cake or brownies.  It’s so delicious!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 + 2/3 cups all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cocoa

2 cups finely shredded zucchini, (peeled-optional) gently pressed

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa, mix well then combine with eggs and sugar mixture.  Mix until well combined. 

Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.    

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle walnuts on top.(optional)

Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan onto a rack.

Cool completely before slicing; store well wrapped and at room temperature.

Enjoy!...

Celebration of "World Nutella Day" today!

"Chocaholics know that there is chocolate and then there is Nutella. The creamy and delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread has been around since the 1940s, and despite the many imitations that have appeared in the market, Nutella continues to be the favourite guilty pleasure of chocaholics around the world. It is not surprising that die-hard Nutella fans decided to start the Nutella Day tradition back in 2007. This sweet celebration was launched through social networks by a blogger and Nutella fan, and soon tens of thousands of like-minded Nutella devotees showed their appreciation for the chocolatey delight online.

So, Nutella fans of the world unite! Celebrate the existence of this delicious chocolate spread by grabbing a spoon and getting creative with hundreds of Nutella recipes. Start your Nutella Day with a classic Nutella-on-pancakes breakfast and follow with a shaken espresso with a dash of Nutella. On this day, add Nutella to your cupcakes, ice cream, mousse, or even to savoury dishes. Your imagination is the limit!"

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Happy "Nutella" Day!

~A day to celebrate Nutella, well, that's my kind of day! ...Yes, Please!  This chocolate loving woman most definitely, and happily, is all in for joining in a day of celebration that's all about Nutella.

I love Nutella!  I discovered it late in life, and I must say I have been making up for lost time.  I search for new and exciting ways to use Nutella in recipes now.

I've featured a few recipes here on the blog using Nutella: 

     

    * Banana & Nutella Crepes

         ~This is impressive and delicious!  Enjoy for breakfast, as a dessert, or anytime!

    * French- Toast Stuffed with Nutella & Banana 

         ~Want to bring french toast to a whole new level?  Try this recipe!

    * Nutella Brownie Bites
       ~This recipe has been very popular.  The Nutella Brownie Bites are so easy to make, are made using three ingredients, and they're a must try!

~Here's the latest recipe I have found that is a delicious and decadent dessert idea that's out of the ordinary.  A Dessert Panini. a Nutella-Dessert Panini!  This is something else, and something delicious!  I altered the original recipe that called for marshmallow creme, and used mascarpone-(a sweet Italian cream cheese) instead.  The choice is yours to do whichever you prefer.

Nutella Dessert Panini

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 slices sourdough bread

2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread

1 tablespoon mascarpone 

4 strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons salted butter, softened

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Directions:

Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread one slice of the sourdough bread with a thick layer of the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Spread the other slice of bread with the mascarpone. Layer sliced strawberries on top of the chocolate-hazelnut spread, then top with a sprinkling of almonds. Next place the other slice of bread on top, mascarpone-side down. Press the 2 slices together.

Butter the top side of the sandwich and then put it on a hot panini maker butter-side down. Butter the other side that is now facing-up.  Close the lid and cook until the sandwich is toasted and warmed through. (If you do not have a panini maker, you can grill the sandwich in a skillet, laying another heavy skillet on top of the sandwich to press it together, or use a grill press. Turn to grill the other side of the panini in the same way.)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut in half and serve!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com 

Enjoy!...

Here are some interesting facts about Nutella: Nutella facts -Things you dont know about Nutella

There is also a book: Nutella World: 50 Years Innovation

Thoughts and Things - This week ...Nutella Brownie Bites & More

I admit to having a love affair with Chocolate.  Another would be Nutella.  I love the stuff, and as an adult I have been making up for not knowing about it in my younger years!  It would be untruthful if I said that I only enjoy it occasionally.  Although I don't eat it everyday, I feel like I certainly could or would like to!

I shared a recipe for Nutella Brownie Bites a while back, and let me tell you ...not only are they delicious, they only require three ingredients.  Yes, three ingredients!  With just those few ingredients and a short amount of time, you too can make and enjoy them.  Give these a try!  You can click on the link just below the image for the recipe.

