Tuesday, August 17, 2010

TWD—Oatmeal Breakfast Bread (Applesauce or Banana/Chocolate Chip)

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This breakfast “bread” is really just coffee cake in disguise.  Kinda like this picture of Taylor with a mustache.  (hehe)  That’s a really expensive mustache.  Three dentist visits and too many cavities filled and this is the prize—a mustache.  Gotta get these boys brushing better.  (But I know me and my siblings had lots of cavities as kids and I have great teeth now that the dentist/hygenists are always surprised at how great and plaque free they are.  I have hope for my boys.)

Natalie from Oven Love picked our recipe this week.  Oatmeal Breakfast Bread (page 44 of Baking From My Home to Yours) was the choice.  I love the tastes and idea of quick breads, but I just don’t love baking them in bread pans.  They take too long to bake and I don’t like when they are sometimes not done in the center and/or sink a little (I know it’s my own incompetent  issues).  So I knew I was going to make muffins.  Or so I thought.

As I was reading through the recipe, it struck me as something that would work perfectly as a coffee cake.  So I went ahead and baked it in an 8x8 inch square pan.  The only changes to it that I made was that I did not add any dried fruit, so in place of the fruit, I added 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts.  I love a little crunch and I knew that would be okay since there was a streusel-like topping on this.  I didn’t add the ground cloves.

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Perfect applesauce oat coffee cake.  The boys liked this one night when I made it.  I froze the rest and served it at a family function Sunday night and those who had some LOVED it. 

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This was perfectly moist, had great flavor and I loved the nutty crunch and probably wouldn’t have loved fruit bits, even though I usually love dried fruit in things, so I’m glad I didn’t add them.  (I mostly did it because I knew the boys wouldn’t like it and by boys I mostly mean Kevin. ;)

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While I was looking through the ingredients in this breakfast bread, it hit me that this is VERY similar to my favorite banana chocolate chip coffee cake.  The biggest difference is the oats.  Well, that and the bananas instead of applesauce.  I knew it would work and I knew I had to make it as well.  So two coffee cakes it was!

I used whole wheat flour just for fun.  Four small bananas made 1 1/4 cups of banana puree.  I used cinnamon for the spice and no nutmeg or cloves.  And I doubled the topping ingredients (plus 3 1/2 ounces of chopped Lindt dark chocolate!) so I could put half of it in the middle for the streusel-ripple effect, just like my favorite coffee cake again--made as a bundt cake—which I’ve made almost too many times to count.  This was MY favorite version of Dorie’s Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, but the applesauce version is also very good.  Are you surprised I like the one with chocolate and bananas?  Well, you shouldn’t be.  This is one of my favorite flavor combinations ever.

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Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, Baking From My Home to Yours

For the topping:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (mini chips work, too)

For the cake:

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups banana pureed, about 4 small bananas

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (all purpose would work fine)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8x8 inch square pan with foil (non-stick is my favorite).  Spray the foil with cooking spray. 

Make the topping:  In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar, nuts, chocolate and cinnamon.  Toss together with your fingers.  Set aside.

Make the cake:  Whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil and buttermilk until well blended.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the oats.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and stir with a rubber spatula just until everything is evenly moistened.  Do not overmix.  Scrape half the batter into the pan.  Sprinkle half the topping mixture over the batter.  Spread the rest of the batter over that.  Then sprinkle the remaining topping over the second layer of batter and press it down lightly with your fingers.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (it will have some melted chocolate on it).  Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.  Remove from pan by lifting the edges of the foil.  Cut into pieces.

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This is so good.  A little different from my favorite cake, the oats add a nice little dimension.  Thanks for the fun pick, Natalie.  I enjoyed playing around with this one.  You can get the recipe for the Oatmeal Breakfast Bread on Natalie’s blog.  You can also check out all the other TWD blogs to see how their “bread” turned out.

Love me some sleeping baby.

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30 comments:

Tia said...

I went the walnut route too. And by the way, my son would LOVE the Cars covers your sons have.

Clumbsy Cookie said...

It's breakfast time in my part of the world, so I'm gonna grab a piece of thata banana-chocolate one. The other one looks good too, but I'm with you on the banana-choc combo!

Flourchild said...

It looks so good. I love that you added the banana and chocolate chips to it! I love the pictures of your boys!

Paula said...

Love the expensive mustache but sorry for the way you got it. Been down that road myself--without the prize.

The chocolate looks wonderful. Cake idea was inspired and much better for the texture of this recipe.

briarrose said...

Looks wonderful! I would be happy to roll myself out of bed for a slice of that. ;)

Pamela said...

Of course...bananas and chocolate chips! That one looks incredibly good! Cute pic of Sam sleeping!

Lisa Ernst said...

The photos of the chocolate chip cake look like I can grab it through the screen! Wish I had a piece here for breakfast. I like all the changes you made to the original recipe, the coffee cake idea is perfect.

Natalie said...

The coffee cake idea is so smart! I love your variations. Thanks for baking with me this week!

chocolatechic said...

Beautiful coffee cake.

Fallon said...

Yum!! You can tell by how moist both the cakes are. So good with a cup of coffee.. which I could use right about now. ;)

Unknown said...

As usual, I love your variations!! This looks fantastic.

Shandy said...

You Rock! I loved both your versions plus baking this as a coffeecake is brillant. Thank you for sharing the recipe for the banana, chocolate chip cake. =)

Jeannette said...

woooo two cakes that delicious wouldn't last long in my house... mainly because i'd devour the banana chocolate one instantly! great variations!!

Jennifer said...

WOW-that looks amazing!!!! Love the additions!

♥peachkins♥ said...

WOW! It looks so moist!

The Peach Kitchen
peach and things
blowing peachkisses

Hindy said...

How did you know - right now I'm remaking it with bananas. If only I'd remembered the chocolate chips. Next time.
Your son's mustache is the colour that my hubby's was when I married him. It's grey now. ::ggl::

Anonymous said...

They both sound great! The loaf just wasn't doing it for me, but I like the coffee cake idea.

Susan said...

Love your coffee cakes...except for the bananas in the second one. :) Love me some sleeping baby too.

Mimi said...

Great variations on this recipe. The coffee cake looks like the way to go with this one.
Love your boys! When do they start at their new schools?
Mimi

megan said...

Oh like your adaption much better! Oh if only my oven was working! ;)

CookiePie said...

They both sound delicious to me! But if I had to choose, I'm with you on the banana + chocolate :)

And that picture is sooooo cute! My baby girl sleeps like that sometimes too -- we call it "tuchas aruch" :)

Kayte said...

Love that square shape for the bread/cake...and I knew there would be chocolate here, just always fun to head over and find where it will be...a drizzle, a lot, chips, topping, totally chocolate all over, one just never knows!! Yours all look wonderful.

spike. said...

love that mustache! the bread seems like it would be perfect with chocolate chips

Katy said...

Wonderful idea to bake it in the 8x8 pan. Such a cute sleeping baby! :)

Amanda said...

I love that mustache! What amazes me is that Dominic always forgets to brush his teeth, he's SO bad about it, yet he never has cavities! I don't get that. I had tons when I was a kid. :-P Love that you made this a coffee cake and that it was enjoyed!

Kerstin said...

My mouth is watering, especially for chocolate version - yum!

Nickki said...

Both your loaves look amazing! I LOVE the idea of a banana choc chip one! I will definitely try that this weekend..will let you know how it turns out!

p.s my son has the same Cars cover!

Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food said...

This yummy bread/cake has my name written all over it. Save a piece for me!

TeaLady said...

MMMmmm!!! chocolate. Looks divine.

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