Mommy's Meal

Did everyone have a wonderful Mother's Day? Did you hug something or someone motherly? Good children you all are!

Ironically (though as seems to be the usual case around here), I didn't actually get to see much of my mother yesterday. When I woke up, she was already out and about... this time with my stepdad to the cemetary for his mother's day visit. When they came home, she spent about 15 minutes rushing around to get ready for the lunch that SHE had to book and organize, and I couldn't attend due to my dietary issues (FYI, the stepdad filled this break by watching TV). Then, grandparents arrived to go to lunch and ZAP! gone again for another 5 hours. It was late afternoon before I got to properly tell her "Happy Mother's Day"!

But, that doesn't mean I wasn't doing anything for her! I may have forgotten to buy a card (thank you Andrew!) and I couldn't afford a nice gift, but I made her dinner and dessert last night. And just because I can never do anything simply, I chose to make a recipe that required multiple components, meaning multiple steps, which actually worked out into multiple days! To capitalize on time (and kitchen space) I actually began preparing elements of this meal on Wednesday. Actually, if you count me making (and freezing, for relative freshness) the loaf of bread for the toast cubes, I started this project the Sunday before. Yes... I made bread specifically to dry it out. Wednesday was full of onions and garlic slowly caramelizing in the oven before being pureed silky smooth (I thought I had died and gone to heaven), Saturday saw me cutting the bread into cubes so it could sit and dry out, and roasting the other "croutons" (yummy, healthy chickpeas - they came from a can but that was it!) for the topping. But, as with all labours of love, it was worth it! Everything (but the bread, which had to toast a la minute) was prepped and ready to go come dinnertime, meaning that all I had to do was boil water, chop some veggies and throw together a basic saute - 20 minutes. Beat that, RR! I'm going to ship off this dish to Ruth's event Presto Pasta Nights for this Friday's roundup, hosted by Patsy of Family Friends & Food.

Summer Pasta With Broccoli Rabe And Croutons
Serves 6
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 large Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp water
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and patted dry
3/4 cup small cubed, preferably grainy bread
1 pound broccoli raab (sometimes called rapini or broccoli rabe), trimmed and washed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tbsp fresh basil, shredded
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 lb whole grain pasta (I used spelt linguine, but I reccommend a chunkier, short cut)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a bowl, toss 1 1/2 tbsp oil with the onions and garlic, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour into a deep casserole dish and tent (do not seal completely) with foil (or use the lid if it isn't airtight).
3. Bake 45 minutes, then stir the casserole contents.
4. Re-cover lightly with foil and continue roasting a further 15-20 minutes, until onions and garlic are soft. Allow to cool.
5. Place the onions and garlic, with any liquid and the extra water, to a small food processor bowl or blender and puree. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
6. Heat oven to 375F and lightly mist one or two baking sheets with non-stick spray.
7. Spread the chickpeas onto the sheet(s) in one layer, then spray with the non-stick spray.
8. Roast for 25 minutes, then stir / shake the pan to prevent sticking.
   Return to oven *NB: if serving immediately add the tray of bread cubes at this point* and bake 15 minutes longer, watching carefully to prevent burning.
9. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions (reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water), and prepare a steamer pot for the broccoli raab.
10. Steam broccoli rabe 5 minutes, remove from heat immediately.
11. Meanwhile, add remaining oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the steamed broccoli rabe, tomatoes, pasta water and onion/garlic paste, tossing well.
12. Stir in the lemon zest, pepper flakes and basil. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice and drained pasta.
13. Just before serving, toss the pan mixture with the bread cubes and chickpeas to maintain their crunch.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 337.2
Total Fat: 9.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 322.7 mg
Total Carbs: 56.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.9 g
Protein: 12.3 g

I am actually kind of ashamed to say that dessert started out as a major fail, then fell into the "afterthought" category of my daily activities. The fail came when I tried to use the last of the free bottles of POM juice that I received from the company. I had enjoyed one straight ages ago, used another in a (forthcoming) fruit bread, and given one to Andrew. When I found a recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with the juice on their website, I couldn't wait to give it a go. Mom loves chocolate, and fruit (especially since the bottle I had was my personal favourite - with added cherry juice), so I figured it would be a hit.