  Nutella Brownie Bites

Being the lover of Nutella that I am, I'm always happy to come across new ways to enjoy it.   And, because there are many more ways you can enjoy Nutella besides simply spreading it on warm toast or on a banana, or just licking it off a spoon ...those are all some of my personal favorites.{wink}

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Here are a few more ideas I found to get you on a Nutella adventure, they all sound delicious to me!  The hardest part will be choosing a favorite.  I think I just might have to try them all!  Sounds like a fun and delicious adventure to me!

Visit the following link: Delicious Nutella Desserts, and you just might discover an even greater reason to love, or fall in love, with Nutella!!

Enjoy!...

    

Nutella Brownie Bites - Three Ingredients

I have a true love for Nutella!  You may already know that about me, but if not let me tell you, I do love the stuff.  Love it!  So how happy was I when I came upon a recipe for Nutella Brownies using only three ingredients even?  Happy-Happy that's for sure, and a little skeptical as well.  But I had to get right on my investigation and see, uh taste for myself.  

Wow!  Nutella-icious is the best way to describe them!  Oh and easy too.  I made some that were plain, and some with chopped walnuts on top.  But the best for me was adding a little something extra special to the tops...more Nutella!  Oh yes!  What's better than a Nutella Brownie Bite?  A Nutella Brownie Bite topped with Nutella!  They're absolutely drool worthy!

Nutella Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

For Brownie Bites-

1 cup Nutella

2  Eggs

10 Tbsp Flour

For Optional Toppings-

Chopped Nuts

Nutella

Mini-Chocolate Chips*

Directions:

Mix together 1 cup Nutella, 2 eggs and 10 Tbsp of flour in mixing bowl.  Using a mini muffin pan and mini-cupcake liners fill each muffin 3/4 full.  Add nuts to the tops.(Optional)  Bake at 350 for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool.  Spread Nutella on tops before serving.(Optional)  Or melt chocolate chips and spread on tops.(Optional)
*Add mini-chocolate chips to the batter before baking.(Optional)  

Recipe adapted from Instructables

S'more S'mores

Say "S'mores" and I think of summertime, and an evening campfire.  Although we can also make them late into the fall sometimes too, since here in the south it is often nice enough to have an evening that is warm with a bit of chill in the air, perfect for a cozy fire in the backyard.  Also having a fire pit in the yard is common now days.  A campfire or backyard fire is always a great time for making and enjoying s'mores.  The thought often reminds me of the many times I would allow my kids and their friends to camp-out in the backyard during the summertime.  They just thought is was the coolest thing, real tents and everything, and especially the campfire!  I liked it because they were right here at home with all the benefits of home, but enjoying the benefits of camping too.  No camp-out would be complete without making s'mores, so they were always included in the plan.  

On one occasion, while having the campfire all ready and the kids excited to make s'mores, I realized I totally forgot to pick up some graham crackers when I had been shopping for all the camp prep.  "Seriously?"  Well it didn't stop me from making s'mores fun.  Sometimes you have to try something a different way.  Luckily I had chocolate chip cookies on hand...Yep, good ole Nabisco Chips Ahoy, chocolate chip cookies.  They were a huge hit, and most of the kids liked them even as much or better than the traditional way.  Personally, I to this day still prefer to make them using those chocolate chip cookies.  Give it a try, you might be surprised and find that you do like them too.  You can still add the chocolate candy bar if you like, or the chocolate chips in the cookies may be enough chocolate for you.  Although there's always room for more chocolate if you ask me!  Toast up those marshmallows and then squish 'em (don't you just love that technical term?), between two Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies, and mmm, mmm!  S'more please!

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This got me thinking about making s'mores cookies.  I found many recipes on my search and there are a gazillion different recipes for s'mores cookies that look easy and tasty, and would offer that s'mores flavor.  I came across a couple that can be made on the grill.  That's something I had never tried.  And who wants to turn on the oven when it's 90 degrees outside?


This S'more Pizza makes for a great dessert, also a fun treat for the kids to put together.  After cooking dinner on the grill, you make dessert on the grill too!  Yummy!

Grilled Chocolate Chip S’more Pizza

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Recipe from  Pillsbury

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I'm a huge fan of Nutella, and I also love bananas so this is very much to my liking.  Another interesting way to make s'mores on the grill.

Banana-Nutella S'Mores

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Recipe from Food and Wine

I think both of these could also be adapted to prepare in the oven.  How about a treat during winter to make you feel like it is summer again?!  I'll have to give that a try later on.  Oh my, did I just say...winter?  Pffft!

