Baking - The Butcher's Daughter

Chocolate Easter Nests

March 30, 2024March 30, 2024by shannonleger

I can’t believe it’s Easter again, seems like we were just preparing for Easter, baking hams and hiding Easter eggs and now here we are doing it all over again. I’m not sure if it’s being a parent that makes time fly by so quickly or if it’s just getting older that speeds up time to warp speed. One of my family’s favourite treats are these no-bake chocolate Easter nest cookies. My Mom has made them for years and this year she’s been busy caring for my Dad who has been dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. So, I took up the reins and made them this year.

They are really easy to make, only a few ingredients. I made them for the first time in the microwave, I usually do it the old fashioned way in a double boiler. Using the microwave made them even faster to make and I’m not sure why I didn’t do them this way sooner. The final result are sweet little nests topped with chocolate eggs and they’re delicious too.

Chocolate Easter nest cookies on a translucent pink plate with a grey and white striped tea towel, decorative carrots and a wooden carrot patch open daily decorative sign.

Chocolate Easter Nests

shannonleger

Sweet, salty and crunchy, these no-bake cookies are the perfect Easter treat.

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Prep Time 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
3-4 cups chow mein nooodles
48 mini chocolate egg candies

Instructions

In a large microwave safe mixing bowl, stir together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Stir until smooth. Add the chow mein noodles in one cup increments to allow you to coat noodles completely. You may not need all four cups. Drop on a parchment lined baking sheet by tablespoonfuls. Each cookie will take about 2 tbsps.
Create a small indentation on top of each cookie to hold the eggs. While still wet, add three mini eggs to the top of each nest. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Baking, Desserts, Food

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Terrine

February 12, 2022by shannonleger

I’m a romantic at heart. One of my favourite days of the year is Valentine’s Day. I adore anything chocolate! This year I wanted to make something sweet and chocolatey for my Valentine but I didn’t want to make the usual cupcakes, cookies or cake. So I took out a few cookbooks and started looking through for the perfect treat. I came across this terrine in a Canadian Living cookbook and didn’t change too much about it when I recreated it. Because I didn’t want to go out to get the bar of chocolate it called for, I used semi sweet chocolate chips. I really don’t think it made any difference in the end result.

Honestly what could be better than chocolate, butter and coffee? This terrine has it all! It’s simple to make but tastes sinfully luxurious. It needs to fully cool before chilling and then chill for 12 hours in the fridge so make sure to give yourself enough time. Berries are a nice way to decorate it, they look pretty against the deep brown chocolate but they also taste amazing with the mocha flavour of the terrine. I think a little whipped cream would work too if you were so inclined.

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Terrine

shannonleger

A rich, mocha flavoured chocolate terrine with berries and chopped pistachios

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Cooling & Chilling Time 13

Total Time 14 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Servings

Equipment

1 8×4 inch loaf pan
Parchment paper
1 Double Boiler

Ingredients

1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup strong brewed coffee
1 Cup butter
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup chopped pistachios
strawberries and raspberries for decorating and serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a double boiler, whisk sugar and coffee until sugar is dissolved. Add butter and chocolate and melt, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until pale, sift flour over top and whisk in. Fold in chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Pour into the parchment lined pan. Place pan in a larger pan and pour in water until it reaches halfway up loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes until edges puff up and centre is still jiggly, 45 minutes.
Remove pan from water and place on a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 12 hours until firm.
Invert a serving platter over pan and turn over. Remove pan and parchment paper carefully as the terrine will still be a fairly soft texture. Sprinkle over chopped pistachios and decorate with berries, whipped cream, etc as desired.

Baking, Desserts, Food

Pistachio Squares

February 9, 2022February 9, 2022by shannonleger

I’ve been seeing pistachios everywhere lately and thought maybe it was pistachio season in the USA. After a quick Google search I learned that pistachio season is nowhere near February. It’s actually more like from late August to October. Seeing them at our local grocery stores, in magazine ads and on TV, I felt inspired to whip up a pan of pistachio squares. They’d be perfect for a St Patrick’s Day treat! Yup, I realize we need to celebrate Valentines Day first but don’t worry, I’ll have some recipes to share for that occasion too!

