A chocolate treat for the weekend

If you've been with me all this week, you know that I've been passing along chocolate recipes in honor of Valentine's Day. Hopefully, you saw something you wanted to make and had great results with it. In case you missed any of them, here are the links to get them again:

http://www.examiner.com/article/chocolate-mousse-the-ultimate-chocolate-dessert

http://www.examiner.com/article/four-layers-of-chocolate-indulgence

http://www.examiner.com/article/brownies-an-american-classic

www.examiner.com/article/chocolate-sauce-that-s-creamy-and-rich

http://www.examiner.com/article/chocolate-recipes-for-all-tastes

Though Valentine's Day is now over, to round out the week of chocolate recipes, I decided to pass along one more. Some folks are waiting to do their celebrating over the weekend, since their schedules are better suited for it. If you fall into that category and would like another chocolate recipe to try this weekend, let's look at "Buttermilk Chocolate Bread", served with "Chocolate Honey Butter." This would make a good breakfast or brunch treat, if you would like to make a special meal over the weekend.

By looking over the list of ingredients, you'll see that it resembles a cake recipe and theoretically, it is more of a cake than an actual bread. It's mixed much like a cake and there's no yeast in it, so it's very easy to do. If you make it a day ahead of the day you want to serve it and wrap it well, the bread mellows and is easier to slice. This would also be good served with softened cream cheese. The "Chocolate-Honey Butter" can also be served with toast, biscuits, pancakes or waffles.

There's one rule about making a quick bread and that's not to overmix the ingredients once the dry ingredients come in contact with the liquid ingredients. This is a rule to follow whenever you make any type of quick bread. Overmixing would cause the finished product to be heavy, dense and tunnels would be all throughout the bread's texture. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only enough to moisten them and no more. This will guarantee a lighter, fluffier, more attractive finished product.

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day and if you're still planning to make a chocolate treat this weekend, click on this recipe or any of the above links!

BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE BREAD

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Combine the dry ingredients and add alternately with buttermilk, blending only until moistened. Add the nuts. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until bread tests done in the center. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely. Serve with "Chocolate Honey Butter".

CHOCOLATE HONEY BUTTER

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey

Cream together all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Store covered under refrigeration.