Colleen James

Tag: bread

  • White Chocolate Peanut Butter Loaf

    Picture compliments of my younger sister, a peanut butter white chocolate loaf of bread

    Although I didn’t get around to creating a Christmas cookie recipe this year, I did spend some time trying to perfect a bread recipe that was inspired by my white chocolate peanut butter latte. After all, what could go better with a specialty coffee than some sort of baked good?

    As I mentioned in my former post, I was quite busy this fall, so I didn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to this recipe.. Fortunately, my younger sister helped me out with this one when she offered to make it herself and try to figure out why it was initially turning out so dry. What she determined is that i needed to add twice as much buttermilk, then add more sweetener to counteract any sour taste the added buttermilk might bring.

    My little sister is a gifted baker, so her advice seemed good, and I thought I’d test out her ideas at a later time. I didn’t get around to it, however, until  she was asking for my revised recipe again weeks later.  After seeing a picture of her last white chocolate peanit butter loaf, complete with chopped up peanuts and drizzled white chocolate on top, I felt motivated to make it myself. And I must say, I am so pleased with the end results!

    The secret to this recipe is to chill the loaf in the fridge. Not only will it allow for easy slicing, but it also better brings out the bread’s taste. Before setting it in the fridge, I sprinkled  some Reeses baking chips (found in the baking aisle at my local Walmart) over the top of the loaf while it was still warm. Then, once they had softened, I spread the mixture out with a knife and drizzled melted white chocolate over that, adding extra flavor and a little bit of crunch once the toppings had hardened. There are plenty of options for garnishing the top,  however. A white chocolate and/or peanut butter cream cheese frosting would be delicious, or  serve it like my younger sister did with crushed peanuts and drizzled white chocolate for a more elegant loaf! No matter how you garnish it (or don’t), you’ll be sure to enjoy it if you like peanut butter like I do!

    WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER LOAF

    Picture also from my little sister. Hers looked so much better than mine did!

    Ingredients:

    1 4 oz white chocolate baking bar
    1/2 c creamy peanut butter
    1/2 c granulated sugar
    1/2 c brown sugar
    1 c buttermilk
    1/2 c apple sauce
    1 egg
    2 c flour
    1 t baking soda
    1/2 baking powder
    1/2 t salt

    Optional toppings: melted white chocolate,  peanut butter chips or candy, peanut butter, peanuts, white chocolate and/or peanut butter cream cheese frosting

    Instructions:
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

    Melt the white chocolate over medium heat on the stove, then add the peanut butter and stir until combined. Remove from heat.

    In a large mixing bowl,  mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, apple sauce, and egg, then stir in the white chocolate peanut butter mixture.

    Once combined, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool once removed from the oven and garnish as desired. For best results, chill in the fridge before slicing. Makes one loaf.

  • Glazed Harvest Chai Bread

    Photo of bread slices

    Recently I made the banana butternut butterscotch muffins I wrote about last fall (you can find the recipe here: http://anticipatingadventure.com/2020/10/04/banana-butternut-butterscotch-muffins/), and since I had some leftover roasted butternut and have also been toying around with the idea of making a bread using chai tea, I decided to try to combine the two to make chai-flavored bread.

    Unfortunately, my first attempt was not too great. My family enjoyed it with the cream cheese frosting that I smothered on top of it, but the bread wasn’t sweet enough to enjoy on its own. That didn’t stop me from continuing with my attempts, however, and since then, I’ve created this bread.

    Although this bread does not taste like chai per se, it is made with black tea and chai spices, giving it a taste reminiscent of autumn. The combination of applesauce, roasted butternut, and pumpkin puree only adds to those traditional fall flavors, creating a delightfully moist and sweet bread fit for having “harvest” in its name.

    Not only does this bread make for a delicious fall treat, but it will bring all the coziness of fall to your home with its warm scent and is sure to quickly become a favorite. It already has become one of mine. So, without further ado, here’s the recipe for Glazed Harvest Chai Bread, and as always, please let me know if you make it and how it turned out for you!

    GLAZED HARVEST CHAI BREAD

    Ingredients

    For the chai buttermilk mixture:

    • 1 c water
    • 4 tea bags of black tea
    • 1 t cinnamon
    • ½ t ginger
    • ¼ t cardamom
    • ¼ t cloves
    • 1/8 t pepper
    • 3/4 c buttermilk

    For the bread:

    • ½ c chai buttermilk mixture
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ c applesauce
    • ½ c butternut squash, roasted
    • ½ c pumpkin puree
    • 1 t vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ c light brown sugar
    • 2 c flour
    • ½ t salt
    • 1 t baking soda
    • ½ t baking powder
    • 1 t cinnamon
    • ½ t ginger
    • ¼ t cloves
    • ¼ t cardamom
    • ¾ c almonds or walnuts (optional)

    For the glaze topping:

    • ¼ c chai buttermilk mixture
    • ½ c sugar
    • ½ t honey
    • ¼ t baking soda
    • 2 T butter
    • ½ t vanilla

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
    2. To make the chai mixture, combine the water, tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and pepper in a small saucepan and simmer to reduce to 1/4 cup, stirring regularly. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to let cool, then mix with the buttermilk.
    3. Mix together the chai mixture eggs, applesauce, butternut squash, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and brown sugar in a blender. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. Add the nuts, if desired, and the blended ingredients. Mix to combine, then place in the loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted through the middle of the bread comes out clean.
    4. While the bread is baking, make the glaze by combining ¼ cup of the chai buttermilk mixture, ½ c sugar, ½ t honey, ¼ t baking soda, and 2 T butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a boil, then stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
    5. Once the bread is finished baking, pour the glaze over it while it is still in the pan (just use what is needed to cover the top surface of the loaf), then bake an additional 5 minutes.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from its pan. Slice and enjoy! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

  • French Toast Made from Challah

    Pictures of French toast challah topped with strawberries and whipped cream

    My mom was making French toast out of challah long before it was a thing. Back in the early 90s, when all of us children were still living at home, she would whip up a couple of loaves on a Friday afternoon. We would then enjoy some of the freshly-baked bread with our dinner that evening, and she would convert the leftovers into delicious, fluffy French toast the next morning. It was undoubtedly our most favorite breakfast of the week and is one of my favorite memories today.

    Sometimes we would eat the French toast with butter and maple syrup. Other times, we would have it with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Whatever way my mom served it, we thoroughly enjoyed it. We enjoyed it so much, in fact, that we began to limit how much bread we would eat the night before just so that we would have a greater quantity of challah for French toast the next day. Freshly baked bread with butter is really good (I’m almost drooling just thinking about it), but nothing beats French toast made from homemade challah. It is the best!

    Nowadays, French toast made from challah is becoming much more common. I’ve seen it on menus at different restaurants and have noticed it in recipes online, and while I’m happy for more people to discover this delectable dish, I always have the urge to tell people that my mom was making French toast like this first. So, if you’re reading this, now you know! 😉 Maybe she was even the one to start the trend!

    This recipe requires quite a bit of time to make. The good thing, however, is that it is fairly hands off once the dough is made. The majority of the time spent making the bread will be letting the dough rise and baking it. Once it is baked, it’s a simple matter of mixing up the French toast mixture, soaking each bread slice in it, and then cooking it over the stove (but do me a favor and eat a slice or two fresh out of the oven with butter first. You will not regret it!).

    This recipe would be perfect for a special, summer brunch served with strawberries and whipped cream. You can really enjoy this with whatever toppings you desire, however. Some additional great options are butter, syrup, sliced bananas, nuts, berries, Nutella, peanut butter, or preserves.

    What toppings do you enjoy on your French toast? Let me know in the comments section! 😊 And, as always, if you make this recipe, let me know! I’d love to know how it turns out for you!

    FOR THE CHALLAH    

    Ingredients:

    • 1 package yeast (1 T)
    • 2 t sugar
    • ¼ c lukewarm water
    • 3 ½ to 4 ½ c flour
    • 2 t salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 T olive oil
    • 1 c lukewarm water
    • 1 beaten egg
    • Poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

    Instructions:

    Gently combine the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Set aside for five minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 3 c flour and the salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well and add the eggs, oil, and remaining cup lukewarm water to the middle of it. Mix together, then slowly add more flour as necessary, ¼ c at a time. Start kneading as the dough becomes stiff, adding more flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Do NOT add too much flour, however, as this will dry out the dough and make it denser once baked.

    Once the dough is smooth and elastic, brush the dough with oil and let rise in the mixing bowl, covered, for an hour. After the dough has risen, divide it into three even portions, then roll each one into long log shapes. After creating three strands from each portion, braid them together on a greased baking sheet and let rise another 30 minutes. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the optional sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake 20-30 minutes until the bread is golden on top and baked through (thicker loaves may require additional time).

    Image of a whole loaf of challah

    FOR THE FRENCH TOAST

    Ingredients:

    • 8-10 slices of Challah, cooled and cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices
    • 4 eggs
    • 1 ½ c milk of choice
    • 1 t vanilla extract
    • ½ t maple extract (optional)
    • 2 t brown sugar
    • 1/8 t cinnamon
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 2-3 T butter

    Instructions:

    Heat a pan over the stove medium-low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Melt a tablespoon of butter over the pan to coat it, then dip a slice of Challah into the egg mixture until well coated and place into the pan, repeating with additional slices of Challah until the bottom of the pan is filled with Challah slices. Bake for several minutes until the French toast is thoroughly browned on each side. Repeat the process with any remaining pieces, making sure to coat the bottom of the pan with butter again. Enjoy your French toast hot with whatever optional toppings desired. Makes 8-10 slices.