I put these in an 8×8 pan (or you could definitely go with a 9×9). In an 8×8 pan, these squares have a really thick crust. I love them that way because I adore shortbread and that’s what it reminds me of. If you like a thinner crust, you could halve the crust recipe and they’d be perfect for you. You could also use the same ingredient measurements and simply make the squares in a 9×13 pan. The cream cheese, pudding and whipped cream layers will obviously be thinner as well but it will definitely work and turn out beautifully. It’s just my personal preference to have thick crust and thick layers of cream cheese and puddding.

Honestly this is one of my favourite desserts! It really does remind me of my childhood. My Mom made these often. Sometimes for an occasion like Easter but often just for a random treat. They are a yummy dessert in the warmer weather too. Only the crust has to be baked so there’s minimal work and minimal heat generated in the kitchen. They’re really refreshing too since they are kept in the refrigerator and served cold. I hope you’ll make some for St. Patty’s Day or today, or both!

Pistachio Squares

shannonleger

Cool, creamy Pistachio Squares with a cream cheese and pudding filling topped with whipped cream

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9 Servings

Equipment

1 Stand Mixer
1 Whisk
1 8×8 pan
1 Mixing bowl
1 Spatula

Ingredients

Crust:

1/2 Cup Icing sugar
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 Cup Unsalted butter

Filling:

8 Oz Package of cream cheese
1 Cup Icing sugar
3 Cups Cold milk
2 Packages of pistachio pudding
1 Large tub of Cool Whip

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter & sugar. Add flour and mix until combined and crumbly. Press into an 8×8 pan (or pan of choice depending on thickness desired). Bake for 20 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and icing sugar. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip with a spatula. Spread over cooled crust.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk pudding mix into the cold milk. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Keyword Cream Cheese filling, Layered Squares, Pudding filling, Squares, St. Patrick’s Day treat

Baking, Food

Savoury Egg Bread

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022by shannonlegerLeave a Comment

Have you ever had the Newfoundland bread or rolls from Sobeys? For those of you not living in Atlantic Canada, Sobeys might not be as familiar to you but they do have locations across the country as the second largest retailer in Canada. Well, this bread which I’ve only ever found at Sobeys is SO soft and flavourful, it’s become a favourite at our house. I’ve been wanting to recreate it here at home and this weekend feeling bored during a storm, I did just that!

Most of the egg breads I’ve found online have an egg wash to create that gorgeous deep brown crust and some have the addition of sesame seeds. I knew I’d be serving it with my Sweet French Onion Soup so I wanted some more flavour on that beautiful crust. I added everything bagel seasoning and sea salt. Interesting side note, we make our own sea salt using water from Cocagne Bay where we cottage in the summers. Makes dishes extra special year round, I only add it to dishes as a finishing touch and use my trusty kosher salt everywhere else.

This recipe makes 2 large loaves, around 16 slices each depending on how thick you like to slice your bread. You can use more or less everything bagel seasoning and salt than what I recommend in the recipe, depending on your taste.

Savoury Egg Bread

shannonleger

A very soft flavourful braided egg bread with a savoury crust

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 3

Total Time 3 55

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Loaves

Ingredients

2 Packages active dry yeast
1/2 Cup warm water
1 1/2 Cups warm 2% milk
3 Large eggs, room temp
1/4 Cup butter, softened
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
7-7 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Large egg yolk, room temp
2 Tbsp water
4 Tsp sesame seeds, divided (2 tsp per loaf)
2 Tsp sea salt, divided (1 tsp per loaf)
2 Tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning, divided (1 tbsp per loaf)

Instructions

Dissolve both packages of yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the eggs, butter, sugar, salt and half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough that can be handled.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place ball of dough into a greased bowl and cover with greased wax paper and a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled, around 2 hours.
Punch dough down, turn out onto a floured surface and divide into six equal portions. Gently roll each portion into a 14 inch rope. Place 3 ropes onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Braid the 3 ropes together and tuck ends under. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes. Cover with greased wax paper and tea towels and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Beat egg yolk and water together and brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning and sea salt. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove bread from pans and cool on wire racks.

Baking, Desserts

Carrot Cake is a Vegetable, Right?

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021by shannonleger

We finally harvested the last of our garden and had a bumper crop of carrots. We love eating carrots, both raw and cooked around here but this is like, a crazy amount of carrots. Since I’m too lazy (or maybe just plain tired out from a super busy few months in the Leger household) to blanch and freeze OR preserve the carrots, I thought I’d make a carrot cake with some of them.