No worries!  It's still summertime, it is August 31st, and the temperature was 88° today! ;)...

Chocolate Hugs and Kisses - in pretty recycled jars

I think these would make a great Valentine's Day gift! 

Chocolate Hugs-n-Kisses

in pretty recycled jars

 I did a post about these recycled jars last month, I made a couple to give as Christmas gifts.  

You can find the tutorial for making the Jars here.  Maybe using a sweet little valentine card or a heart shape for the tag attached could be added for extra cute-ness.  Maybe someone you know who also loves chocolate hugs-n-kisses would enjoy receiving these from you!

 I sure do love chocolate, and hugs-n-kisses too!  

Hugs-n-Kisses!...

It's all about Love...and Chocolate!

Art and Chocolate.  Chocolate and Art.  

I thought this was worth sharing.  Love and chocolate...I Love it!

Beautiful and delicious looking artwork for the 2013 Godiva Golden Globes party.  What a beautiful display of love, and chocolate!  I was thinking that perhaps this is where all the unsold chocolate goes, although it is hard to believe that it's even possible to not sell all the chocolate.  However it's even harder for me to think that all this chocolate will go to waste after this!  Sad really for this chocolate lover to imagine any chocolate going to waste!  But this display is beautiful and it's all about love...and chocolate, and I love both!

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"The large Rose and chocolate LOVE installation was inspired by the notion “true love takes two,” this installation illustrates the perfect marriage of chocolate and roses as two ways to communicate love."

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and another

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"The LOVE installation in balloon letters was inspired by the music during the “Summer of Love” and the Beatles’ famed song, “All you Need is Love”

TASTEfully done!

One can never have too much Love and Chocolate!...

Chocolate Crescent Rolls

Warm melted chocolate inside a fresh baked crescent roll.  What's not to love about that?  Add a drizzle of melted chocolate to the top after baking and even better!

A special treat for the chocolate lover in me, and you!  These Chocolate Crescent Rolls are one of my favorite goodies to make for my family, as well as for myself too, of course.  These tasty goodies are nice for breakfast, for dessert, or anytime.  And everyone will love them!  

These Chocolate Crescent Rolls remind me of a morning spent in Paris, France, where we woke to delicious fresh baked pastries and chocolate croissants, along with fresh strawberries and coffee.  After having those I knew I would want to have them again, and again, so I figured I could try to relive that tasty experience thanks to a can of crescent rolls and some chocolate chips.  I've been making these ever since. 

Ingredients:

• 1  can-8oz. refrigerated Crescent Rolls - (8 per can usually, at least two crescents per person)
• 6oz. or half a 12oz. pkg of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Milk Chocolate if preferred

Directions:

Open can of crescents and separate dough into 8 triangles.  At large end of triangle place 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips, fold up corners to make a pocket for the chocolate chips, then roll gently towards the opposite point.  Bake according to package directions on crescent roll can until golden brown.  

Meanwhile melt 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl for approximately 1 to 2 mins, remove then add 1/2 to1 teaspoon vegetable oil to the melted chocolate and stir vigorously.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over baked crescents after they have cooled slightly.  Allow the crescents to cool before eating because the chocolate inside will be very hot.  Serve warm.    

Separate and unroll crescents.

Place chocolate chips at large end of crescents.

Fold up corners to form a pocket.

Roll gently towards thin end to form crescent shape.

Bake according to package directions on crescent roll can until golden brown.

After baking allow to cool, chocolate inside will be very hot!

May serve warm with or without chocolate drizzle on top.

My preference is always more chocolate!

Ready to eat and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies, hmmm?  Well, those who do will also most likely enjoy these chocolate chip cookie bars!  I made these using a packaged chocolate chip cookie mix, and extra chocolate chips for the topping.  So easy and so good!  You could try this using your own chocolate chip cookie recipe if you prefer.  I don't mind letting Betty Crocker help me out, just follow the rest of the instructions and baking time below and it should be fine.  I like options too, and I really like...easy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 package Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix (makes 3 dozen - 2 inch cookies)

1 or 2 eggs  (1 egg for cookie bars - 2 eggs for cake-like bars)

1 stick or 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened(not melted)

1+1/2 to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. (for topping)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F.  Stir softened butter and egg(s) in medium bowl.  Stir in cookie mix until soft dough forms.  Spread cookie dough in ungreased  9" pan.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Continue baking 2 minutes or until chocolate chips are soft.  Remove from oven.  Spread melted chocolate chips with spatula or butter knife.  Let cool before cutting.     

 Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Spread cookie dough into ungreased 9" pan and bake.

Spread melted chocolate chips and cool before cutting.

I cut them into 16 squares of goodness! 

mmmm...I love these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!...

  

Chocolate Fondue

Look at that!  A Fondue party in the making! 

I purchased a fondue pot to give to my daughter for a birthday gift last year, and her Sister got her the chocolate needed to go with it.  Chocolate fondue instead of birthday cake!  We had all the goodies for dipping: Strawberries, Brownies, Bananas, Marshmallows and Pretzel Sticks, and that made it quite the fondue experience!  We decided later to also add some peanut butter to the chocolate too....mmm.  It was delicious!   It was a fun day, and now it's also a great delicious memory!

I found the Wilton Chocolate Pro-Chocolate Melter pot and Fountain & Fondue Chocolate to go with it at Jo-Ann's fabrics and craft store.  I just knew my daughter would absolutely love it.  Getting to enjoy it with her made it even better, and that much more special.  Especially since I am a total chocoholic, as she is too...she definitely gets it honest!

This would be a fun take-a-long to a party or a pitch-in.  If you don't have a Chocolate Pro fondue pot you can melt chocolate in the microwave (or in a double boiler).  I've done that on occasion to serve with strawberries as a dessert, or an anytime treat.  I use chocolate chips - semi-sweet or milk chocolate.  Simply follow the directions on the package for melting the chocolate, then dip some fruit pieces, marshmallows, cake pieces or other goodies into the melted chocolate!  Yum! 

Do the fondue!...

~Tammy~

Confections of a Chocoholic

Chocolate

The lover of chocolate in me thinks it worthy to write about....Chocolate!!

A real treasure for the taste buds.  This is a happiness for my mind, body (OK, maybe not that) and spirit! No wait a minute, dark chocolate in moderation is OK, and also said to be healthy, an antioxidant. (*thinking* moderation?.. yeah right!)

I had just enjoyed a banana with some nutella on it, (one of my favorite snacks, day or night!).  And then it occurred to me that I really hadn't written about Chocolate.  I have written about Nutella, a new discovery for me recently.  I know, I know like where have I been since the stuff has been around for, forever!  Anyway you can have a look at my links on Nutella later if you like.  Oh yeah...Back to the Chocolate. (well actually I never really left the subject, since Nutella is chocolate too!)  Hey, if it has cocoa in it...it's chocolate!

Chocolate is that feel good food.  Mood altering in a good way!  I do adore me some chocolate!  That just doesn't sound as good, huh? (adore?..I've been trying not to use the word 'love' so much), but I do love chocolate, I do!  There, putting in back in, ('love') cause it just belongs, and is true!  

For as long as I can remember I have always loved Chocolate.  Dark chocolate is usually my first choice, but milk chocolate, hey, it's deliciously awesome too.  I don't turn it down for sure.  It has it's place in so many good things to eat.  Honestly though, if it's chocolate?...I want it!  (I think I am salivating as I write this, uh, more like drooling.)   I will be adding new or not so new tasty chocolate recipes and treats here to share with others who love chocolate too.  I am always on the look out for new recipes with chocolate or tasty treats of chocolate so, a 'Chocolate' feature sounds ...magnifantabulicious!

I recently discovered a new goodie, it's like nutella.   

(Shhhh, don't tell Nutella but I have been unfaithful!)  Check out the new Jif.  Jif Hazelnut Spread, a cocoa and hazelnut goodness!  (Their peanut butter has always been my favorite of all other brands.)  Wow, my eyes about popped out when I saw it!  I tried the Mocha Cappuccino. It's nice and chocolatey with a hint of coffee/mocha flavor as well.  I like it!  Yum, another treat to put on bananas, or bagels for breakfast, and...oh the possibilities.  Way to go Jif!

This choosy Mom always chose Jif!...
(you know I just had to say that!)
~Tammy~

Chocolate - wikipedia 

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