Marbeld Chocolate and Banana Muffins

I have been using chocolate a lot lately. I bought large amounts of a Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate I found a few weeks ago, so I have to use it right? Hence the previous posts of the Pot de Creme and the Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake.
Well, now we have the Marbled Chocolate and Banana Muffins.
I used sticks of vegetable oil instead of butter for the first time as an experiment, and I must say they turned out pretty tasty. I also used yogurt instead of milk and instead of more oil based ingredients. They turned out very moist and you can feel better about eating several of them since it's yogurt right?

3 or 4 bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil stick
1/2 cup yogurt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate melted
Cream oil, sugar and eggs. Mix in yogurt. Mix in dry ingredients until all well blended. Right before ready to put in muffin pan, add chocolate and fold into batter, but not mixed in. Pour into pans and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake

More chocolate...
I was having an impromptu dinner party the other night with 8 people including myself. So, I had to throw something together for dessert as well as the meal. For the meal I decided upon; Pork Schnitzel, Scalloped Potatoes, and grilled Zucchini, Squash, and Peppers with Lemon and herbs. For the dessert: Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (that I did not make, but will in the future) and a Bittersweet Chocolate drizzle that hardened on the Ice Cream like Stracciatella.

The pound cake came out a just a bit dry. When I think of pound cake, let alone Fudge Pound cake, I want some dense cake, ya know? It might have been due to ten minutes too long in the oven...When I plated the dessert I warmed up the cake and then sliced it for individual servings.

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4-5 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate chopped/melted
2 1/4 cups flour
3 tbsp. water (you could use brandy or other booze instead)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 cup yogurt

Cream butter and sugar in bowl. Add eggs one at a time mixing as you go.
Mix in melted Chocolate. Add water.

In separate bowl mix flour, salt, and baking soda.

Add 1/4 of flour mixture into sugar/chocolate bowl alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. This enables complete mixing and giving the batter a good consistency.

Pour into well greased Bundt pan. Bake for app. 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chile Rubbed Veal Tenderloin

Chile Rubbed Veal Tenderloin served with
Moroccan Couscous (with caramelized onions, garlic, Spinach, and grape tomatoes) and
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Chile Rub:
Ancho Chiles
Long Red Chiles
Ground Cumin
Mustard Seed
Cinnamon
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Mixed together in cuisinart/blender, etc.
Rub spice mixture on the Tenderloin, then seared on all sides and put in the oven for about 30 minutes. Done to a nice medium.

Couscous:
Sauteed onions and garlic.
Toss in Spinach. Salt and Pepper.

Toss all into cooked couscous and mix well. Add Grape tomatoes, reserve a few for garnish.
Cucumber and Yogurt:

Yogurt whisked slightly.
Thinly slice a Hothouse Cucumber, then chop.
Stir Cucumber into yogurt and add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

The sweetness of the Veal with the kick from the Chile Rub compliments the creaminess of the Cucumbers and Yogurt beautifully. Bon Appetit!

Lemon Curd and Grand Marnier Cupcakes

After my successful attempt at baking the other week, I was excited to try again. So this time: Lemon Curd and Grand Marnier. Anything with Lemon Curd involved is divine, and I just happen to have some lying around... Grand Marnier on the other hand can have quite a strong flavor so I was careful not to use too much in the recipe. As I mentioned with the Chocolate Cupcakes previously, I actually had a recipe, these beauties I did not. I just made it up as I went along. So the measurements that follow are approximations because again, I just came up with it. The Cupcakes did come out absolutely lovely. The cupcakes were tremendously moist and the sweet lemon was a delicious addition. Unlike the previous cupcakes, I did not ice them. At first I was going to top them with a similar cream cheese frosting with lemon and orange zest, but when they came out so citrusy sweet, I decided to just dust them with confectioners sugar. Enjoy!

Wet:
1 Vanilla Bean scored down side
1 cup milk (heated with vanilla bean, then cooled)
3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp Lemon curd
1 1/2 Tbsp Grand Marnier Liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Eggs
Whisk all ingredients together. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
Dry:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. Butter pans then fill with batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.