There’s still a ton left so I’ll probably have to just give in soon and figure out something easy to do with them or risk losing them. If they don’t succumb to freezing out in my garage, the pesky little squirrel that’s been sneaking in there to nibble at our bucket of chicken feed will start to nibble on them. Stay tuned for what happens with the remaining carrots, LOL.

I found a great recipe online at Live Well Bake Often and was intrigued by the addition of unsweetened applesauce. I’ve never made a carrot cake that included applesauce so I thought I’d give it a try. It turned out amazing! I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it as much as my family did!

It’s the simple things in life! I think the fact that the carrots were grown in our backyard garden with lots of love and
free of chemicals and pesticides made the cake taste even better!

Super Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

shannonleger

Delectable moist carrot layer cake filled and topped with cream cheese icing and chopped pecans

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 650 kcal

Equipment

Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Kitchenaid Mixer
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Whisk
Parchment paper
Cake release
8 inch round cake pans
Food processor with grater attachment
Pastry brush

Ingredients

For the carrot cake:

2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Kosher salt
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 Cups light brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 Tsp vanilla extract
3 Cups grated carrots

For the cream cheese icing:

1 8oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Carrot cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat bottom and sides of two 8 inch round pans with cake release using a pastry brush. You can also add rounds of parchment paper in the bottom of each greased pan and then grease the paper to give additional protection against sticking.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots and mix until combined.
Remove bowl from mixer and add dry ingredients. Fold in with a spatula until combined but do not over mix.
Pour batter evenly into two 8 inch round pans. Tap firmly on countertop before placing in a 350 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 25 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

Cream cheese icing

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and mix until incorporated. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

Assemble the cake:

Level tops of cakes with a cake leveller if necessary. Place one cake layer on cake stand or platter and spread approximately 1/2 cup of icing on the cake layer. Place second cake layer on top and spread remaining icing on top and sides of cake. Chop 1 cup pecans or walnuts and place on top of cake and around bottom and/or sides.

Keyword Cake, Carrot Cake, Cream Cheese Icing, Homemade cake, Layer cake, Pecans

Top of carrot layer cake with cream cheese icing and pecans — Top view of carrot layer cake with cream cheese icing and chopped pecans

Baking, Desserts, Fall

Happy Fall Y’All!

October 20, 2021October 20, 2021by shannonleger

I haven’t been posting on the blog much lately but this summer has been “almost” too crazy to handle! There’s been lots of excitement in our house because we purchased a family cottage by the bay (Bay of Cocagne to be exact) and we have been travelling there every chance we get to work on it. It’s left me with little spare time because when we aren’t there, I’m back at home taking care of the family and madly searching for deals online, Facebook Marketplace for second hand items or new in box items that folks are selling for whatever reason. We are on a very tight budget so it just makes sense to shop around but it definitely adds a whole new level of challenge to this endeavour! I’m always up for a challenge though! I’ll be posting our renovation journey here on the blog over the coming days and weeks so stay tuned!

I missed the whole late summer/early autumn posting opportunity, I had plans to share pickle recipes, Thanksgiving recipes and various fall baking recipes but only managed to crank out one Pumpkin Cookie recipe! So……I couldn’t let another day pass without posting an apple recipe! Apples are one of my favourite fall foods. Fun to bake with for sure! I decided to attempt a version of Dutch Apple Pie (or some might call it a French Apple Pie). It’s really just a perfect cross between pie and crumble! So if you can’t decide what to make, make a Dutch Apple Pie! Make sure you set aside a couple hours for this pie making adventure because this one is a little time consuming. Well worth the effort and the wait though!

First you’ll want to make a single crust pie dough. I used my favourite, Classic Crisco “no fail” recipe here. You’ll then blind bake it and proceed with the recipe that follows. I hope this pie will bring all the wonderful fall flavours, smells and feels into your home!

Shannon’s Dutch Apple Pie

shannonleger

A gorgeous and delicious apple pie full of fall flavour. A wonderful combination of pie and crumble, this fall dessert is sure to please.

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Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 1 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Whisk
Baking Sheet
Aluminum foil
Parchment paper
Pie plate 9 inch
Fork
Mixing bowl
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

1 Single pie crust – see link above

Crumb Topping

1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Tsp nutmeg
1/8 Tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Apple Filling

5-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 Tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Crust

Make crust as instructed in Crisco recipe link above. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into a 6 inch round disk.
Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, make crumb topping and filling.
Once crust has been chilled for 1 hour in the refrigerator, roll out dough on a floured surface to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Fit into pie plate and flute edges if desired.
Prick the bottom of pie with a fork about 10 times and line with parchment paper. Add pie weights (you can also use rice, dried beans for weight) and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove pie weights and return to oven and bake 8-12 minutes longer.
Move oven rack down one from center and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.

