Way To Spend A Rainy Day

Yesterday it poured all day! While I was watching the river grow in our yard I decided to bake. So while it was altogether dreary outside, inside it was warm and toasty and smelling delicious!

One of the things I made yesterday was a recipe I found in Penzey's Spices catalog. I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I will share the original recipe, and let you know what I substituted. The cake turned out moist and fluffy! The icing had a wonderful mocha flavor since you used coffee with the chocolate!

Gram's Banana Cake

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream ( I used 1 cup plain yogurt)
3 cups all purpose flour ( I used 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups wheat flour)
1 TBSP pure vanilla extrace
2 1/2 cups mashed banana

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans ( I used a 9x13 and it made enough for that and about 6 cupcakes).
Mash the bananas and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in sour cream (yogurt).
In separate bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and mix well.
Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 min.
(Using the pans I used, the cupcakes were done in about 20 minutes and the cake in about 50 minutes)

The other recipe I tried yesterday was a Chocolate Chip Challah Bread. Really yummy! Whatever we don't eat today I plan on making into French Toast tomorrow morning!

Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

2 packets active dry yeast
1/2 cup of sugar, plus a ping
7 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 TBSP salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup veg. oil, plus more for the bowl
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure the other dry ingredients or until frothy.
Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt in a large bowl. pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden sppon
Add one egg, the veg. oil and 1 cup of warm water. Stir till combined. Gradually stir in the remaining flour until the dough starts to come together. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 min. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into 1 1/2 to 2 inch wide strand about 16" long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end.
Braid the 3 strands. Once braided pinch the dough together at the end.
Slide the loaf, with the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 TSBP water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf, bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.