Hot Chocolate Mix

I have wanted to make a low-sugar, few-ingredient hot chocolate mix for years and this is finally the time to give it a go.

1/2 cup monk fruit sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 cups powdered milk

1 cup cocoa

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

Combine sugars with vanilla. Spread on a baking sheet and allow to become fully dry. Crumble it or even put it into a blender so it isn't chunky.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Store in a tightly sealed jar.

For a cup of hot chocolate, add 2 to 3 Tbsp of dry mix into 8 oz of hot water.

Notes:

I used Trensite brand whole milk powder (from Walmart). I wasn't interested in skim milk powder.

This also makes a nice chocolate pudding. I'll write out the measurements the next time I make it.

Fridge Pickles

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, so you know it's going to be a keeper!

Bring to a boil:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 Tbsp pickling salt (Himalayan salt works as well, but pickling salt gives a clearer brine)

1 Tbsp mustard seeds

1 Tbsp turmeric

1 Tbsp celery seed

Cool and pour over:

an ice cream pail of cucumbers (4L)

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves

Cover, let sit for 24 hours. This gave me 4 (pasta sauce sized) jars of pickles.

I added one red pepper, cut into short strips. Looks nice, tastes delicious.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I was looking for a recipe to make a dozen chocolate zucchini muffins and I decided to try the one from My Baking Addiction. Phenomenal. I recommend it! 

I wanted to double it and made several changes so this is my adaptation. It's still a work in progress and I will likely make additional changes. But this is what I'm working with for now:

2 cups zucchini, washed, dried, grated

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

4 eggs

4 tsp vanilla

3 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup cocoa

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare preferred muffin pans. I love the Pampered Chef stoneware pans.

Cream butter and sugars together until it has become a pale, fluffy mixture. Add in eggs, beat until everything is very well combined. Add vanilla.

Time for the dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and shredded zucchini. Stir only enough for ingredients to be combined. Really get down into the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything gets mixed thoroughly. Don't over-mix! (About 18 to 20 stirs should be good.)

Using a large scoop (the Pampered Chef one holds about 3Tbsp of batter), put one scoop of batter into each spot. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Sourdough Sandwich Loaf, 3 loaves

This is the recipe I use every week. 

• 100g active, stiff sourdough starter – make sure it’s bubbly and fed about 12 hours before baking.

• 560g water – lukewarm water helps activate the fermentation process.

• 90g butter – adds moisture and tenderness to the crumb.

• 30g honey – adds just a touch of sweetness; maple syrup or sugar can be substituted.

• 300g whole wheat flour – I don't prefer to use more than 30% whole wheat flour in my bread.

• 700g all-purpose flour – this provides the structure and strength the bread needs.

• 18g salt – essential for flavor and helping to control fermentation.

You don’t need any fancy flour or equipment here — just a mixing bowl, a loaf pan, and a little care.

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Instructions

Mix the Dough

Start by combining the sourdough starter, water, butter, and honey in a large bowl. I prefer to use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for making bread.

Knead and Rest

Mix it with the dough hook on speed 2 for 8 minutes until it becomes smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, use the heel of your palm to push the dough forward, fold it back, and repeat. Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for a few hours (for several) at room temperature.

Overnight Rise

After the initial rest, form the loaves, place into greased loaf pans, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for an overnight cold fermentation — about 10–12 hours. This slow rise improves both the flavor and the digestibility of the bread. By morning, your dough should be noticeably puffier and roughly doubled in size. This recipe gives me 1800g of dough, so each of the three loaves will be 600g. Yes, I weigh them every time.

Final Proof

Let the shaped dough rise at room temperature for several hours, or until it domes nicely near the edge of the pan. The exact time can vary depending on your kitchen temperature — don’t rush this step. A properly proofed loaf will feel airy and spring back slightly when pressed.

Bake

Preheat your oven to 400°F (232°C). Once the dough is ready, place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 35 minutes. The top should be a rich golden brown, and the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If your oven tends to run hot, you can cover the top loosely with foil halfway through to prevent over-browning. The internal temperature for a loaf of sourdough bread should be between 96° and 99°.

Cool

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes to finish setting. Then gently remove it and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing too early can make the bread gummy — so give it at least 60 minutes before cutting.

Coconut Pineapple Rolls

Okay let's grab the tried-and-true cinnamon bun recipe and switch up a couple of ingredients.

Bun dough:

1 cup mashed potatoes
2 tbsp yeast
2 cups warm milk or potato water
3/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
6 cups of flour

Inside the buns:
3Tbsp melted butter (to spread onto dough)

1 can of crushed pineapple, very well drained (save the pineapple juice)

3/4 cup sweetened coconut

3 Tbsp cornstarch

(if you want it to be sweeter, add 1/2 cup brown sugar)

Mix potatoes and oil in blender. (Potatoes can be blended with the milk.)

Add the other ingredients and mix well. Add 6 cups flour and knead until soft. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Punch and make rolls with pineapple/coconut filling. Let rolls rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.



Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

all of the pineapple juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter
pinch of salt

Mix. Heat to boiling. Pour over rolls when done or just before serving. Enjoy!

Spinach Muffins

This is a family favorite. This is a double batch and will make 23 to 24 muffins.

Thaw one block of frozen, chopped spinach. I do not drain, and I include the liquid in the recipe.

2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 to 6 medium)

2 tsp baking soda

4 large eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

3 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips

In a small bowl, stir mashed bananas and baking soda together. Set aside.

Blast the eggs and thawed spinach in the blender until smooth. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add egg and spinach mixture, as well as the bananas.

Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Stir to moisten. Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes

This recipe is written with a reduced sugar and salt version. I don't recommend reducing it further.

I use the blocks of frozen chopped spinach from Superstore. Half of one block is enough for one batch of muffins. Thaw it. Liquid can be added to batter, too.

"Sugar-free" Egg Nog from Scratch

This is a variation of the from-scratch egg nog recipe I recently posted. I would definitely double it!

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (I like the Splenda brand)
1 cup 10% cream
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or less if it's fresh!)
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
ground cinnamon, for topping

Instructions

Whisk the egg yolks and monk fruit sweetener together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer.

Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs.

Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.

Whisk constantly for a minute or so, until the mixture is just slightly thickened (or until it reaches about 160 degrees F on a thermometer). It will thicken more as it cools.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the eggnog through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or other container and cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate until chilled. It will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner, completely smooth consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth.

Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, and fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.

NOTES

I bought a fresh jar of nutmeg and I'm finding it very potent. I reduced it from 1/2 tsp for one batch to about 3/4 tsp for a double batch.