Well, um, it wasn't. I even followed the recipe to a T - unusual I know, but I wanted something for mom's dessert. The batter was so liquid it was water - we're talking thinner than crepes - and even then I forged ahead, rationalizing that cake batters are usually on the thin side. But I knew, ohhh I knew (and all us cooks can empathize!) it wasn't going to fly. The cupcakes sunk... no wait, imploded... into little cakes of what looked like charcoal, smelled like caramel and was totally unsalvageable. So into the bin the batch went, and I let the idea of dessert slide by. Until yesterday morning.

Because I'm just good like that, I got the idea to do a fairly light, fruity dessert from scratch to cap off the meal. A granola-topped, custard, blueberry and mango parfait, to be specific. And I wanted to do it all from scratch. So I spent my morning alone roasting up a vanilla and honey granola, cooking a delicious (though slightly runny, which I fixed for the recipe below) vanilla custard with a touch of lemon zest and creating the most delicious (I ate half of it the first time, then had to make more *blush*) compote with the two unlikely fruits. Everything got squirreled away until I could assemble the two layered glasses later that afternoon, leaving off the granola until just before I served them.

Mothers Day Spring Parfait
Serves 2
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
---
150 g fresh (or frozen, thawed, juices reserved) mango, cubed small
1/2 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed, juices reserved) blueberries
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water (or reserved fruit thawing juices)
---
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp canola oil (if needed, included in NI)

For Custard Base

1. Combine powder, sugar and 1 tbsp of milk to a paste in saucepan, add remaining milk and heat to just under the boil.
2. Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring, then remove from heat and let cool 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest and chill before serving.
4. Can be made 1-2 days in advance.

For Compote

1. Combine the fruit, 2 tbsp water, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fruit begins to break down.
2. Whisk together cornstarch and water (or juice) in a small dish until smooth.
3. Stir the slurry into the cooking mixture and simmer, stirring for 1-2 minutes until thick and the fruit is coated.
4. Can be used warm over pancakes and waffles, for this parfait cool completely.
5. Can be made up to 5 days in advance.

For Granola Topping

1. Preheat oven to 275F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl - I find tossing and mixing by hand works best - until everything is evenly coated.
3. Spread evenly on the lined sheet, as close to one layer as possible.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan in the oven.
5. Bake a further 10-15 minutes, or until the oats are crispy, toasted and mostly dry.
6. Cool completely on sheet, then stir to get the clusters.
7. Store in an airtight tin. Can be made up to 10 days in advance.

Assembly

1. Layer an even smount of custard on the bottom of each serving dish.
2. Top with a generous amount of fruit, then add equal amounts of granola to the top of each dish.
3. Serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving (NB: this included all the granola - I used maybe 1 1/2 tbsp per portion)
Calories: 550.9
Total Fat: 7.8 g
Cholesterol: 6.1 mg
Sodium: 535.7 mg
Total Carbs: 115.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.9 g
Protein: 10.5 g

So the verdict on my home cooked dinner? My mom loved it - it was light, full of vegetables, colourful and the perfect mix of texture for her. She adored the finishing touch of lemon zest and juice with the sweetness from the roasted garlic and onions and cherry tomatoes. The only thing she mentioned changing (and I agree with her) is the size of the croutons. I'd probably halve them once again to balance out the texture, especially if served with linguine like I did. I think rotini or rigatoni would be okay with the bigger chunks though. The broccoli rabe was perfectly cooked (for once - I think mom comes from the school of "veggie mush"). I can't wait to make this again in the Summer when the cherry tomatoes can be our own! Mom also made a good point that this would be delicious as a cold pasta salad for BBQs, and that without the pasta it would be great over some greens on it's own. Dessert was deemed "really good" by Mom too - not too sweet, and the perfect portion especially after the large meal. My stepdad, however, didn't have any of it (he preferred microwaving popcorn).