Crumb Topping

Whisk together brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and salt.
Add vanilla, melted butter and toss evenly with a fork until moistened. Refrigerate.

Filling

Toss sliced apples with melted butter and lemon juice.
Add sugar, flour and cinnamon. Toss to coat the apples evenly. Set aside.

To Assemble

Fill cooled pie crust with filling, break topping into small chunks and sprinkle over top of pie. Place pie on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes.
Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream or French Vanilla ice cream.

Baking, Fall

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice!

September 28, 2021September 28, 2021by shannonleger

Well, it’s been a hot minute since I last posted here on the blog! We’ve had such a busy summer and I have so much to share with you! For today though I just want to share this recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are so delicious and bring all the fall feels! I have nice memories associated with these cookies, my Mom has made this recipe as long as I can remember. If you are from the Maritimes, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the Barbour Cookbook and that’s where this recipe is from.

I usually use the canned pumpkin but if I have fresh pumpkin, I will use that. The pumpkin flavour taste is not as pronounced but still pretty darned tasty! I hope you’ll give these cookies a try this fall season! I bet they will become a family favourite!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

shannonleger

Moist and delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Equipment

Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Baking Sheet
Small scoop
Kitchenaid Mixer

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Shortening
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 Cups Flour
4 Tsps Baking Powder
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Cream the shortening and sugar.
Add the pumpkin, eggs,, seasonings and extracts.
Sift dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture.. Add chocolate chips and blend.
Drop from a small #40 scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Notes

The original recipe calls for 1 cup raisins and 1 cup chopped nuts. I substitute 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips for the raisins and nuts.

Baking, Desserts, Food

Shhhh, it’s Mom’s little secret…..these brownies are healthy!

May 18, 2021May 18, 2021by shannonleger1 Comment

Back in the mid 2000’s Jessica Seinfeld released a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious. It is targeted toward parents cooking and baking for their children so lots of child friendly things in this cookbook. Pretty much every recipe could be used to feed a family though. I mean, who doesn’t love a good Sloppy Joe or a big plate of Mac and Cheese? I purchased the book then even though it would be many years before I’d have children of my own and a possible need to hide good things in their food. I’ve since began using it for family treats. It turns out that my kids have pretty well developed palates and eat a wide variety of foods, fruit and veggies included. Honestly, they likely do better with their diets than many adults. I’m at the age now where diet is increasingly important to me for a variety of reasons and I have a major sweet tooth so I decided to work on adding more vitamins, minerals and fibre into those things instead of completely cutting them out.

I recently made the brownies with spinach and carrot purée and they were pretty amazing I must say! They definitely aren’t the decadent brownies you’d purchase at the local bake shop, laden with sugar and butter, their chewiness is definitely different than what we’ve come to expect from a brownie. BUT…..they are still pretty tasty, have a fudgy texture and are a great way to satisfy a craving while cutting down on fats, sugar and calories! Not to mention that they have 3 grams of fibre and the benefits of powerful antioxidants from the carrots and spinach.

These brownies were a huge hit in our house and I plan to make them again (and again!). If you have a garden, they are a great way to use up some of those items you may have extra of during the season. I literally just dunked the spinach in boiling water and it wilted immediately and was ready to purée. The carrots took a bit longer but chopped or sliced in small pieces, they will also cook quickly and were a cinch to purée in my Vitamix.

Look at the beautiful colours of the fresh purées! So many nutrients in there!

The only note I will add is to wait till they are completely cool before digging in. Otherwise, you will taste the spinach. Once cool though, you honestly would never know there are veggies hidden in them! Shhhhh, it’s our little secret!

