Chocolate Coffee Bread

Chocolate Coffee Bread

This quick bread is perfect for your morning coffee break! The term “coffee break” was coined for an ad campaign in 1952 - now it is a daily ritual for most Americans. My husband and I first met over coffee at church!

Coffee has had a back and forth health image, one day it is good for you, the next day it is considered harmful! But coffee can be part of a healthy diet. It is a concentrated source of antioxidant phytochemicals. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, diets high in coffee probably lower the risk of endometrial and liver cancer.

This past summer was so hot I just couldn’t face having a steaming cup of coffee in the morning. My husband and I started making iced coffee with instant espresso powder - a strong coffee flavor without the hefty price tag of coffee shop cold brew or grocery store coffee concentrate. We would simply mix about 2 teaspoons of espresso powder with about 1/3 cup of water, add about 1/2 cup of milk, almond milk or a protein shake and then a handful of ice and stir it up. So delicious and refreshing!

I decided to experiment using espresso powder in some recipes and came up with this quick bread. Coffee and chocolate are a perfect pair and what better way to have a coffee break than with Chocolate Coffee Bread! Give it a try!

Chocolate Coffee Bread

I topped the glazed bread with chopped chocolate covered espresso beans for an extra coffee kick, but be careful - they’re strong!

Chocolate Coffee Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup instant espresso powder

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 ½ cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt

½ cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tsp milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate covered espresso beans, chopped, for garnish (optional)

In a large bowl stir together the sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In a medium size bowl combine the eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl (start with 2 tsp of milk and add another tsp if too thick to pour). Drizzle over cooled bread. Immediately top with chopped chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.