Chocolate Bread with Milk Chocolate Ganache

Another fast, easy and superbly delicious recipe! This one is all about chocolate. A chocolate quick bread studded with chocolate chips and topped with an easy to prepare ganache for extra richness. Rich in flavor and moist in texture - perfect!

Quick breads are another autumn essential for me. Chocolate is great, as are banana, pumpkin, lemon/cranberry.... the list goes on and on. They are wonderful baked treats to pop into the kids lunches and are always great in the evening to enjoy with a cup of tea or steaming latte. This chocolate loaf is a bit more jazzy with the added ganache and perfect to serve as a dessert alongside a dollop of vanilla bean or caramel ice cream. I scattered the tops with more chocolate chips too which the kids really loved.

This recipe makes a large sized loaf that is also perfect for freezing if left unfrosted. Just wrap it in cling film, pop it into a large freezer bag and store it in your freezer. To defrost, let it thaw in the fridge, still wrapped, overnight.

If you like the idea of a slice of fresh quick bread in your child's lunch, simply slice the bread after it is cooled and place individual slices in small sandwich bags. Place all the filled bags into one large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months . In the morning before school, just place a frozen slice (still in its own individual bag) right in your kids lunchbox. It will be thawed and perfect for eating by noon or as their afternoon snack!

So without further delay, let's get baking!

RECIPE:
*altered source recipe, Chocolate Bread, Better Homes and Garden's Fall Baking, Special Ed.

WHAT YOU NEED

BREAD

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk chocolate chips

GANACHE

1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
SPRAY a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (preferably baking spray that contains flour)

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 5 bread ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together egg, milk, oil
MAKE a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients
FOLD together until just combined
FOLD in chocolate chips
SPREAD batter into prepared pan
BAKE 45-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
PLACE on cooling rack and let cool in pan for 10 minutes
REMOVE loaf from pan and let cool on rack completely

MAKE GANACHE

IN MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL, add cream and heat on HIGH for 90 seconds
POUR in chocolate chips and let stand 5 minutes
WHISK together thoroughly until full blended
PLACE in refrigerator for 15 minutes or until it is at a frosting consistency
SPREAD over cooled loaf

ENJOY !

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