This quick bread is great for guests or as a present
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Whether I'm looking for a gift or a fantastic addition to a holiday brunch, I often turn to quick breads and muffins during this season.
I particularly like to bake this Cranberry-Walnut Quick Bread recipe, studded with tart cranberries and walnuts with a touch of orange zest. This recipe is built to be flexible, so feel free to swap in your favorite fruit and nuts -- try pears and hazelnuts for an unusual twist or blueberries and almonds for a familiar combination. It's a great way to use up any really ripe fruit -- bananas in black-spotted jackets and too-soft pears make perfect quick breads.
Quick breads and muffins freeze well, too, so I like to make up a batch to keep on hand for grab-and-go breakfasts and emergency snacks. Indeed, writing this made me want a muffin -- luckily, I had a bagful in my freezer to satisfy my craving.
If you're giving your quick breads as a gift, bake them in a fun-shaped pan -- like mini loaves or mini Bundt cakes -- and wrap them up in pretty cellophane with a matching ribbon.
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Balls
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1 Cup chocolate sprinkles (from real chocolate) In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, place the condensed milk, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil over medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the chocolate and 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder. Whisk well, making sure there are no pockets of cocoa powder. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly until it reaches the consistency of a dense fudgy batter, about 8 to 10 minutes. You want the mixture to bubble like lava towards the end, so it's important to use low heat or the sides of the pan will burn. If you undercook it, the brigadeiro will be too soft; if you overcook it, it will be chewy. You know it is done when you swirl the pan around and the mixture leaves a thick burnt residue on the bottom of the pan. Slide the mixture into a bowl. Don't scrape the pan-you don't want to integrate any of the burned bottom. Let the mixture cool at room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and
Source: WTNH