BROWNIES OR COOKIES? - BROWNIEST COOKIES!

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After sadly slacking off last year, I hope to be a more productive blogger in 2017.

My cookie baking activities are usually restricted to the time before Christmas (except for NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookies), but I DO like brownies.

Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen promised a cookie with "everything that we expect from a great brownie, a slight crackly exterior, and a plush, fudgy interior".

That sounded very enticing, and I was eager to tackle "The Browniest Cookies" - our Avid Bakers' February project.

But I didn't look at the recipe carefully enough, and, instead of mixing the sugar with the melted chocolate-butter, I added it to the dry ingredients.

Overmixing the batter was a no-no, and I feared that the undissolved sugar might give the cookies an unpleasant grittiness (it didn't!). 

I reduced the salt to 1/4 teaspoon and added some espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
 

Browniest Cookies - crackly exterior and fudgy inside

With Chad Robertson's fabulous Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies in mind, I exchanged a bit of the white flour for rye.

The batter seemed to have the right consistency, so, instead of chilling it first, I  refrigerated the shaped cookies on the baking sheet.

In spite of these missteps, my cookies baked up perfectly, no unsightly flattening, crackly from the outside and fudgy from inside.

And, to my delight, VERY chocolate-y!

My husband ripped one hot from the baking sheet - of course, it fell apart - claiming they should be eaten warm.

A bit later, we had them, more civilized, slightly warm, for dessert. The dollop of vanilla ice cream that hubby added certainly didn't hurt.


THE BROWNIEST COOKIES  (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
(ca. 28 pieces)

115 g all-purpose flour
15 g whole rye flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
45 g unsweetened cocoa powder, any kind
115 g butter
115 g g unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli's)
190 g dark or light brown sugar
25 g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
115 g semisweet chocolate, chips or chunks

In a small bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa (sifted if necessary), baking soda and salt.

Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in a double-boiler over simmering water.

Mixing dry ingredients into chocolate mixture

Off the heat, whisk sugars into chocolate mixture, followed by eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and espresso powder. Add flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips (or chunks).

Folding chocolate chips into the batter

Refrigerate batter for ca. 30 minutes. (If longer, it needs to warm up slightly to make it easier to scoop).

Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 2 baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

A small scoop makes portioning the batter easy

Using a 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon scoop, place mounds of batter on prepared baking sheets (they spread a little.)

Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes (they will look glossy and underbaked in the cracks, and feel still soft to the touch.)

Let cookies set on their baking sheets for 10 minutes, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool (an offset spatula works best.)

Warm Brownie Cookies - what can be better on a cold winter day

They taste best when they are slightly warm. Nuke them for a few seconds to re-warm (beware: if they get too hot, they will fall apart!)

Store the cookies, covered, in a tin or platter at room temperature.

View from our window - and the next blizzard is coming!

CRACKLE COOKIES - A FUDGY CHOCOLATE FIX

After missing the ABC-Bakers' May challenge - I made the Brown Butter Banana Bread, but went on my trip to Germany before I could post it - the June project, Tender Loving Crackle Cookies came just right to cure my baking withdrawal symptoms.

Three weeks without touching a mixer or kneading a dough!

I rarely bake cookies other than around Christmas - except, the famous NY Times Best Chocolate Chip Cookies''. The crackled cookies looked really attractive, so I decided to give them a try.

Maine's own Allen's Coffee Brandy

To enhance the chocolate flavor, I added 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, and, being a Mainer, for good measure, threw in another 1/2 teaspoon of Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy. Otherwise I didn't change the recipe.

Christina's cookies are perfectly risen small mounds - mine, alas, turned from nice little balls

into this:

Flounders!

They spread like flounders, especially the ones I shaped last! 

Who was to blame? I found the answer on David Lebovitz' blog:

Overworking the dough? No, the butter shouldn't be cut in, but well combined with the flour. 

Slippery, greasy baking sheet? No, I lined it with parchment paper.

Flour too soft? No, King Arthur's AP has enough gluten.

Sugar too fine? No, I used regular granulated sugar.

Remained only one culprit: temperature! The recipe calls for only cooling the dough half an hour before shaping, it doesn't mention a second chilling period after shaping.

Even if you work fast - to roll the dough into "perfect little balls" you need to handle it, and it will warm up during that process. Therefore, placing the sheet with the cookies for 15 minutes in the freezer before baking should firm them up and do the trick!

Place the shaped cookies for 15 minutes in the freezer before baking!

