Orange Chocolate Chip Bread with Dark Chocolate Glaze

First things first, yes, it's been a while since I've blogged... *insert sheepish grin here*
Moving right along!
Inspired by a yummy lemon berry bread (recipe to be posted at a later date) I made last week, this week I set out to make an orange bread, but not just any orange bread.  Nope.  An orange bread with chocolate.  Mmmmhmmm.  It turned out as delicious as I imagined, if I do say so myself.  


It's semi-healthy in that I use whole grains, organic fruit, limited fat and less sugar.  I divided the batter between three small loaf pans - one to eat, one to give away, and one to freeze.  I love quick breads like this for an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee or tea.  They can also make a good breakfast with the addition of a nut butter or yogurt for a boost of protein.

Orange Chocolate Chip Bread with Chocolate Glaze

Bread

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup almond meal

Juice of 1 organic orange (about 1/3 cup), divided

Zest of 1 organic orange (about 2 tablespoons), divided

2 tablespoons oil (olive, canola, walnut, coconut – whatever you prefer – I used olive)

6 oz Chobani 0% Blood Orange Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1 flax “egg” (1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk (almond, coconut, soy, dairy – whatever you prefer – I used almond)

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour (I used Arrowhead Mills – you could use whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup SweetLeaf brand SugarLeaf raw cane sugar-stevia blend for baking (compared to 3/4 cup if using all sugar)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips), chopped/broken up

Glaze

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tsp honey

Preparation

I place the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips for the bread in the freezer for a bit so they’re easier to chop up in the food processor.  Just pulse a few times to get pieces that distribute through the batter more evenly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Zest and juice the orange.  I included some of the pulp with my juice.

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, almond meal, and all wet ingredients:  2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, olive oil, yogurt, eggs, flax, vanilla, and milk.  Mix and let sit for 5 minutes or so to allow the oats to moisten thoroughly.

In a large bowl, sift together spelt flour, baking soda, salt, and SugarLeaf.  Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring until just moist.  Fold in chocolate chips.  

Spray loaf pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray and fill pan(s) about 2/3 full.  For a large loaf pan, bake for 45-55 minutes.  For two or three smaller loaf pans, bake 25-35 minutes.  The loaves are done when they have puffed, are lightly browned on top, and are pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.

While still hot and in the pans, poke holes with a skewer and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of orange juice, about 1-2 tablespoons per loaf.  Let loaves sit in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove and place on waxed paper on a cooling rack.

At this point, go ahead and make the chocolate glaze.  Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon honey in a glass bowl in the microwave.  Heat in 10 second intervals so as not to scorch the chocolate (YUCK), stirring well after each heating, until smooth.  Drizzle over each loaf, and then sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of orange zest, about 1 teaspoon per loaf.  Let cool completely & enjoy!  

Because the bread is so moist, I store my leftovers (hahaha) in the refrigerator.  It tastes best at room temperature, so if you can, let it sit out for a few minutes before serving.