Not From a Box!

But from a couple cans and a jar! Come on, you really think I could make spiral buns this flaky and perfect without a little help from the Doughboy? Actually, yea I probably could, but I never would have because a) I'm lazy and b) making these buns was totally and completely serendipitous. After making my delicious and totally awesome cake again (I need to get more Just Like Sugar!), I was left with a partial can of pumpkin puree and no potential use for it! I really didn't want to see it wasted (not to mention that blue fuzzies churn my stomach no matter how nice blue and orange combine) so I called up Andrew with a question: would he like some pumpkin foccacia, or perhaps pizza dough? I didn't want to resort to yet more muffins, especially since nobody around here has that much of a sweet tooth.

We began comparing leftover lists between our houses to see if there was something that filled both our quotas. Well, it turned out that Andrew had a couple tubes of crecent rolls and a partial jar of Nutella that were nearing expiry. My brain immediately sprung to a version of chocolate croissants (hey, I'm a woman, chocolate flows in my veins!) that used Nutella instead, but it was Andrew who mentioned combining the nutty, chocolatey goo with my pumpkin!

They came out of the oven perfectly - soft, flaky and with a great balanced filling to dough ratio (ahem, thank you, thank you). The pumpkin and Nutella combination formed a whole other taste, according to Andrew, not like one ingredient or the other, and he used leftovers (what he didn't eat straight, that is) on toast!

Have a happy Mother's Day to all those celebrating - I'll share my adventures soon!

Nutell - Umpkin Crescents
Makes 16
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup Nutella
1 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tubes Pillsbury Crescent roll dough (8 pcs each)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Beat together pumpkin, Nutella and tapioca starch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Unwrap and separate crescent roll dough into the individual triangles.
4. Spread each triangle lightly and evenly with the pumpkin mixture, covering the whole surface.
5. Roll up as per package directions, then curl each rope of filled dough into a spiral shape and place on sheets.
6. Bake for 13 minutes, then cool 5 minutes on sheets before removing to a rack or eating warm.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 147.8
Total Fat: 7.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 225.1 mg
Total Carbs: 16.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 2.6 g

A Slow Day

Today has been one of total vacuity. Nothing has been done in the house (oh - I did empty the dishwasher... and I got dressed, albeit at 2PM) and frankly, I'm kind of glad. It's the first day in a while that I have had nothing to do. So, instead of being the industrious person I could have been and caught up with all my blogging, I hovered on Twitter for most of the day. If you'd like to keep up with me (I'm more industrious there than on Blogger) and you haven't followed me yet, you can here. I'm still looking for an answer to my in shell to shelled meat yield for mussels... my (pricey, btw) Book of Yields textbook is of no help!

Normally, being alone in the house and having nothing to do would leave me in an incredible fit of boredom... the type that breeds gratuitous baked goods... you know, like bagels and brownies and loaves of bread. But I couldn't do it. Not today. I don't know if it was that I woke up an hour late (I'm so not used to sleeping in!), or if the black clouds and humidity were the culprit, but I had no energy to do anything but read, occasionally Tweet, and watch TV. I didn't even have the energy to nap (yes, it does take energy, and effort, for me! Two prescription sleeping meds can't be wrong!). I did find plenty of things that I would adore making though, provided I had a willing, and hungry, audience. A certain Milk Chocolate Cherry Twist would be near the top, and the total die-hard chocoholic in me is calling for brownies.

Instead of giving some fresh-from-the-oven goodies to you today, I fear I'll have to resort to actually making a dent in the backlog of treats I've made thus far and haven't shared yet! I'm tripling up again, this time with three equally delicious, equally stuffed-full-of-bits cookies. The best part about these recipes is that you can either bake them off all at once, immediately, or opt to wrap and chill (or even freeze) the batter for later baking. If you're feeling really industrious you can even pre-portion the dough before freezing it, so you get the whole bake-as-needed portion control. Each of these recipes has something going for it nutrition wise, too... except for the fact that they're well, cookies, they could be health food!! Right?? *crickets chirping* Hello??