I have to admit - at first I wasn't too smitten by my ugly cookies. I often find that, right after baking, cookies don't taste that great, but develop their flavor over time, so that they taste better the next day.

The Crackle Cookies had an intense chocolate flavor, a delicate texture, and were so moist that my husband called them "fudgy". Unlike me, he is no great fan of dark chocolate, anyway, so he left the hard work of disposing of them to me. GOOD FOR ME!


CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES  (adapted from Christina Marsigliese's "Scientifically Sweet")
(16 - 18 cookies)

71 g all-purpose flour
25 g Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 tsp espresso powder
115 g sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
42 g cold butter, cut into pieces
85 g finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coffee flavored brandy (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

For chocolate lovers!

Preheat oven to 375°F/190ºC. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs (there should be no butter lumps left!) Stir in chopped chocolate.

Whisk together egg, vanilla and Coffee Brandy in small bowl. Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture and stir with a fork until mixture is moistened and combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Using small scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll each in powdered sugar to coat, then place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches/5 cm apart. Place baking sheet for 15 minutes in freezer.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just set but still slightly gooey in the centers..

Let cookies cool on sheet for a minute or so, before, using small offset spatula, transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Storage: Cookies keep really well, stored in a tin, at room temperature. Mine tasted still good even after one week.

If you would like to bake along with us - the Avid Bakers welcome new members!

FUDGY, FUDGIER, FUDGIEST - GLUTEN FREE, NO-BUTTER BROWNIES

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This year the Avid Bakers aspire higher baking education by delving into Christina Marsigliese's blog. Though her recipes might be "scientifically sweet", they are not overly sugary - a great plus in my opinion!

I find Christina's scientific approach interesting - she explains, why she adds certain ingredients, and what their properties are. For example, using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar makes the cake batter moister because it dissolves faster into a syrup. 

But the concept of gluten and dairy free brownies, baked without butter or oil, almost kept me from joining our April project.

My first thought was: "Yuck!" Even my favorite vegan cupcakes (Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World), are made with canola oil.

Luckily, the promise of "fudgy", and my curiosity won me over - the Fudgy No-Butter Brownies are among the best (and fudgiest!) brownies I've ever tasted.

Christina emphasizes on the importance of using the ingredients her recipe specifies - they are there for a reason: natural cocoa for a more intense chocolate-y experience, salt to enhance the flavor, and an extra egg white for structure.

And, though the brownies are not made with butter, they are not really lacking fat: almond meal, the gluten-free substitute for wheat flour, contains enough oil for a smooth bite.

The brownies are really easy to prepare - Christina could have also added no-fuss to her description!

Fudgy, fudgier, fudgiest - among the best brownies I've ever made

The only changes I made to the original recipe: the addition of a bit espresso powder - to boost the flavor even more - and a crunchy almond topping instead of more chocolate pieces. The batter is really loaded with chocolate, and doesn't need more.

My brownies needed quite a bit longer baking time: 40 minutes (instead of 25 - 30).


FUDGY NO-BUTTER BROWNIES  (adapted from Christina Marsigliese's blog "Scientfically Sweet")
(16 pieces)

300 g/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
56 g/ 2/3 cup natural cocoa powder
200 g/2 cups almond meal
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant espresso powder
142 g/2/3 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (I used Guittard)
almond slices, for topping

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Line an 8 × 8-inch/20 x 20-cm pan crosswise with 2 stripes of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.

In large bowl, sift confectioner's sugar and cocoa, then stir in almond meal and salt, until combined.

Add wet ingredients eggs, egg white and vanilla

 Add eggs, egg white, water and vanilla, and mix until batter is thick and smooth. Fold in chocolate.

Fold in chocolate

Transfer batter to prepared pan, using rubber spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle with almond slices.

Ready for baking

Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until a shiny crust forms, and a needle comes out clean except for a few moist chocolate bits (my brownies needed 40 minutes).

Easter - and still no sign of spring :(

GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH BAILEY'S CREAM FROSTING - I LIKE ST. PATRICK

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Unlike in his native Ireland, in the US Saint Patrick is a much celebrated man. He creates an opportunity for well-nourished Americans to feel like their poor Irish immigrant forefathers, eating cabbage-y dishes with boiled potatoes, washed down with a beer that is know for being "good for you".

The patron saint of Ireland enjoys special popularity because the anniversary of his death is exempt from Lenten fasting - a suspension his followers interpret as invitation to unlimited alcohol consumption.

St.Patrick - cause of devout imbibing!

