Browsing Tag:

banana

Breakfast/ Desserts

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

 

peanut butter banana nut pound cake

This pound cake is perfectly balanced with the flavors of the peanut butter, banana and pistachios. Making this pound cake slightly sweet AND slightly savory.

pb-banana-bread-mise-en-place-41

It’s always easier to execute a recipe by getting all of your ingredients organized first.

pb-banana-bread-mise-en-place-12

Then measure out each ingredient and sort by the order you’re going to use the ingredient in executing the recipe. This process, called ‘mise en place’ – which means everything in its place, will save you so much time and possible heartache. It’s like the law of gravity. It just works, so you gotta do it! Let’s get started.

You’re going to preheat your oven and preparing your baking pan. You can go traditional and grease-flour your pan but I’ve found that non-stick cooking spray, when applied correctly, works just as well and is much easier.

Sift together your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Next you’ll cream the butter product with the brown sugar and peanut butter. Be sure to incorporate lots of air into this mixture; it will help the pound cakes rise properly.

artisan-mixer1

Add your eggs, as instructed, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla.Then add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternately. Then you’ll fold in the pistachios by hand with a spatula. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with the spatula.

pb-banana-bread-two-loaves1

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes. I recommend checking at the 45-minute mark, because the baking process accelerates toward the end. It is very easy to over bake a pound cake, unless you are monitoring closely. The top should be golden brown and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.

pb banana bread 2

After cooling in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove and let cool complete on a wire rack. You can freeze a whole loaf for up to 2 months in an airtight container. But I recommend enjoying it warm fresh out of the oven!

deliciously simple 3

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 eggs
1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 small or 1 large banana)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Generously coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, between additions. Add the mashed banana and vanilla.

Continuing on low speed, add the sifted flour mixture and sour cream, alternately; begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in the pistachios with a spatula by hand.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top with your spatula.

Bake for about 50 to 65 minutes. The top should be gold brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. I recommend checking your pound cake at the 45-minute mark. The baking process accelerates toward the end and it can be easy to over bake your cake.

Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before removing. The sides should start to come away from the pan to make removal easier. Then remove the loaf and cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice while still warm and enjoy with butter on top. Store any remaining slices in the refrigerator. The whole loaf may be frozen for up to 2 months.

http://bakedchicago.com/peanut-butter-banana-nut-pound-cake-recipe/

Desserts

Nuttin’s Better Than Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

peanut butter banana nut pound cake

Pound cakes are not hard to make. Like any recipe, it’s always easier to execute by getting all of your ingredients organized first.

pb-banana-bread-mise-en-place-12

Then measure out each ingredient and sort by the order you’re going to use the ingredient in executing the recipe. This process, called ‘mise en place’ – which means everything in its place, will save you so much time and possible heartache. It’s like the law of gravity. It just works, so you gotta do it! Let’s get started.

You’re going to preheat your oven and preparing your baking pan. You can go traditional and grease-flour your pan but I’ve found that non-stick cooking spray, when applied correctly, works just as well and is much easier.

Sift together your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Next you’ll cream the butter with the brown sugar and peanut butter. Be sure to incorporate lots of air into this mixture; it will help the pound cakes rise properly.

artisan-mixer1

Add your eggs, as instructed, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla.Then add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternately. Then you’ll fold in the pistachios by hand with a spatula. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with the spatula.

pb-banana-bread-two-loaves1

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes. I recommend checking at the 45-minute mark, because the baking process accelerates toward the end. It is very easy to over bake a pound cake, unless you are monitoring closely. The top should be golden brown and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.

pb banana bread 2

After cooling in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove and let cool complete on a wire rack. You can freeze a whole loaf for up to 2 months in an airtight container. But I recommend enjoying it warm fresh out of the oven!

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 eggs
1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 small or 1 large banana)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Generously coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, between additions. Add the mashed banana and vanilla.

Continuing on low speed, add the sifted flour mixture and sour cream, alternately; begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in the pistachios with a spatula by hand.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top with your spatula.

Bake for about 50 to 65 minutes. The top should be gold brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. I recommend checking your pound cake at the 45-minute mark. The baking process accelerates toward the end and it can be easy to over bake your cake.

Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before removing. The sides should start to come away from the pan to make removal easier. Then remove the loaf and cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice while still warm and enjoy with butter on top. Store any remaining slices in the refrigerator. The whole loaf may be frozen for up to 2 months.

http://bakedchicago.com/nuttin-better-than-peanut-butter-banana-nut-pound-cake/

Breads

Making Banana Bread with Bondi Harvest

What’s better than making banana bread on National Banana Bread Day? Having someone else make it for you! And when that someone is Aussie Guy Turland of Bondi Harvest, you know it’s going to be spiffy!

Breakfast/ Desserts

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

2014-01-22_13-17-55

peanut butter banana nut pound cake

I love discovering new products at the grocery store. So when I found I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter® Deliciously Simple™ on the shelves, I was excited to try it out in a recipe.

When trying an ingredient in a recipe for the first time, it’s important to review the basics like taste and texture in order to understand how those will work in the final product. What I liked about Deliciously Simple™ is that it’s made with simple ingredients I recognize and frequently use in my baking, like non-fat yogurt and vegetable oil. So I first tried it on my morning toast. The taste was buttery and the texture was creamy – even straight out of the refrigerator. Deliciously Simple™ has no artificial ingredients, and that’s something I look for in every product I bring into my home.

So I decided to incorporate Deliciously Simple™ into a new recipe for peanut butter-banana nut pound cake. The buttery taste and creamy texture would work well with either sweet or savory foods, and this pound cake straddles that line well because of the balance of the peanut butter, banana and pistachios. Together, this pound cake is slightly sweet and slightly savory.

pb-banana-bread-mise-en-place-41

It’s always easier to execute a recipe by getting all of your ingredients organized first.

pb-banana-bread-mise-en-place-12

Then measure out each ingredient and sort by the order you’re going to use the ingredient in executing the recipe. This process, called ‘mise en place’ – which means everything in its place, will save you so much time and possible heartache. It’s like the law of gravity. It just works, so you gotta do it! Let’s get started.

You’re going to preheat your oven and preparing your baking pan. You can go traditional and grease-flour your pan but I’ve found that non-stick cooking spray, when applied correctly, works just as well and is much easier.

Sift together your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Next you’ll cream the Deliciously Simple™ with the brown sugar and peanut butter. Be sure to incorporate lots of air into this mixture; it will help the pound cakes rise properly.

artisan-mixer1

Add your eggs, as instructed, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla.Then add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternately. Then you’ll fold in the pistachios by hand with a spatula. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with the spatula.

pb-banana-bread-two-loaves1

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes. I recommend checking at the 45-minute mark, because the baking process accelerates toward the end. It is very easy to over bake a pound cake, unless you are monitoring closely. The top should be golden brown and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.

pb banana bread 2

After cooling in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove and let cool complete on a wire rack. You can freeze a whole loaf for up to 2 months in an airtight container. But I recommend enjoying it warm fresh out of the oven!

deliciously simple 3

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Peanut Butter-Banana Nut Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 eggs
1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 small or 1 large banana)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Generously coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, between additions. Add the mashed banana and vanilla.

Continuing on low speed, add the sifted flour mixture and sour cream, alternately; begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in the pistachios with a spatula by hand.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top with your spatula.

Bake for about 50 to 65 minutes. The top should be gold brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. I recommend checking your pound cake at the 45-minute mark. The baking process accelerates toward the end and it can be easy to over bake your cake.

Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before removing. The sides should start to come away from the pan to make removal easier. Then remove the loaf and cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice while still warm and enjoy with butter on top. Store any remaining slices in the refrigerator. The whole loaf may be frozen for up to 2 months.

http://bakedchicago.com/peanut-butter-banana-nut-pound-cake/

Breakfast

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

oatmeal breakfast cookie with peanut butter and banana

Who doesn’t like the idea of cookies for breakfast? This oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe  [with peanut butter, banana & black cherry] is very hearty and rich in fiber, while low in simple carbohydrates (e.g. white sugar).  You could call these oatmeal breakfast bars, but that sounds too plain. And these cookies are anything but plain.

The protein from the peanut butter and the magnesium from the banana – not to mention the calcium and good bacteria from the yogurt – all come together to make this a nutritious breakfast option that’s also highly portable.

oatmeal breakfast cookie with peanut butter and banana

 

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces black cherry yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, yogurt and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined.

Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or large ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. That's about six cookies per baking sheet. Using a spatula dipped in water, flatten each mound of dough to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake one sheet at a time for about 24 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the oatmeal breakfast cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

Store in an airtight container (up to 3 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).

http://bakedchicago.com/oatmeal-breakfast-cookies/

Breakfast

Banana Butterscotch Muffins

banana butterscotch muffins

This recipe for banana butterscotch muffins comes from Nigella Lawson’s Quick Collection for iPad (Random House 2012), with one minor modification (I added ground cinnamon, one of my favorite spices). I like to eat the muffins while they are still warm with a dollop of room temperature butter for good measure.

Most cooks and bakers have someone who inspires them. In the realm of celebrity chefs and cooks, there are a few that I admire, like Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, and Giada De Laurentiis. But at the top of my list of celebrity food icons is Alton Brown and Nigella Lawson. I like Alton’s balanced approach to understanding recipes and ingredients (he delves in to the science as much as the art of cooking). And I just adore Nigella Lawson, who (like myself) is not a professionally trained chef. Her passion for food, her wit and common sense approach to cooking makes her a friend to every home cook who aspires to create simply good food.

If you’re a Nigella superfan like me, you’ve got to watch her on ABC’s The Taste. I can’t wait to dig into her latest cookbook, Nigellissima, and the accompanying free iPad app.

banana butterscotch muffins with cinnamon

Banana Butterscotch Muffins

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a standard 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Set aside for a moment.

In a small bowl (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measuring container), pour in the vegetable oil. Add the eggs and beat lightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix in the oil-egg mixture, followed by the mashed bananas. Do not overmix the batter.

Fold in the butterscotch morsels. Place an equal amount of batter in each of the muffin tins. I used a large ice cream scoop to ensure consistency. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool in the muffin tin for 20 minutes. Remove the banana butterscotch muffins and cool completely on a wire rack.

http://bakedchicago.com/banana-butterscotch-muffins/

Breads

Marshmallow & Honey Banana Bread

marshmallow & honey banana bread

Today’s marshmallow & honey banana bread recipe adventure is one for the dogs! Literally. When one of my pugs, Baxter, was diagnosed with severe food allergies, I started changing out his store-bought, grain-based treats with fresh fruits and vegetables. He loves bananas and I can easily cut one up for him and Bing, one of my other pugs.  But they can only eat so many bananas before getting too much roughage in their diet, which causes a new set of digestive problems for Bing. And that means I sometimes have a bunch of bananas about to become “overly ripe.”

I faced that today and decided I wanted to try a new twist on banana bread. So I first found inspiration for a base banana bread recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, and then I dug into my cupboards to find what I could add for texture and flavor. I found some honey, which is a great substitute for granulated sugar in a quick bread recipe. And then I found some miniature marshmallows that I bought in December, either thinking I’d have them in my hot cocoa or I might have been planning a marshmallow baked treat for Christmas [this year I had many plans for baking, but only had time to execute about 3 of them]. I thought the gooey-ness of marshmallows, honey and smashed bananas would be a great experiment to try, while using up these waylaid ingredients.

marshmallow & honey banana bread

Marshmallow & Honey Banana Bread

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups mashed bananas (4 to 5 medium)
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 cup honey
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 7 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 2-inch loaf pans (or one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan), and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, banana, oil and honey. Add wet mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined (batter will be lumpy). Fold in miniature marshmallows. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [If using a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, bake for about 55 minutes.] Watch carefully during the last 15 minutes of baking. If needed, cover loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.

Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on rack. It's recommended to wrap in plastic or store in airtight container and store overnight before slicing. Makes about 16 slices.

http://bakedchicago.com/marshmallow-honey-banana-bread/

Breads

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Roasted Cacao Nibs

peanut butter banana bread with roasted cacao nibs

This peanut butter banana bread with roasted cacao nibs is the latest experiment from my kitchen. I’d never used roasted cacao nibs before, so I was excited to create this recipe to see what kind of texture and flavor it would bring. Cacao nibs are bits of fermented, dried, roasted and crushed cacao bean. They have a nutty, chocolaty flavor, but aren’t sweet.

peanut butter banana bread ingredients

I wanted to do a riff on banana bread, adding in some crunchy peanut butter (one of my favorite ingredients) and roasted cacao nibs. But I was having some trouble finding cacao nibs in local grocery stores. So I found roasted cacao nibs online at The Spice House in Chicago. This is Chicago’s spice mecca. Their bricks-and-mortar store is so enticing, because each aisle is brimming with unique spice blends. It’s safer for my wallet to buy from their online store. [Yes, my name is Harvey and I’m a spice addict.] I’ve purchased their lavender vanilla sugar mix, double-strength vanilla, candied gingers and baking lavender there in the past, along with gifting to family and friends one of their most popular items: Ethnic Chicago Neighborhoods Spice Blends.

