So, April went by in a flash. Time was spent with family and friends and of course the much awaited arrival of Spring Break!! I did a little baking (Gram's Best Brown Sugar Cake, Zucchini Bread & Biscottis) during my cousins visit and was happy to have company in the kitchen. :) Here are a few recipes to share from then...
Here's the
Zucchini Bread recipe
(thanks to Jen K. for it!). If you're thinking my kid would never go for zucchini in bread, lest you be assured that you can't really "see" the zucchini in it. And if you choose to use the chocolate chips, well then.... the little specks of green magically disappear! :o)
3 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Oil
2 cup Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Grated Zucchini
(if you're short on zucchini add grated carrot works just the same)
3 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 cups chocolate chips or nuts, or combination of the two
(after making it a few times, I've come to where I seperate the batter into different batches at this point - a handful or two of chocolate chips in one for the kid and just nuts in the other for us, once you make it you'll get an idea for what your family cares for)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini. Beat with an electric mixer.
Mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to egg mixture. Beat well and add nuts/chocolate chips.
Bake approximately 1 hour in 2 well greased and floured loaf pans.
I've made them in loaf pans, mini loaf pans and as muffins, they taste any either way. :)
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| Zucchini Walnut Bread |
Gram's Best Brown Sugar Cake is a recipe I found sometime ago in a Kraft magazine. It's a moist and delicious party cake. Unfortunately, it hasn't stayed intact long enough for a worthwhile picture (note to self: next time, picture first, serve later) ;)
Here's the
recipe in any case because, if you make it, you will like it even without my picture. ;) Enjoy!
Which brings me to last week. It was a busy week at my house (I guess like all our houses these days!) Spanish presentation, Teacher Appreciation Week, Cinco De Mayo, and mundane household to do lists that were growing!
For my daughter's Spanish presentation she and a friend were studying Venezuela. She asked if there was something she could take to class so that their classmates could sample Venezuelan food too. And I of course being me said, "well, let me see." :) So, after a little bit of research and an apparent passing comment from her teacher, it was settled. I was trying my hand at
Arepas, Venezuelan Corncakes. :)
Here's the
recipe I used and it turned out well. We all liked it at home and a couple of kids in class told me they liked them too. The teacher told me they tasted good and my attempt was good. ;) Apparently, they also make them stuffed with cheese. I will have to try that sometime. :)
You have to use a special cornmeal for it, which of course (after much shop-hopping) I found only at my local Wal-Mart. So, if you'd like to try it, buy the Minsa brand, it worked. :) Serve them hot!
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| Venezuelan Arepas |
In honor of Cinco De Mayo and my intent to make something different for our meal with a treat (how convienient), we ended up with Mexican food; enchiladas, veggie "oven fries", and dessert. I had been wanting to try these little bite sized yummy cookies for a very long time. This was my opportunity. ;)
Mexican Wedding Cookies!! They're delightful; I wonder why I'd waited this long to try them. :) I've got a few ideas for variations and look forward to updating with them soon. In the mean time...allow your mouth to water or try making these! :)
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| Mexican Wedding Cookies |
Happy Baking & Creating!!
