Chocolate Cherry Bread

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Chocolate Cherry Bread

Chocolate Cherry Bread

I feel a bit ashamed to admit this, but I am one of those people who judge a book by its cover. This is particularly true when it comes to cookbooks. Maybe I am a bit shallow when it comes to these things, but I just can't seem to help myself. I'm a visual person. I need the pretty pictures and lovely layout. Well, maybe I don't need them, but I certainly want to have them around.

I think, secretly and deep down, you do too.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

I was in my local bookstore this weekend when I spotted a gorgeous cookbook in the bargain section. A loaf of bread on the cover caught my eye, gave a little wink, and I was immediately smitten. After paging through it in its entirety (do you do this too?), I knew I had to have it, if only for this Chocolate Cherry Bread recipe.

Well, this weekend I tried out a couple recipes and I've decided that maybe being pretty isn't what it's cracked up to be after all. I loved the ideas in the book but, in reality, the recipes didn't measure up. They were poorly written, the method for baking some of the bread was off, I questioned the quantity of certain ingredients, and I didn't love the finished product. It was edible, yes, but that's not exactly my criteria for sharing recipes with you.

I ask more of my food than simply being edible.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Chocolate Cherry Bread Chocolate Cherry Bread

Nevertheless, I took the idea of the Cherry Chocolate Bread and ran with it. On the second try, this beauty was born. Stuffed with cherries, chocolate chips, and a hint of delicious, the idea for this bread was worth the cost of the cookbook.

Which just so happens to be $7.10.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Chocolate Cherry Bread

This Chocolate Cherry Bread is, no doubt, a dessert bread. It makes for a seriously decadent snack (or breakfast, if you can't resist a bite or two). This bread is made with yeast, which brings a light quality to the bread and great flavor. Chocolate chips and dark sweet cherries are kneaded into the dough before baking and litter the finished product with pockets of decadence. Happily, this bread uses canned cherries so you don't have to wait a year for cherries to come back in season (no one should have to wait that long in anticipation). This bread does not need anything to taste delicious—no butter spread, no jam. It is perfect just the way it is.

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Pumpkin Granola

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Pumpkin Granola

Pumpkin Granola

It's officially the first day of fall! Though I was dreading its arrival, now that it's here I'm quite pleased to wrap up in warm sweaters and drink hot tea. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought autumn had arrived two weeks ago. With the mercury falling down to chilly temperatures (especially in the early morning hours), I've started wrapping myself in winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves only to shed them all in the afternoon when the sun is out (and feel a bit of a fool carrying my huge jacket down the streets).

Though, I will never love the arduous process of scraping the frost off my car windows before the sun leisurely decides to climb out of bed. Three weeks into September and it's already begun (goodness gracious).

Pumpkin Granola

Fall has always felt like the most relaxing season of the year. The earth and those who dwell in it seem to slow as the temperatures drop. Though it's the season of school and work, extra activities and projects, and settling back into a daily routine, I feel like we take more time to enjoy simpler things, like a bowl of hot soup or the warmth of a roaring fireplace. In the winter, we hibernate. In the spring, our spirits awaken from our long, sleepy nap. In summer, we rush to fit in as much as we can while the weather is warm and the sun is bright.

In fall, we calm down and stretch our limbs. We yawn, but we're not yet ready for a long winter's sleep. We just want a few more minutes observing the changing of the trees, enjoying the steam from a mug of hot cider, before we slip on our pajamas and climb into bed.

Cinnamon White Pitcher
Pumpkin Granola

Fall flavors, to me, are simply the most comforting flavors of the year—rich pumpkin, spicy cinnamon, ripe apples, warm cider, fresh squash, hints of nutmeg, and large mugs of hot cocoa. The aromas alone are enough to send me to my happy place; a single bite will send me to my heaven.

And I think, if you had a spoonful of this granola, you would know exactly what I mean.

Pumpkin Granola Pumpkin Granola + One

This Pumpkin Granola embraces fall and all its flavors. This granola is fall. Stuffed with feel good healthy foods like dried cranberries, raisins, coconut flakes, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, this granola is sure to please any season-ready palate. My favorite part of this granola is that is does not have butter or oil to hold it together—the pumpkin does that for you. Sweetened with hints of maple syrup and brown sugar, this granola holds the perfect texture. Make this to celebrate the arrival of fall. Make it so you can remember all the reasons why you love autumn.

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Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

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Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Whole Wheat Soda Bread

Today I had a very real lesson in the value of a good night's sleep. It wasn't pretty.

For the last month, I've neglected to mention that I started working at a patisserie. While I love making pastries for people, I don't love getting up at five in the morning to do it. Oh, the joy of a baker's hours! It has taken awhile, but I can successfully pull myself out of bed at precisely 5:12 am (so long as I immediately turn on the light. A few seconds too late and I'll find myself sleeping like a baby right through the workday). The only problem is that I can't seem to get myself to bed before eleven.

Less than six hours of sleep every night, for a month, leaves a mark. It usually takes the form of a nasty burn from a cupcake pan or a gash from a bagel knife.

Whole Wheat Soda Bread

Today my lack of sleep finally caught up with me. I had the mother of all off days. I forgot to put on my apron and only remembered after I spilled flour down my front (may it be known that I am ever graceful.). I dropped pans with horrific clanging. I charred bagels to a gorgeous shade of ash. I often wandered around having completely forgotten what I was meant to be doing or what tool I was trying to find.

Though that last one happens more often than I'd care to admit.

Whole Wheat Soda Bread

Perhaps worst of all, I went to reheat some chocolate in the microwave. After setting the timer for 30 seconds, I went back to work. After a good bit of time had passed, my coworker let out a yell as plumes of black smoke poured out the microwave. Apparently I hadn't set the timer to 30 seconds, as I had thought. Lord knows what I actually set it to.

The patisserie filled with a thick, hazy smoke. Many a coughing fit was had. Customers walked in very concerned that something was on fire and we hadn't noticed ("Is everything okay back there? Are you sure?... Are you sure you're sure?"). My coworker commented she had never seen chocolate so burnt.

Not getting enough sleep means burning chocolate. It means hurting yourself with hot and sharp kitchen tools. It means wasting time wandering around in mass confusion. It means burning pastries and messing up recipes. It means being exhausted all day, every day.

While getting to bed at a reasonable hour is hard (a month later and I'm still working at it), I've learned that getting sleep is actually important (who knew?). So, if you'll excuse me, I think I hear my pillows are calling me. It's must be time for bed.

Whole Wheat Soda Bread

Luckily, this Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread is so simple to make even a sleep-deprived person couldn't mess it up. True story. Soda bread, if you've never made it for yourself, is a quick bread that rises without needing yeast. The bread itself reminds me of a biscuit—crumbly, dense, and ever so sweet. This tender bread is perfect served with jam for breakfast or a thick spread of butter as a side with dinner.

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