Healthy Brownies

Brownies with Spinach and Carrot Purée hidden inside

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Brownies

Calories 133 kcal

Equipment

8×8 Baking Pan
Spatula
Whisk
Cooking Spray
Double Boiler

Ingredients

Cooking spray
3 Ounces Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 Cup Carrot purée
1/2 Cup Spinach purée
1/2 Cup Firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp Fat free soft tub margarine spread or butter
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
2 Large egg whites
3/4 Cup Oat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.
In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purées, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a spatula.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

Keyword Brownie, Chocolate, Vegetable Purees

Baking, Desserts, Food

Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bundt Cake

April 15, 2021April 15, 2021by shannonlegerLeave a Comment

I made this amazing chocolate cake a couple days ago and let’s just say it didn’t last long! Even my little boys both loved it. It’s so chocolatey and moist and little do they know, it’s got some veggies and fruit thrown in – albeit the extent of the fruit is orange peel but still, there’s gotta be some vitamin C in that orange peel hasn’t there? I’ve always adored the mix of chocolate and orange. Anyone else out there a Terry’s Chocolate Orange fan? The orange flavour isn’t overpowering at all and with just a hint of orangey tartness this chocolate bundt cake really stands out! You could easily omit the orange zest and the cake would be equally as delicious.

Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bundt Cake

shannonleger

Moist and Delicious Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bundt Cake

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 5

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Bundt pan
Zester or Rasp

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening
2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Grated Orange Zest
2 Cups Grated Raw Zucchini
2 3/4 Cup All-purpose flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa
2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Nuts of Your Choice
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Cream vegetable shortening and sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in eggs; stir in vanilla, orange zest and zucchini. Blend well. Stir flour, cocoa and the rest of the dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture along with the milk. Put in a bundt pan and top with 1/2 cup nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes.

Keyword Bundt Cake, Cake, Chocolate, Homemade cake, Orange zest, Zucchini

I did find that some chocolate came off on my cooling rack as I let the cake cool the way it came out of the pan (so all the nuts and chocolate chips were then on the bottom of the cake). Next time I think I would flip the cake back over to cool with the nuts and chocolate chips on the top. To serve, you can always invert again onto a serving tray or cake stand and your chocolate chips will stay intact since they will have cooled off.

Baking, Spring

Easter Egg Bread

March 15, 2021March 15, 2021by shannonlegerLeave a Comment

Easter is just around the corner and it’s one of my very favourite holidays. I love everything about it! The chicks and bunnies, the Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets loaded with goodies to see the kids through spring and summer outside fun. I also love the religious significance of the holiday. It was always a big part of Easter growing up and I try to convey that meaning to my children as well.

I always enjoy making special baked goods at this time of year. My Dad gets a batch of my Orange Knots every year and my husband and boys usually request a batch or two as well. This Easter Egg Bread recipe is a new one for me. I’ve been wanting to try it for years after seeing it in an old issue of Taste of Home magazine and today was finally the day! My four year old had tons of fun dyeing the eggs with me and I was really pleased with how they turned out. Next time I don’t think I’d lightly oil the dyed eggs as I found they stuck to the bread a bit anyway once the bread cooled and I removed them to refrigerate. I think the oil served to make the dye run a bit onto the rising bread. I also found that my loaf could have baked for another 5 minutes or so. The recipe called for 28-32 minutes of baking time and I took mine out at the 30 minute mark. I think 35 minutes would have been perfect for the size of loaf I had. It really raised into a gorgeous big loaf!

To dye the eggs, I used Wilton gel colouring in warm water. I’d estimate a teaspoon of gel colour to a cup of warm water. It really depends on how brightly coloured or pastel you want your eggs!

Ensure your milk and butter is between 120-130 degrees so you don’t kill your yeast.

Let dough rise for 45 minutes, punch down, create braid and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Easter Egg Bread – the eggs are hard boiled and then dyed, then they are cooked right into the bread. They would go well with a slice of buttered bread for an Easter morning breakfast or for an Easter brunch. The bread gets to be a very deep golden brown from the egg wash that’s applied before putting it in the oven. Spectacular!

Easter Egg Bread

6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each)
1 to 2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tbsps butter
4 eggs
3 to 6 hard cooked eggs
Vegetable oil for oiling hard cooked dyed eggs, optional
2 tbsps cold water

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat until just moistened. Add 3 eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Dye hard cooked eggs; lightly rub with oil if you choose. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into thirds. Shape each portion into a 24 inch rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper) and braid. Bring ends together to form a ring and pinch ends to seal. Gently separate braided ropes and tuck dyed eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes.

Beat water and remaining egg; gently brush over dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until golden brown. (I baked for 30 minutes but could have baked for 5 minutes longer or so). Remove to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate leftovers (the dyed eggs). Yield: 1 large loaf.