Thursday, July 11, 2013

Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Lemon Glaze


Like everyone does when they have an abundance of ripe bananas, I decided to make banana bread today.  I didn't already have a favorite recipe, so I checked pinterest for one that looked awesome.  I found this recipe (from theteachercooks.com)



Since I also had cream cheese in my fridge, I was sold on this one immediately!
Cream Cheese Banana Bread from Southern Living
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas about 4 medium
  • 2 cups of toasted pecans, divided  Toast nuts at 325 degrees in a rimmed pan for about 15 minutes.  Watch carefully they can burn easily!
Icing
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons  lemon juice
  •  1 teaspoon lemon zest
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy.
  2. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs, 1 at a time.  Beating well after each egg.
  4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  gradually add to butter mixture.  Beating just until blended.  Do not overbeat.  You will make the bread tough if you overbeat the mixture.  
  5. Stir in bananas, 1 cup of chopped nuts, and vanilla.  
  6. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.   I used 9×4 inch pans.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of toasted pecans to the top of each pan
  7. Bake at 350 degrees.  Reduce temperature by 25 degrees if using dark  or glass pans.
  8. Bake for about 55 minutes.  Adjust your time according to what  type of pans that you are using.  Dark colored pans as well as glass pans cook faster.   I used dark pans.  Other types may take a longer cooking time. 
  9.   Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
  10. Stir together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest until blended.  Drizzle evenly over warm bread.
  11. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. 



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Red, White and Chew


This isn't really a recipe, since I just used a cake mix, but I thought I'd post it for fun.

I used a white cake mix and used only egg whites, so the lack of yolk would leave the batter as white as possible.   I divided the batter into three bowls and dyed the red and blue.   (The Wilton gel food coloring is the best, especially for red.  The liquid drops would use sooo much!)  Then I just used a spoon and added the colors one at a time, making sure to spread each layer around to the edges of the cupcake paper.  I wanted mine to be red, white, blue, starting from the top, so I started with blue as my bottom layer.

You cold also do red, white, red for Canada Day!

Batter layers at various stages in the pan

This dreamy icing is my mom's recipe:

1/2 cup of shortening
1/2 cup of butter or margarine
1 tsp of vanilla
4 cups of confectioner's sugar
Small amount of milk.

Directions:

Mix together the shortening, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.    Add confectioner's sugar a cup or so at a time, mixing in between.   Add small splashes of milk as it mixes until it reaches the consistency you want.  If you are decorating with it, you'll want to make sure you don't make it too soft.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Best No Bake Bars

I like a no bake cookie as much as the next guy, but I think they are lacking something.  These ones have all the goodness of the regular ones - chocolate, peanut butter, oats, but also have honey, coconut oil, coconut (if you wish) and walnuts!  Yum
A recipe that doesn't need me to turn on the oven AND I already have all the ingredients?  Score!
(from recipestranger.com)

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 2 cups dry oats (instant is fine)
  • 1 C shredded coconut (optional - if you don't use it, just add some more oats)
  • 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optíonal)
  • 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chíps (I used semi sweet)
  • 1 t vanílla extract
Directions:
  1. Melt peanut butter, honey and coconut oíl over medíum-low heat.
  2. Once melted, remove from heat and add oats, shredded coconut, chocolate chíps and vanílla.
  3. Stír untíl chocolate ís entírely melted.
  4. Pour ínto a 9×13 pan and cool ín the frídge.
  5. When ít’s set, cut ínto bars and enjoy.
  6. Store ín the frídge. If they last that long!