I’m a shopaholic…
I am.
Thought I’d be honest and admit this fact straight away. Provide a window into the world that is Mrs. M.O.B., if only for one entry.
So yes, I’m a shopaholic. I shop almost all the time, for many reasons, and usually in bulk. Big bulk. The Never-Own-Less-Than-60-Rolls-of-Toilet-Paper-At-One-Time kind of bulk.
*Sigh*…
I used to be an in-store sort shopper, but once I got the hang of on-line shopping, I have been unstoppable. There is no greater satisfaction than click-click-clicking your way to a purchase.
Or two…
Or eleven…
Yea, I need help. Serious, serious help. I recently read Confessions of a Shopaholic and the similarities were astounding. Ok, they were downright scary.
Now you ask – What does this have to do with baking, or cooking, or food? Why are you sharing this, Mrs M.O.B.?
Great question!!! I’m sharing (um… over sharing) because I just replenished my chocolate supply!
And I am Ha-ppy!!
Supply?
Yes, supply. Bulk, remember? Every September I go to this awesome chocolate website and purchase a year’s worth of chocolate. That’s 44 lbs for those who are wondering.
Now I understand this may sound crazy, but:
A – I bake my way through every ounce of it
B – I heart chocolate with the burning intensity of a meteor entering earth’s atmosphere
C – I get to shop, Hello?!
So now that I’m fully stocked, What to do? My sugar is a bit low; perhaps I’ll tackle that next.
In the meantime, enjoy this chocolate loaf recipe. Its pretty choc-a-licious.
How about some extra chocolatey goodness, since I’m going all choc-o-love on you?
Pour some warm ganache over that baby.
Then chill it for a bit.
Now slice it – And when you do you’ll have this yum-i-licious chocolate loaf with a lil’ extra chocolate, “Oh my!!”
Yea, that’s the stuff…
Me…
———————————————————————–
Chocolate Loaf
For the loaf
- 7 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the pourable ganache:
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan, Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl of and electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until fluffy – About 3 mins. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and stir the vanilla extract. Stir in your dry ingredients until well blended. Be careful not to over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 5 minutes, then invert to a cooling rack.
To prepare pourable ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat resistant bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just reaches a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir gently to make sure all of the chocolate is covered by the cream and allow it to sit for a minute. Stir well, until it is smooth and blended. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
To finish the chocolate loaf:
Allow the cake to cool completely. Prepare the pourable ganache. Place a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. Place your cake on top of the cooling rack. Pour the ganache on the cake. Chill until set.
Eat. Enjoy. Then thank me later…
Chocolate Loaf source: The Smitten Kitchen