Since I, naturally, embrace everything that is "good for me", and strictly abide by the motto: "Life is uncertain - eat the dessert first!", baking cupcakes with Guinness (to find my inner Irishwoman) was a natural conclusion.

And, to make it even an even more boozy Irish themed dessert, I wanted some Bailey's Irish Cream on top!

I changed Laura's recipe for Guinness cupcakes a little, substituting some of the white flour with whole wheat, adding a bit espresso powder for a deeper chocolate flavor, and (as a physician) reducing the amount of salt a tad. 

Instead of buttercream, I chose a (lighter)
Cream Cheese Frosting, adding a little less sugar - it should keep its shape, but didn't have to be stiff.

When I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, I was a bit concerned about their softness (even though the needle came out clean). But after cooling, a few hours later, they had enough structure to be frosted.

A day later, the flavors had blended, and the cupcakes tasted so delicious that I would have drunk green beer and eaten corned beef with cabbage without any complaint.



GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH BAILEY'S CREAM FROSTING

Cupcakes  (adapted from Tide & Time Blog)
(enough for 13 Cupcakes)

95 g/3/4 cup all purpose flour
30 g/1/4 cup whole wheat pastry
200 g/1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda (4 g)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 bottle Guinness (about 170 ml)
113 g/1 stick butter
32 g/3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Natural Cocoa)
1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 egg
77 g/1/3 cup sour cream

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting   (adapted from Food.com)
139 g cream cheese, softened
36 g butter, softened
180 g powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups)
36 ml/ 2-1/2 tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream
Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Line muffin cups with paper liners. (You have batter for 1 cupcake more than 12.)

A whisk works well to mix the dry ingredients

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Bring Guinness and butter to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly.

Stirring dry ingredients into chocolate mixture

In bowl of a (stand or hand held) mixer, beat egg and sour cream. Add Guinness-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until combined.

Fill paper liners up to 3/4 with batter

Fill cupcake liners up to 3/4 with the (rather liquid) batter. Bake cakes, until a needle, inserted int the middle, comes out clean, about 17 minutes (the surface will be quite soft, and finger pressure will leave a dimple!)

Even when done, finger pressure will leave dimples (bottom left and right)

Let cupcakes cool completely on wire rack (after 5 minutes, lift them gently from the molds).

Bailey's Cream Frosting

For the frosting, blend together cream cheese, butter, and Bailey's in a medium bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each additon after all is incorporated.

Pipe frosting on cold cupcakes (or spread with small offset spatula or knife). Decorate with cocoa or chocolate sprinkles.

Bailey's Cream Frosting: the dot on the i

The cupcakes taste best, when they have sat one day. Stored in a cool spot they keep fresh for several days.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

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The new year started on a bad foot - from a baker's perspective. My sleek new scale, one of last year's Groupon deals, let me down, just when our monthly ABC challenge was due.

The stores were closed on New Year, no new batteries could breathe life into the scale, and I did my best to fight early withdrawal symptoms with Maggie Stiefvater's "Raven Boys", and my daughter Valerie's Death-by-Chocolate-Cookies.

With the scale revived, the ABC Baker's first project of the year, Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies, (a recipe from King Arthur,) could finally get under way.

I used half of the recipe, a large pan full is a bit too much just for us two.

Warned by fellow bakers that the brownies were too sweet, I reduced the sugar in both batters, and cut down on the salt, too.

I also exchanged some white flour with whole wheat.

Coffee enhances chocolate flavor (and vice versa), so I added this optional ingredient.

And a bit of orange flavor would give some pizzazz to the vanilla cheesecake batter.


CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES
adapted from King Arthur Flour

(16 small pieces)

Chocolate Batter 
113 g unsalted butter (1 stick)
175 g sugar
  53 g cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
    7 g vanilla extract
    2 eggs
  30 g all-purpose flour
  30 g whole wheat pastry flour
170 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Batter
226 g cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
  50 g sugar
  28 g all-purpose flour
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1/2 - 1 tsp. orange zest
  28 g heavy cream
    1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F/175ºC. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan crosswise with 2 stripes of parchment paper (8" wide), and long enough to hang over the sides.

Cook butter/sugar mixture until smooth and shiny

For the brownie batter: In a medium saucepan, melt butter, then stir in sugar, cooking until mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove from heat, and stir in cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla.