Before I proceed to the recipes, I'm looking for some feedback on a recipe idea I was passing around with @ceto on Twitter after they posed a "favourite ice cream flavour" question: a Chocolate Stout Cake (a la this recipe) ice cream with a cream cheese ribbon. Any ideas how to start concocting a recipe?? I'm thinking a dark chocolate / stout ice cream base with cake chunks and the cheese ribbon. I've never made ice cream before (not having a machine will do that) so I don't know where to start... but I'm game!

Okay, so cookies, here we go!

This batch features everything you could look for in a healthy snack: Nuts? Check. Fruit? Double-check. Seeds? Check. Whole Grains? Another double-check. And oh yeah, CHOCOLATE!

Chewy Checklist Cookies

Makes 64
10oz lite, firm silken tofu (good ol' Mori-Nu)
1 tablespoon vanilla
8 oz sugar
8 oz brown sugar
6.5 oz salted butter (room temp)
6 oz shortening
14 oz flour
4.5 oz whole-wheat flour
3.5 oz multi-grain cereal (I used Bob's Red Mill High-Fibre Hot Cereal with Flaxseed), or thick-cut rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
14 oz assorted add-ins (I used roughly equal amounts of chocolate chips, sultanas, craisins, pumpkin seeds and chopped pecans)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Puree tofu and vanilla in blender or processor until smooth, set aside.
Cream the sugars, butter and shortening until fluffy.
Add the pureed tofu to the creamed mixture, beating well.
In separate bowl, mix flours, cereal, baking soda and salt.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix until flour just disappears.
Fold in additions.
Make balls with the dough and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 11 - 12 minutes. Cool completely on sheets.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 139.7

Total Fat: 6.8 g

Cholesterol: 7.7 mg

Sodium: 29.3 mg

Total Carbs: 18.8 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g

Protein: 2.0 g

I found this next one on someone's blog, but now I can't find it again! I did find the same base recipe I used here. If you know what blog featured the recipe, please let me know! I used half / half butter and shortening for sturdiness, added brown sugar for flavour and decorated them with pepitas and a Craisin centre. I also watched these like a hawk in the oven - they can be finicky because they contain (gluten-free) chickpea flour as part of the batter and spread like crazy!

Indian Butter Biscuits

Makes 14

1 oz salted butter, room temperature
1 oz shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3.5 oz flour
1 oz chickpea flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 300F. Line or lightly grease a cookie sheet (I reccommend lining, especially with these as they can get greasy).
Cream together butter, shortenning and sugars very well, until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat smooth.
Whisk together flours and baking powder in another bowl.
Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix in the dry ingredients gently.
Make dough into small (1-oz or so) balls and press down very slightly. Decorate if desired.
Bake for 10 minutes, cool completely on sheets.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 104.9

Total Fat: 3.8 g

Cholesterol: 5.4 mg

Sodium: 28.1 mg

Total Carbs: 17.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g

Protein: 1.1 g

A variation from a King Arthur Flour concoction, these are nutty, crunchy and chewy all at the same time, with a double hit of rich sweetness from dark honey and chocolate. Kasha is toasted buckwheat groats.

