Something Festive, and Something Completely Unexpected

Having completed all of my final-examinations and papers, I am officially on a month-long vacation from school - just in time to fully enjoy the holiday season!! So what better way to begin celebrating than to head into my domain (i.e. the kitchen) and start baking? Well, perhaps a better way to put it is that I am continuing to bake, since you know how often I bake even when school is in session - just imagine how often I will be baking now, with more free-time ;0)

To begin my newest baking adventure, I decided to bake something festive for the holidays, and something completely unexpected (as in, who knew that I would actually incorporate this ingredient into a baked good?). I already have a few more baked goods in the oven, right at this very moment - but for now, I would like to share with you two new sweet-treats.

Just as I crave the taste and essence of a pumpkin loaf during the autumn season, there is nothing like a warm, tender slice of freshly-baked gingerbread to brighten up the day, during the winter months (and of course around Christmas-time!). I had never baked a gingerbread before, so I knew right away that I wanted to take on this challenge, as it would be quite festive for this time of year (and would be quite delicious after a long week filled with stressful examinations and final papers).

I do not recall ever coming across a recipe for gingerbread in any of the cookbooks that I own, which has been quite disappointing; but when I received my copy of the Simple Treats cookbook in the mail recently, and found a recipe for gingerbread, I was quite delighted, and officially ready to bake my first loaf of gingerbread!



Even though the recipe calls for a total cooking-time of 70-75 minutes (you're supposed to bake the loaf for 40 minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake for an addition 30-35 minutes), I only baked the loaf for the initial 40 minutes. Thank goodness I made this decision, because after checking up on the loaf after the first 40 minutes had elapsed, the loaf looked perfect. I honestly cannot believe that the recipe calls for such a long cooking-time!! The last 30-35 minutes are definitely unnecessary (at least, in my case - maybe it depends on your location/altitude).

Since it was hard to ignore the tantalizing aroma of ginger, cinnamon, and raisins that filled the air, I sliced the Ginger-Raisin Loaf (which I have renamed this recipe, since it contains raisins - and because "Gingerbread" is just so ordinary-sounding, haha) as soon as it had cooled down a bit. Even though everyone in my household was hankering for a slice, I did not want to just serve the loaf "as is" - I wanted to add something a little extra, to enhance the flavor of the gingerbread:



I spread each slice of the ginger-raisin loaf with a layer of maple-butter (which I discovered at my local Whole Foods, after hearing about it from Celine and Cassie). All I can say about the maple-butter, is that it is positively phenomenal - so rich, pleasantly sweet, and thick! It definitely made the ginger-raisin loaf taste even better (and my family can attest to this statement, for sure).

After baking something festive, I was ready to bake something completely unexpected - something that would catch everyone off-guard, since I normally do not bake with this "unexpected ingredient." I knew that I wanted to use this "unexpected ingredient" for my next recipe-trial from My Sweet Vegan
(since the three recipes that I had already tried turned out fabulous); so when my dad requested that I make the Crumb-Topped Brownies, I had found the perfect recipe to use this "unexpected ingredient" in. I am sure that you can guess what the ingredient is, but in case you are having trouble identifying it, I will reveal its identity (along with the actual baked good):



It's chocolate!! Yes, you read that correctly - I went against my "no-chocolate-rule," and made these brownies entirely of chocolate (no carob whatsoever). This was an extra-special treat for my family, for sure :0) These brownies were more like dense, rich pieces of fudge, rather than cake-y brownies - in other words, absolutely sensational (that is, unless you actually like "cake-y" brownies - not me or my family! bring on the fudge-texture!!). I am so thrilled that my fourth recipe-trial from My Sweet Vegan was yet another out-of-this-world success.

The fact that I have an entire month off from school has made me feel extra "giddy" and ready for the holidays that are fast-approaching (i.e. Christmas and New Year's). Although I have just completed my first "winter vacation baking project" (baking something festive, and something completely unexpected), I am already working on my second and third baking projects - stay tuned for more sweet-treats from VeggieGirl!! :0)