Chocolate Bread

I am just going to post a link to this recipe because I didn't change anything at all.  That is very odd for me as I can't seem to follow a recipe exactly, but this time I did, so you can find it here at Bread in 5.  Not to worry though, as good as it is, I am already thinking up adaptations of my own that I can't wait to try.  And, of course, I will share them with you.  The bread is really very simple to make.  It just has some wait time in there that you have to plan for.  I think it makes a wonderful breakfast.  My husband and I had it on a lazy Sunday morning for breakfast with strawberries, but I think it would be great for a special occasion breakfast -Valentine's Day and Christmas both come to mind.  It would also be a great breakfast to have when there are guests in the house.

Scones: Daring Bakers' Challenge

First, let me point out that this challenge is for what we Americans call biscuits.  Our biscuits are what the English and Australians call scones.  I used the recipe on the challenge, and found that they were quite good, though I still think I prefer the cream biscuits I usually make because they are a bit lighter.  In the challenge, the host points out that letting the dough rest refrigerated may actually improve the scones, so I am trying that with my usual recipe.  I think it would be wonderful to find a way to make them that would include overnight refrigeration.  The ones I have tried so far have actually been pretty good, but they were not quite as good as those I have made fresh.  If I am able to perfect that I will post it here when I do.


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Pumpkin Muffins

Ok, I have been dying to try these.  Yes, I have seen them in numerous places on the web, and yes they are as good as they look, so you should try them too!

Here is the best part.  They have a cream cheese filling, which makes them wonderful!  It also makes them not a quick fix as you have to freeze the cream cheese sugar mixture in a log two hours before baking.  BUT, I did that the night before and made them for breakfast pretty quickly.  Kids and husband alike loved them - even the college child who didn't get to try one until they were several days old.  They also make a lot - 24 is a huge number of muffins for three people, which is why there were some left for the college girl when she came home.

I made mine by adapting this recipe from Annie's Eats.  I only had one can of pumpkin on hand, which left me about a quarter of a cup short, so I added two extra tablespoons of oil to compensate for the lack of moisture, and they turned out great.  Not a good substitution health wise, but it worked for taste.  Also, you won't need all of the topping.  I didn't use it all, and mine were still whitish on top unlike Annie's.  If I had used a little less, I think it would have melted a bit more and been even better.  There are some procedure pics after the break.

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