Well, I haven't been baking much lately. Our house doesn't have air-conditioning, the the oven has remained unused. However, Pinterest has been taunting me, so since it was a bit cooler this morning I made bread and muffins.
Baker & Spice Bakery in Portland, Oregon is by far my favorite bakery. Ever. Every time I visit, I want to order one of everything! If I'm feeling especially hungry and wanting something filling, I order their Garden Bread, which has zucchini, carrots, & golden raisins, topped with almonds. The slices are super thick and it's just . . . delicious. So I had to make some of my own.
Carrot-Zucchini Bread
(Picture does it no justice! Anyone doing a camera giveaway?)
I found a recipe online at Coconut & Lime, and made a few minor changes. I'll post the recipe as I made it below. I cut sugar, subbed coconut oil for vegetable oil, and added almonds on top. It turned out so good!
Triple Chunk Chocolate Muffin
(Knock-offs from Whole Foods Chocolate Chunk VitaTop Muffins)
This recipe I found on Pinterest, but the link is here. I made the recipe just as it was written. It has no oil and uses sugar substitute. The batter is disgusting. Don't try the batter. :P However, they turn out okay. At 58 calories per small muffin, they are pretty good. Definitely don't skip the chocolate chips! If you are watching your calories, they are a treat. If you don't care, skip this recipe and eat something really deliciously fatty. :) Check out this link for recipe.
As for me, I'm going to go cut another slice of bread to enjoy!
Carrot-Zucchini Bread (adapted from Coconut & Lime)
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
2 cups grated, raw zucchini
1 cup carrot, grated
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup coconut oil
2 cups grated, raw zucchini
1 cup carrot, grated
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup silvered almonds.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour or spray with cooking spray with flour two loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil, zucchini, carrot and vanilla. Mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add to zucchini/carrot mixture. Mix until well combined then fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pans. Top each loaf with silvered almonds and bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Enjoy!!!
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup silvered almonds.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour or spray with cooking spray with flour two loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil, zucchini, carrot and vanilla. Mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add to zucchini/carrot mixture. Mix until well combined then fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pans. Top each loaf with silvered almonds and bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Enjoy!!!