Stir flour last into the chocolate mixture

 Whisk eggs in the (slightly cooled) mixture, then flour, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

The cheesecake batter can do with a little orange pizzazz

For the cheesecake batter: Beat cream cheese until no lumps remain. Mix in sugar, flour, and orange zest, then vanilla extract, cream, and egg, until combined. Set aside.

Fold chocolate chips into the brownie batter. (It should have cooled a bit, so that the chocolate will not completely dissolve.)

Pour half of the chocolate batter in the pan

 Spoon half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan, then top with cream cheese batter.

Spoon cream cheese batter over chocolate bottom layer

Dollop remaining brownie batter onto cream cheese. Using a fork, swirl the two upper layers into a marble pattern. (My marbling could do with a little improvement.)

My marbling could improve a bit

Bake brownies for about 45 minutes, rotating pan after half the baking time (for even browning,) until a tester comes out clean (if it doesn't hit a chocolate chip), and the edges are set, but the middle still feels springy to the touch.

Using the parchment paper overhang as handles, lift cake out of the pan and set on a wire rack to cool.

My brownies were a little bit too long in the oven

The brownies were nice and moist, fudgy and very chocolate-y, with a hint of orange. Since they are so rich, I recommend cutting them in fairly small pieces.  We liked them best warm, with vanilla ice cream and a few chopped pecans.

Wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool room, the brownies keep for at least 3 days. You can also freeze them.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

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As a psychiatrist I'm used to prescribe antidepressants. Dark chocolate is my recommended mood enhancer number one.

It also provides protection from the dangers of starvation, a fact my mother recognized early (Dark Chocolate with Orange Bits), and then shared with me (Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts).

And every physician and every mother knows: veggies are good for you! Therefore, Hanaâ's
ABC pick of the month, Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, had to be healthy and wholesome. DOUBLE chocolate!!! Vitamin C and fibers!

Shredded zucchini - the secret to very moist muffins

Instead of baking one large coffee cake, I prefer, like several other Avid Bakers, smaller, individual portions, and, since we are only two, halved the recipe to make six square muffins.

Though I usually reduce the amount of sweetener, I'm cautious when a recipe contains cocoa, and only rounded honey and sugar a bit down. Following some reviewers' advice, I cut down on the salt.

The (optional) espresso powder is, in my opinion, a must, since coffee deepens chocolate flavor (and vice versa!) And I substituted a quarter of the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour.

While watching the baking muffins, I was a bit anxious about all that juice bubbling out on top. The recipe didn't mention draining the shredded zucchini, or patting it dry, and I wasn't quite sure whether enough liquid would evaporate.

But after 30 minutes baking time, the needle drew only a smear of molten chocolate from the tested muffin, and the top was nice and springy when gently pressed.

The muffins taste best when still a bit warm, and the chocolate melted

The muffins were very moist, thanks to their veggie add-in, and had a deep, rich chocolate flavor. They could still have been a little less sweet in my opinion, but Richard, the best of all husbands, proclaimed them to be "just right".


DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS  (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
(12 muffins)

    2 large eggs
100 g/3.5 oz honey  

  99 g/3.5 oz vegetable oil  (1/2 cup)

  90 g/3.18 oz brown sugar

    1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp espresso powder 

  28 g/1 oz Dutch-process cocoa

150 g/5.3 oz all-purpose flour

  52 g/1.83 oz whole wheat pastry flour

340 g/12 oz shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium-small zucchini)

170 g/6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Mixing dry into wet ingredients

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cups of muffin pan with baking spray.

In large bowl, beat eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

In second bowl, whisk together salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso, cocoa, and flours, until well combined. Add dry to wet ingredients and mix, until just combined. 

Folding zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter

Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared cups of muffin pan (up to 3/4).

Filling the muffin cups

Bake muffins for 20-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean (save for smear of melted chocolate chips).

Let muffins cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, before turning them out onto wire rack.

Fresh out of the oven

The muffins taste best when still a bit warm, and the chocolate melted. Pairing them with vanilla ice cream definitely enhances their antidepressant properties (psychiatrist recommended!)

Keep them at room temperature. If you can't eat the muffins within 2 days, freeze them.

If you would like to join us ABC bakers, check out Hanaâ's Avid Baker's Challenge. We bake one sweet or savory bread or pastry every month (this year from King Arthur Flour website.)

CHOCOLATE CHERRY HAZELNUT BREAD

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Time flies, and, before I could even turn the February leaf of my (heavily scribbled on) kitchen calender, we have March and a new Avid Baker's Challenge.

Hanaâ, whose choices we ABC bakers follow meekly, picked the No-Knead Chocolate Cherry Pecan Bread from King Arthur's website (our 2013 recipe source.) for our March project.

