TWD ~ Coffee Break Muffins, a TWD Catch-Up: Mango Bread + Pierre Herme'

Tuesdays with Dorie is here and I was so prepared and yet here I am, typing this up late. I have been looking forward to this post all week, especially since I made BOTH Dorie's Coffee Break Muffins, chosen by Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous (recipe found on her blog), AND a catch-up recipe on page 46: Fresh Mango Bread. I could not find whose choice this recipe was but kudos for a wonderful pick.



I baked the coffee break muffins last week. I halved the recipe and added semi-sweet and white chocolate chips to the batter.


The recipe made 7 muffins. My first time using the silicon muffin/cupcake cups. Loved them; just have to remember to let the muffins fully cool in the cups for easy removal.



Terrible photo above, a little bummed because the presentation was so much fun. You'll never guess what I tried out with the muffins . . . . I can hardly type:

I tried Pierre Hermes (out of the Chocolate Desserts cookbook written with Dorie):

Hot Chocolate with Coffee and a Dollop of Homemade Heavy Cream
and
Served the Coffee Break Muffins Toasted with Vanilla Pear Butter
We are talking some serious caffeine between the two.

I love making the coffee hot chocolate. You take whole milk with a dash of water and bring to a boil. Add 5 T. espresso ground coffee and stir around for a few seconds then strain through a double cheese clothe layer inside a strainer to catch all the grounds.



Return the mixture to the stove top and mix in a quarter cup of sugar with 4 ounces of Valrhona bittersweet chocolate. After the ingredients are combined, I was to use a hand-held immersion blender for 1 minute. I added a dollop of whipped cream on top and wa laa! Delicious, rich hot chocolate. The kind where the chocolaty aroma wafts throughout the house along with coffee and brings everyone into the kitchen, excited, smiling and impatiently waiting for a cup. A new favorite in my home.

I really enjoyed the coffee hot chocolate as a treat. I just wish Pierre had come up with a fancier name =). His accent is wonderful to listen to and I can almost hear him explaining the recipe. (To get the exact recipe, buying the Chocolate Desserts cookbook through Amazon is really worth it!)

Now moving on to my catch-up recipe:



Dorie's Fresh Mango Bread.

I was scared to death baking this recipe because Larry looked at it and asked: "Can't you just say you baked this?". A traumatic moment when the only people to be eating the mango bread would be myself and Larry (to go in his lunches for work).

I omitted the raisins and used lemon zest instead of lime zest because lemon was all I had on hand.

Baking with such a juicy fruit had me worried the loaf would not bake all the way through without burning. I covered the top of the loaf half way through the baking with foil and just as Dorie stated in her recipe, the loaf was done in 1 1/2 hours.


Verdict:
Larry (Hubby for those who do not know): Are you sure this is the bread we were looking at in the cookbook? I mean, this is "really" GOOD and moist. It is not soggy, I like it. (sigh of Relief on my part)
Me: LOVED it! I really enjoyed the spices and mango, the moisture and flavor all combined into a quick bread I can see myself baking again.

The local produce men: Oodles of thanking me for bringing them more goodies, looking suspiciously at the mango bread, trying, and looking relieved they could honestly say how much they liked it. I was laughing to myself all the way back to my car.

Dorie, I am really enjoying baking my way through your cookbook. I feel like we are friends because we are sharing food experiences week after week.

Comments

Wow, busy girl! Everything looks so good. I would love to relax with that delightful drink and a muffin. Yum!
Vicki said…
I am so going to make that chocolate coffee! Love mango so it sounds good to me.
Lisa said…
I never really cared for eating mangoes by themselves, but mango bread, on the other hand, is divine. Yours came out beautifully.
margot said…
The coffee hot chocolate sounds wonderful - and now I want that book! Both the muffins and the mango bread look yummy. I remember being totally unsure of the mango bread and was surprised how good it was.
Jeannette said…
I got a sugar rush just reading your lovely post!! now i need me a chocco-ccino! that's what i call a hot chocolate-coffee fusion drink ;)

your mango bread looks amazing!!
Unknown said…
fab creations, I will take 2 of each
Flourchild said…
Your muffins look yummy and so does the mango bread! The yummy hot drink looks very inviting with the muffins!
Hanaâ said…
Your muffins and mango bread look wonderful. They're both great for breakfast or anytime-snacking :o) I giggled at Larry's initial response to the mango bread. I'm glad he ended up liking it.
Jaime said…
i must have missed the week w/the mango bread, too. looks delicious, glad it was a hit!

your muffins and hot chocolate coffee look divine!! you really went all out this week!
Vicki said…
You mean, the "Uck, gag you can't be serious you're making a tomato cake" cake? My mom actually used to make a tomato soup cake thirty years ago. We couldn't taste the tomato soup in it at all. I'm really curious about Rose's because I don't think she'd make a tomato-y tasting cake. My problem is making sure we don't eat all the pirouette cookies.
Rhiani said…
I bet the white chocolate was a great addition to the muffins and that hot chocolate sounds like a wonderful compliment for the muffins too!
Beth said…
Those muffins look terrific. Can't wait to try them!
Mmmmm....mango bread sounds amazing. I love mangoes. I'll have to put this on my list of recipes to try. Sounds like your hubby and my hubby are equally finicky and skeptical about our various baking projects. He did enjoy this weeks recipe...preserves which I baked into crumble bars. It's always a relief when he likes something.
Eliana said…
Hmmm - that mango bread looks so darn tasty! I especially love those huge chunks of mango in there. YUM!!!
Kayte said…
These were a big hit here, even with the non-coffee drinker! I have always eyed those little muffin cups you have and maybe I should get some of those, do you think? They look so nice and they don't get all soggy and gummy like paper ones. Nice. You are so busy over here!!!

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