I made these as mini-muffins - the more to share with the folks at work. I thought they were pretty tasty. They were a bit more dense than I expected, but still quite moist and tasty. I absolutely loved the scent of them and the house still smelled fabulous when I got home from work last evening. I thought the sunflower seeds looked pretty attractive on the top. We have Kelly from Sounding my Barbaric Gulp to thank for this choice.
I also took this opportunity to make something for our group meeting. For months, I have been dying to make tiramisu. I finally got my act together and made that on Monday evening. I brought it in for a meeting on Tuesday and it was a total smash hit. I have no photos of that because cameras at work are forbidden. I figured photos of it uncut were pretty boring. Had I any clue this fabulous dessert was so daggone easy I think I would have been making it for years. I also had the idea that it used a lot more marscapone than it did. Only one eight-ounce container per batch. I made two.
My only complaint about it was that I had to dirty three mixing bowls to make it. Since I only have two that was a pain. Not a major pain, but a pain nonetheless. I do not own a hand mixer only my beloved KitchenAid. This is one of the few times when I would not mind having a hand-held mixer. I could have used it to mix the cream or the egg yolks instead of swapping something out of one bowl and then washing it out. Of course, I survived, but I do so love grousing about these non-essentials.
Anyway, back to the black and white loaf. I detest bananas. However, I concede their healthful benefits and I have been having leg cramps something fierce lately and I have been told the potassium in bananas is helpful in avoiding these. I saw three pounds on sale for $1.49 the other day so I bought them. I read that they do not ripen as quickly if you separate them, so I did. Of course, this meant that they essentially bypassed ripening and instead turned into leopards. You know? Those bananas with the spots all over them? Disgusting. I can barely gag down a pure yellow banana - no way can I eat one with spots. I could barely bring myself to touch it. It was time to show those leopards on the counter who was boss and turn them into something a little less dangerous than lurking fruit! Of course, there are still some left to traumatize me and I may be too damaged to ver visit the Big Cat Display at the Philadelphia Zoo. But, I have been wanting to go there this since the new display opened a few years ago and haven't made it yet, so I don't think they are worried about the loss of revenue).
After stupidly misreading the recipe and melting all of the butter with the chocolate and then even more stupidly tossing it down the drain, instead of just making a completely chocolate loaf, I did manage to put together the proper loaf. I swear I am so stuck in a rut, my brain was thinking black and white (a.ka. marble) the realization that I could do a complete chocolate loaf and thereby save that chocolate that cost me $11/pound did not even enter my head until after it hit the sink - don't worry I have already slapped myself! I mean for God's sake, no one is holding a gun to my head and making me follow these recipes exactly - what am I my own Nazi policewoman? Okay, I'm over myself now and it is too late to suck it back up the drain anyway.
At any rate, I re-melted the chocolate using the appropriate amount of chocolate and finished the loaf appropriately. Marbled it, in what I believe was a very successful manner and baked it right up. I brought it in to work this morning and all who ate it loved it. Most were also stunned that I would bake something that I would not eat, but I always say, hey if there is a calorie I don't like, I am not about to try and convince myself to eat it. I like way too many other calories as it is. Here for your viewing pleasure is the photographic evidence of that effort.
See isn't it cute? Well, except for those spots - and trust me - I am showing this banana's GOOD side!
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