Chocolate Raspberry Bread

Dark chocolate and deep red raspberries are so pretty together. Funny how when I start recipes, one of my first thoughts is how it will look on the blog.  Frankly, that's ridiculous; alas, the life of a food blogger. 

So we took Christmas pictures this week and me and mom were getting clothes out, trying to coordinate colors (getting 10 outfits that don't clash is hard) and then find the right spot where none of us are in the shadows, etc. and Dad (typical male) was like, "can we just take the picture?"  

I immediately shot back, "If we're going to do it, were going to do it right.  We don't want to look like a bunch of redneck country people who can't even get a family photo."  I was a little put off he wasn't appreciating how much work was going into this picture. Trust me, getting my family to cooperate and smile in church clothes on for a picture on a weekend - hard. 

That didn't fly so well (surprise) but what he said, although I was miffed, stuck with me. "You are too image based Mary Frances."

Whoa. That's quite the accusation, Dad. 



Am I?  Is everything I do based on my "image?"  Okay, so is that bad?  Can I even avoid it?  My Dad has proved to me you can live without worrying about your image yet avoid the redneck look (I apologize for the stereotype.)  Sure, my dad is a successful business man, but what does he know about girl's opinions on image? Um, a lot. But that is a whole nother topic.  The truth is, I really do care a lot about my image. I take pains to make my food look nice. I take time to do my hair and makeup and clothes. I like to have people like me. Those things aren't bad - seriously, what person doesn't want up be liked. What Dad was pointing out was that image becomes a problem when it's put before God and he was not-so subtly reminding me that it won't matter whether people think our Christmas card is picture perfect, even though I want people to think we are (just for the record, it's absolutely impossible.)  I'm not saying I need to start, well, acting completely without reason because, I don't care what others think!  No, I realized I need to quit spending so much time on creating an image that will make people think how cool I (or our family) am. Because I've realized, it's those who care about people and not their image, those are the people I'm most drawn to. 



While I was practicing physics problems in my room, Elizabeth and Abigail walked in and needed something to do. I handed them my Taste of Home magazines to flip through and they picked a chocolate peppermint loaf.  Since we didn't have candy canes to sprinkle on top, I decided to use what we needed to use up - raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen, although I don't know where you'll find fresh ... we made this several weeks ago!  

Now, I obviously omitted the mint extract ... however, I also forgot to add the chocolate chips.  So in those photos, there are no chocolate chips.  DON'T OMIT THEM.  It is fine without them, but it is great with them! :)



Chocolate and raspberry makes a great combination for this bread. The raspberries add moisture and pair nicely with the light, sweet loaf. Here's to a quiet afternoon with a slice of bread and a hot drink!

Chocolate Raspberry Bread

Recipe Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Yield: 12 slices

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg white

1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla

heaping 1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup chocolate chips

4 oz raspberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease bread pan. 

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together.  Add egg, egg white, yogurt, coffee, and vanilla and beat well.  Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread 1/2 of the batter into the pan.  Sprinkle the raspberries on top.  Pour rest of batter on top.  Sprinkle reserved raspberries on top of that.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. 

Orange Raspberry Banana Bread

Raspberry Truffle Bites

   

Raspberry Truffle Bites {healthy, GF}

 

I love talking with people. 

 

I'm extroverted and I like talking anyways, but getting to talk with people is so much fun. There are so many different types if conversations. There are the for fun chats, the one on one discussions, the group conversations, the long distance phone calls - they're all unique, but all special.  I love the different aspects of different friendships and I'm so blessed to have friends who are willing to share their different interests with me. For example, I like to get together and bake/experiment/make a mess with one friend. Then I like discussing and analyzing books and stuff with another friend.  One it's volleyball, another fashion, another pinterest - I'm truly blessed by the friends I have.  God created us for fellowship!  Getting to talk things out, getting up hash things over, getting to speculate ; conversations are gifts and memories. 

 

I'm working on what I love. Because it bugs me to no end when people say they love something or someone and either 1) it gets old and loses its meaningfulness or 2) you know they person really doesn't love him/her/it and then you don't know if you can believe them every time they say it. 

