I believe it was Latin America that first came up with the cinnamon chocolate flavor combination. Today, you can find cinnamon hot chocolate along with several recipes that make use of this wonderful flavor combination.
This particular recipe is one of those. It is a sweet loaf bread made with sour cream which guarantees that the bread is moist. Also, it has chocolate chips in the batter. If that is not enough, there is a layer of cinnamon and walnuts which adds a tasty sweet crunch.
If you have never tried the chocolate cinnamon flavor combination, you have been missing out. If the flavor combination is new to you or an old favorite, this recipe is a good example of how delicious the combination can be.
Chocolate Chip Nut Loaf
adapted from Food Network
Cinnamon Sugar blend
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Batter
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non stick spray. Using a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
Fill the bowl of a stand mixer with eggs and beat for 3 minutes until they are foamy. Add 2/3 cup of sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth. Then blend in melted butter and sour cream until incorporated into batter.
Using a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dry ingredients into the sour cream batter. Once no dry streaks remain, blend in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter in half. Scoop one half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the batter, reserving 3 tablespoons for the top of the loaf. Then carefully sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the cinnamon layer, making sure layer is even and covers the whole surface. Then scoop out the rest of the batter and smooth it over the walnut layer. Lastly, sprinkle with the reserved cinnamon sugar.
Place in oven and bake until tester comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest in pan about 5 minutes then invert twice so the loaf is face up. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tips and Notes:
1. The original recipe states use 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar blend in the center and the rest on top. The sugar on top remained dry so a lot fell off when inverted. I decided it was best to use more in the center layer than on top, so the recipe was changed.
**LAST YEAR:Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies**