Banana Bars

I had four really, really ripe bananas that I needed something to do with. I saw this recipe on April's Blog so I decided to make it since it took three bananas and that only gave me one more banana to get rid of. I took this to our Church's Wednesday night dinner and everyone thought that they were amazing.

Bars -

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used three ripe bananas)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or one 9X13 pan and an additional 8X8 pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup white sugar (you can use either granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar - the confectioners’ sugar tends to dissolve better and not be as grainy but either one works fine) (I used confectioners)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com and picture from my kitchen

Big Blueberry Muffins

My husband loves blueberries. I was a Sam's Club and they had just gotten in a huge shipment of blueberries. I knew that he would love to have some blueberry muffins.




- Makes 12 muffins -

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 3 equal pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Directions
1. Be sure an adult is nearby to help.
2. Put the butter pieces in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a pot holder, remove the pan from the heat and set the butter aside to cool.
3. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with a table fork.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Using the same fork, beat until well blended.
6. Add the milk mixture, melted butter and blueberries to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently until the ingredients are just blended.
7. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over the tops.
8. Bake the muffins until they are golden and have risen nicely, 18 to 20 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
9. Using oven mitts, remove the muffin pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the muffins cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. Gently turn the pan over, letting the muffins fall out onto the rack.

Source: Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge and Amber's Delectable Delights

Picture from my Kitchen

Peanut Butter Blossoms

My next door neighbor was turning 13 this past weekend and she wanted to have a dance party and cookies instead of cake. Her mom called and asked me to help make cookies since she knows that I love to bake. I had found a recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms back during the holidays that I wanted to try. I lost that recipe of coarse, but found this one. Everyone seemed to love these cookies because they were all gone by the end of the evening.


Ingredients
48 Hershey's Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

-makes about 4 dozen cookies ~

Source: Hershey's Kitchens, picture from my kitchen.

English Muffin Bread

I was board on Martin Luther King Day so I decided to make something that I could eat for breakfast this week. I was surfing the internet looking for different breads and came across this recipe. My family had it this morning for breakfast and everyone was amazed at how similar it was to English Muffins!


Source: Better Homes & Gardens, New Cook Book, Limited Breast Cancer Edition, pages 143-143

Prep: 20 minutes * Rise: 45 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes * Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients
Cornmeal
6 cups all purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar and, salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights, picture from my kitchen.

French Toast Casserole

I needed something to make for Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast with the family. I wanted something fun but simple and this seemed to fit the bill. Everyone loved it!!!


Ingredients:
5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Recipe from Allrecipes, picture from my kitchen.

Cinnamon-Sugar-Dipped Blueberry Muffins

Lenny's work was having a Christmas breakfast so of coarse he signs up for Blueberry muffins without checking with me first. So, therefore he had to scour the internet for a new blueberry muffin recipe. This is what he came up with. I doubled the recipe and also made some muffins to take in with me to work and everyone loved them.

Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 (10 ounces) cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries, preferably wild
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk the egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.
3. Add the berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until the batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be thick). Do not overmix.
4. Use a large spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking, divide the batter among the greased muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Invert the muffins onto a wire rack, stand the muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes.
5. While muffins are cooling, mix sugar and ground cinnamon in small bowl and melt butter in small saucepan. After the baked muffins have cooled five minutes, working one at a time, dip the top of each muffin in melted butter and then cinnamon-sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack; serve.

Makes 12 muffins

Recipe from Source: Baking Illustrated picture from my kitchen

Malted Milk Ball Cake

My dad's favorite candy is Malted Milk Balls so when I saw this recipe on my friend April's Blog I knew that I just had to make it. It was so good that I have made the cake about 4 times due to requests.


Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1/2 cup chocolate malt powder
1 cup chopped malted milk balls

Icing
2 cups fudge icing
1/4 cup chocolate malt powder

Garnish
Malted milk balls

Directions

Make cake according to directions on the box, adding the malt powder at the same time as the dry mix. When the batter has been placed into the greased cake pans, sprinkle the chopped malted milk balls evenly over the batter. Bake according to directions on the box. (I used two round cake pans so that I could make a double layer cake)

When the cake is cool, mix malt powder with fudge icing and frost.

Serve with ice cream and malted milk balls

Recipe from: www.razzledazzlerecipes.com picture from my kitchen.