Words are powerful and I want mine to be meaningful and not fluff. Whether I'm in a group of one on one, I want to not regret my words (trust me, I've stuck my foot in my mouth more times than you can count) but have an image of sincerity. I want my love for things to be special.  Reserved for friendships and conversations. Not the best chocolate pudding ever. 

So here we go. 

 

I really really really like this chocolate cheesecake pudding. Last night at a friends house, my friends mom offered me avocado and we both laughed ... she knows me well!

The chocolate filling in these is divine.  It tastes like rich chocolate pudding and after being refrigerated, takes on the texture of cheesecake.  Not kidding, it is amazing.  The oat base is slightly nutty, has a lot of texture, and pairs with the ultra smooth filling so well.  And the raspberries aren't really necessary, its just for aesthetics;)
 

 

Raspberry Truffle Bites
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 12-16 bites

Base: 

1 cup oats (gluten free certified)

1/2 cup almonds 

1/4 tablespoons honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

Truffle: 

1 avocado, ripe 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup honey 

1 tablespoon milk 

Optional: raspberries for garnish

For the base: In a food processor, blend all the ingredients together until it forms a ball.  Form into 12-16 bases.  Freeze for 10 minutes.

For truffle filling: In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.  REfrigerate for 10 minutes.

To assemble: Spread a 1/2 - 1 tablespoon truffle filling onto each base and top with a raspberry.  You can eat then, but best results are after you refrigerate the bites for at least four hours before serving.

Adapted from The Best Chocolate Pudding

 

These Almond Joy Energy Bites served as inspiration, too!

 



 

 

Orange Raspberry Banana Bread

Do I have a good morning treat for you!

We received a huge bunch of very, very ripe bananas.  (In fact, we threw away two of them because they were mush.)  I was so happy!  Bananas are so versatile and here was a whole ton of pre-ripened ones  - just for me to use!  And these were definitely ripe.  Like, use now before they drip through your fingers ripe.  Ugly mushy bananas.  Perfect for banana bread. 

So I had my bananas, but I didn't want to make any old banana bread.  I wanted to use raspberries in this one.  I had been waiting and waiting for fresh ones, but they are soooo expensive.  So I used frozen ones (which were a dollar less for twice as much.)  Raspberries have that pucker up tartness and add a beautiful color to baked goods. 

Friday night I mashed my bananas, added the orange juice and raspberries I had been dreaming about, tasted it, and popped in the oven.  I let it cool overnight and took these pictures early Saturday morning.  Isn't the lighting lovely?  This time, I pulled a small end table next to the breakfast room window.  The lighting was so much nicer than in any of my other pictures.  And I just adore the pop of red that the raspberries give!

 The only downside of taking pictures in the morning is using enough self control to not eat the subject. Waiting made this taste extra delicious. It was a little cloudy and grey outside, but looked so cool and refreshing. Nothing beats looking out the window on a cool clear morning with some coffee and sweet bread. And no noise. My brothers were hunting so I had the house to kitchen to myself for a couple minutes. Bliss. 

The bananas offer almost all of the sweetness, but the flavor is not overpowering. Instead, it compliments the citrus of the orange juice and raspberries. 

Oh yes, in addition to the raspberries, there is that wonderful juice we all should drink at breakfast. Orange juice adds a tangy, fresh twist that makes this banana bread anything but ordinary. In order to really get that orange, I would add orange zest. The stars of the show are the raspberries and that wonderful dense and moist texture we expect in banana bread.

Oh, and you don't even have to pull out the beaters for this recipe!  You got a whisk?  You got success.  Add, stir, pour.  Mmm, your house smells so good while this is baking.  What a better way to welcome spring than with this light and moist sweet bread? 

Orange Raspberry Banana Bread

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Yield: 1 loaf, 10-12 slices

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 - 1 cup raspberries + more for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour baking pan.

Whisk coconut oil, sugar, orange juice, and bananas together.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Fold in raspberries.

Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle reserved raspberries on top and bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.