 

This bread is made with a so called no-knead dough - Jim Lahey's brain child, and an amazingly simple method. Instead of long kneading, enough time and a very small amount of yeast help the dough develop itself, while you sleep the sleep of the happy, lazy, baker.

Confusingly, our chosen March recipe comes in two slightly different versions, one listed on the KA website, the other on the KA blog. The blogger, P J Hamel, not only changed the procedure, but also made significant changes to the ingredients, trying to make it easier for newbies to prepare this (a bit challenging) bread.

Finding the dough too soft to work with, she reduced the water. To make sure the dough would rise fast enough, she cut down on the salt, and upped the yeast.

She also mixed the dough first without add-ins, kneading in chocolate, cherries and nuts only after the first rise. Adding the additional instant yeast to the (already risen!) dough - I really can't imagine why!

After reading both versions, I decided on the original recipe from KA's website. A regular bread baker, I'm not afraid of higher hydration doughs, and know from experience that even a pinch of instant yeast lets the dough rise just fine - if you give it enough time!

There are also a few tricks to make handling very soft doughs less difficult, and I'm going to share those with you.

If you follow the recipe on KA website (proofing the dough in an oiled bowl, and turning it out into the piping hot crock pot) you risk burns, and might deflate the bread in transit.

Letting the bread proof in the pan you bake it in (as suggested in the blog) wasn't too appealing to me, either. If you don't have the right sized pan, and it's not preheated, the bread will spread more than you like.

And then there was the complaint of other bakers that pieces of chocolate or cherries will stick out from the dough, and get scorched during the bake!

Flour is your friend - not only in the dough, but around it!

Well, there is a way to kill both birds with one stone: more flour! But not in the dough, but around it. Proofing your loaf in a towel-lined, well-floured rising basket (or bowl) makes turning it out a cinch, and prevents those peek-a-boo add-ins from burning.

"Cook's Illustrated", my sage adviser in all things cooking, came up with an (almost) no-knead bread, using a parchment paper sling to transport the bread into the Dutch oven with ease, and without a hazard to your health.

I love hazelnuts

I made one change to the ingredients: I love hazelnuts (the prevalent nut in Germany), especially in rye bread, so I chose those instead of pecans.

They are not as easily available in the US, but Trader Joe's offers them in good quality and for a very reasonable price.

I can recommend King Arthur's flours, I use them in my bakery, too.



CHOCOLATE CHERRY HAZELNUT BREAD (adapted from King Arthur Flour website)

363 g/12 3/4 oz unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur's has 12% protein) or bread flour
57 g/2 oz whole rye flour
 57 g/2 oz whole wheat flour
12 g/2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 g/1/4 tsp. instant yeast
399 g/14 oz cool water (1 3/4 cup)
93 g/3 1/4 oz dried cherries
85 g/3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
171 g/6 oz whole hazelnuts, toasted 


DAY 1
Mix flours, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl. Add cherries, chocolate chips, and nuts. Stir well to make a very soft dough. Cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight (at least 12 hours.)

After 12 hours the dough is puffy and bubbly

 DAY 2
Turn bubbly and puffy dough out onto a floured surface, and, using two bowl scrapers, fold it from the outside to the middle a few times, until you have a round.

With floured hands or bench knife, transfer it to a well floured, towel lined bowl, or rising basket, smooth side down.

Sprinkle dough with flour, cover it with plastic wrap or kitchen towel, and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it has grown 1 1/2 times its original size, and a slight indentation remains when poked with a finger.

Preheat oven to 450°F and place a heavy, 4- to 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven in oven while it heats.

Parchment paper helps transferring the bread into the Dutch oven - no burns!

Turn proofed bread out onto large piece of parchment paper. Remove hot pot from oven, and lift bread with paper into the pot. Cover pot with lid, and return it to oven.

Bake bread for 20 minutes, then remove lid and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, or until bread is deep brown, sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and registers about 205°F.

Turn bread out onto a rack, and cool before slicing.

My bread looks a bit more rustic with the flour

When we tasted the bread (still warm, we couldn't wait) we loved it!  It had a nice crust, and offered a pleasant contrast between the hearty crumb and the sweetness of the cherries and chocolate, and the crunchiness of the hazelnuts.

Though this is a "dessert bread", and can't be eaten with cold cuts or cheese, I prefer it to an all sweet bread, like stollen or panettone, anytime!

Submitted to YeastSpotting