Buckwheat Honey - Chip Cookies

Makes 30

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hot water
3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp buckwheat honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup dark buckwheat flour
2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup Craisins
1/3 cup toasted buckwheat kernels (Kasha)

In a small dish, whisk together the flaxseed and water. Set aside.
Cream the butter, shortening, sugar and honey.
Add vanilla, vinegar and flax mixture,beating smooth.
Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
Beat into the creamed mixture.
Fold in the chocolate chips, Craisins and buckwheat, mixing JUST till combined.
Wrap dough well in plastic and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Bake tablespoon-size cookies 11 minutes, until they’re starting to brown.
Cool 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 118.7

Total Fat: 3.9 g

Cholesterol: 3.1 mg

Sodium: 12.0 mg

Total Carbs: 20.8 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g

Protein: 1.7 g

Lastly, and I can't even believe I'm justifying this "news" with a thought process - must have been a slow news day, too. In proof that the world has nothing better to talk about... what's with the Dijon / Obama fiasco? God forbid I ask for extra ginger with my sushi plate then, or order my sub with honey mustard... Christ, it isn't like the man asked for his fries to be coated in Fleur de Sel and cooked in rendered duck fat before being served Grey Poupon with a mother of pearl spoon. So the next time I make breakfast, should I put some Aunt Jemima syrup on French toast - note FRENCH, not that weakling "patriot" crap... or is that too "elite"? Should I stick with a dry crust of Wonder Bread instead?

For Stan.

There are few people in this world that can raise your spirits by simply being present. Everybody probably has one or two of them in their lives at any given time - a best friend, a sibling, a lover - and if you are lucky enough to recognize and realize these special people for who they are and what joys they can bring to your life you need never have a day without a smile. For me, one of those perpetual smile-generators (and general goodwill ambassadors!) is a special professor of mine from this past year's Intro to Psychology class named Stan. One of the most selflessly giving people I have ever met, this man has gone through incredible personal turmoil over the years, and yet still manages to come into work every day with a smile, an upbeat attitude and a great story to tell. In his classes, three hours passed in what felt like thirty minutes, we all knew his phone extension because of it's correlation with a Swiss Chalet story he told us on day 1, and somebody would always return from break with a cup of tea from Timmy's for him, which he would always pay for. Stan has run marathons, owns real-estate for profit, raises a family and somehow manages to put together the most entertaining, YouTube video filled lectures I have ever had the pleasure of attending.

I was asked by Stan (shortly after the Copper Chef event) to bake and donate a cake for an event that the Simcoe County branch of Autism Ontario was holding. I jumped at the chance, not only because it meant I got to bake a cake (*happy dance*) but that it meant that I was finally able to do something - even in a small way - to give back to someone who had done so much for me! I was fully prepared to make and give the cake to him gratis, but he wouldn't hear of it after seeing me whine about the chocolate cost! He not only graciously paid for the ingredients, but put himself in charge of transporting my cake - plus two others - to Barrie for the event. What did he get out of all of this, you may ask... after all, he didn't even get a taste of the cake!... well, I can't say for certain, but I have a feeling that Stan is just that type of person - if he can brighten your day, he's succeeded in his own mind. We should all be so lucky to be able to do that!! At the very least, I also gave him a bag of cookies (recipe forthcoming) and a packet of my favourite carrot seeds. Hopefully he and his family will enjoy them as much as I do (and share them with the community - yes, they community garden too!)! So, to Stan and all the people out there like him,

THANK YOU!

The Fourth Annual Evening for Autism was a resounding success - the cake auction alone raised $2300! My donation sold for a hefty $120, blowing me completely out of the water, and I can only say that I honestly hope the top bidders thoroughly enjoyed the decadence that is my Chocolate Stout Cake... since I thoroughly enjoyed making and decorating it! The recipe I used is the same one I made for my mom's birthday, the only exception being that instead of the traditional Guinness, I used a new beer I found at the LCBO: Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

If anybody out there has any information on the dietary / nutritional management of conditions such as Autism, feel free to pass it along. I know that there are many parents out there who would appreciate another resource!

Finding My Marbles!

This week was a very emotionally charged one for many of my friends - not only did I finish exams (and the accompanying school year), say goodbye to my friends and professors, and take a great trip to Yorkville with my mom today, but I had the chance to really brighten a few people's days too! Of course, I opted to bring the smiles with sugar and chocolate (is there anything better?).

This was actually the second cake I was commissioned to make this week, though it was due first so got prime ranking in our (already overburdened) fridge! It was a cake that served a double purpose, as it turned out... both as a celebratory gesture for my friend Magdalena's work anniversary and a sorrow-drowning tactic for the team as they had to say goodbye to my mom, who was shuffling jobs (and therefore offices). While it's depressing to think that I won't be able to drop by and hang out with everyone at once as easily as I used to, at least we don't have to move across the province for her new position (or out of province - that would really suck). In fact, mom's the only one who's doing any moving at all, since her new office is a grand 15 minutes down the street!

Magdalena (who the cake was actually ordered for - by my mom no less!) is a huge fan of my banana bread, and I had also heard through the grapevine of women at the office that there was a call out for something chocolate too! I knew the combination was already a winner... heck, banana chocolate chip bread was one of my absolute favourite snacks as a kid... the trick was how to combine them into a somewhat fancy cake-like object that would serve the horde, decorate it and transport it in one piece! I wound up deciding on marbling the two flavours - I've always adored marble cake! - and figured a double-decker sheet cake would fit the bill nicely since I had the perfect filling in mind!

Nicole at Baking Bites (as seems to be my go-to source these days) gave me the perfect inspiration for a recipe: her Black and White Marble Sheet Cake looked just what I was after. After flipping back and forth to the recipe a couple, oh, dozen times, it occured to me that it was basically only the method that needed to remain the same. I ditched the notion of sheeted layers for a triple-decker round instead, with a base of chocolate instead of the vanilla in the original. That part was fairly simple, since all I had to do was remove a smaller portion of plain batter to flavour / colour with banana before making the large portion chocolate. The fun part (speaking as someone who abhors math in any way, shape or form) was realizing that everything needed to be multiplied by 1 1/2, not simply doubled as I thought before. Sigh! I guess that's what calculators are for, right??

At any rate, the cakes came out beautifully, smelling to high heaven of caramelizing sugar and rich cocoa (as I HOPE heaven smells like - really, if I can't bake in the afterlife I'm not too sure I'll strive towards nirvana, thank you very much!). A simple peanut butter buttercream filling glued the works together, before I got down to work smearing gratuitous amounts of espresso-fudge frosting over the body. Two hours after starting that little endeavour, I chucked it into the fridge to firm up, then later I finished it up by making a gorgeous (if I do say so myself) banana-chip sunflower with a dash of sanding sugar for sparkle. It may not have been the fanciest cake I've put out, but it was one of the most special to me.


Marbled Banana Cake
Serves 20
3 cups flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter, use 1 1/2 tsp)
1 1/4 cups sugar
5.5 oz salted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup full-fat, Greek-style vanilla (or plain) yogurt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp banana extract
1 tsp yellow food colouring (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot water
---
Filling
2/3 cup buttercream icing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (preferably unsweetened)
1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
---
Chocolate-Espresso Frosting
2 cups buttercream icing
3 tbsp unsweetened (preferably Dutch process) cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, grease two 10" springform pans well and line the bottoms with parchment.
2. Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until light.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and yogurt.
5. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to creamed mixture, ending with flour, mixing thoroughly.
6. Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of the batter and put into a separate bowl. Add banana extract and food colouring if using.
7. Combine brown sugar, cocoa powder and water in a small bowl, then stir into vanilla batter, beating well.
8. Pour chocolate batter into pans.
9. Top with dollops of the banana batter, then drag a skewer or knife through to create a swirling pattern - don’t over marble.
10. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until tests done.
11. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, filling and frosting.

Filling:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl until thick and rich-textured. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Frosting:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, beating until thoroughly blended.
2. Mask and finish cake as desired. Store in fridge.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 423.6
Total Fat: 17.2 g
Cholesterol: 51.7 mg
Sodium: 157.3 mg
Total Carbs: 64.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 6.7 g

The guys at the office got the honour of hacking dividing it up, but I don't think the women minded at all! I only wish I could have been there to watch the sugar comas that ensued!