Super Chocolate Version of Amish Friendship Bread

For this recipe, you will need a completed 10-day cycle of Amish Friendship Bread (full recipe for the starter appears below the bread recipe). Follow the recipe instructions as directed for preparing the starter, and on day 10, follow the instructions below:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan with shortening. Sprinkle the entire surface of the greased cake pan with instant hot cocoa mix – do NOT use sugar-free hot cocoa or any variety containing marshmallows!

Pour the Amish Bread starter into a large, non-metallic bowl. Add eggs, oil, chocolate milk (regular milk combined with chocolate syrup works in a pinch), coffee, sugar and vanilla extract, then beat with a wooden spoon or a silicone-coated wire whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir or whisk until all ingredients are blended together.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the instant pudding mix (any flavor variety of chocolate pudding will work) and the chocolate chips until all of the chips are coated with the dry pudding mix – this will keep the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Fold the pudding mix and chocolate chips into the batter.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake in the center of a 325 degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes. Enjoy!

_______________________________________

To make your own starter, follow the instructions below. It is very important that you do not use any metal containers or utensils with this recipe or the batter will curdle:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and the dissolved yeast mixture. Pour entire mixture into a 1 gallon Zip-lock plastic bag. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave plastic bag filled with the mixture at room temperature.

On days 2 thru 4; mash the ingredients in the bag with your hands. You may periodically need to let accumulated air out of the bag; this occurs naturally as the starter ferments.

Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; mash the bag only.

Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. In each of 4 separate 1 gallon-sized plastic Zip-lock bags, place 1 cup of the starter mixture to give to friends along with this recipe (Keep one bag for yourself and consider it “Day 1″ if you want to start all over again). Use the remaining mixture to create the Super Chocolate Amish Bread as shown above.