peanut butter banana bread raw dough

With banana as the primary canvas, I wanted to mix in ingredients that would add depth to the flavor. In this recipe, I used whole wheat flour – but you could substitute all-purpose flour, if you desire. And you could substitute granulated sugar instead of dark brown sugar.

peanut butter banana bread with roasted cacao nibs

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Roasted Cacao Nibs

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 10 servings

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Roasted Cacao Nibs

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 small bananas)
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted cacao nibs

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until it's light in color. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix just until combined. Then add the mashed bananas and peanut butter; blend thoroughly.

Add lemon juice to the milk. Don't worry if the milk curdles slightly. Alternate the addition of dry ingredients (in 3 parts) with the wet ingredients (in 2 parts). After each addition, mix only until the ingredients are blended.

Fold in the roasted cacao nibs by hand.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. With a spatula, level off the batter to ensure even baking and rising.

Bake for 55 minutes or until the bread springs back when touched lightly in the middle. Do not over bake; the cacao nibs - which are already roasted - will have a tendency to burn if the bread is baked for too long. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the peanut butter banana bread from the loaf.

http://bakedchicago.com/peanut-butter-banana-bread/

 

Desserts

cacao (king of the) jungle cookies

Happy birthday to Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘N ‘ Roll®. Elvis was known to love his peanut butter, bananas and bacon. All three of those flavors are rolled up into this sandwich cookie that I’ve named Cacao Jungle Cookies. I’ve thrown in some roasted cacao nibs for a deep chocolate crunch.

While the recipe calls for using semisweet chocolate in the brownie sandwich cookie base (it balances well with the banana-bacon cream filling), I also recommend trying a more decadent version of the cookie by substituting the semisweet chocolate with Scharffen Berger’s 82% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate which gives a stronger flavor contrast.

Cacao Jungle Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and let cool. Finely chop the bacon and set aside.

Place the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted; set aside and let cool. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to beat together the butter and sugars (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat in the chocolate and flour mixtures. Mix just until combined. Fold in the cacao nibs by hand.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool completely. Yields about 32 cookies, which makes 16 sandwich cookies.

While the cookies are baking, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, mashed banana and cream cheese in a medium bowl, until just mixed. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt, mixing until combined. Fold in the bacon by hand.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. When ready to assemble the cookies, put 1 tablespoon of filling on the bottom of one cookie. Then place another cookie on top.

 

Ingredients:

Sandwich Cookie Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (62% cacao), chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup roasted cacao nibs

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
pinch of kosher salt
4 slices of bacon, crispy and finely chopped

 

Number of servings: 8 (2 sandwich cookies per person)

Cooking time: 14 minutes

Desserts

Banana Cream Brownies

If you like bananas, you’re going to love these banana cream brownies and its rich cream cheese filling. And it’s a great recipe for using up those leftover bananas.

Banana Cream Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or shortening and set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Put the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan. Stir constantly until chocolate is completely melted.

Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl on medium-low speed. Mix until light and fluffy (3 minutes). Then add 3 eggs. Beat to combine. Add in the chocolate mixture, 3/4 cup flour and salt. Mix until just combined.

In a food processor, blend cream cheese until smooth and creamy (30 seconds). Add the egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, remaining tablespoon of flour and egg. Process until smooth (1 minute). Transfer to a bowl and fold in the mashed banana.

Spread the chocolate batter into the prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, make three trenches in the batter and fill with banana cream cheese mixture. To create marble effect, run tip of a knife back and forth through the batters.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until set. Cool completely. Cut into 4 rows by 8 rows to make 32 banana cream brownies.

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup plus 1 T all-purpose flour, divided
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 very ripe banana, mashed
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

 

Number of servings: 32

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Breads

blueberry banana nut bread

blueberries

This blueberry banana nut bread is best when blueberries are in season. You may also use frozen blueberries, if fresh berries aren’t readily available.

Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, salt, toasted wheat germ and oats. Let stand 5 minutes or until oats soften.

Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Add to banana mixture alternately with oil, stirring just to incorporate.

Fold in blueberries and pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve warm with butter blended with honey.

 

Ingredients

2 large, ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Number of servings: 16

Cooking time: 50 minutes