Loaded Banana Bread

My dear, sweet Benny (2 years old) is really into bananas.  

His love of bananas runs deep.Yet, the depth of said love lasts only 

about 3 bites per banana and then he refuses to touch the half eaten 

banana again. And we must start over with another whole banana. 

Lordy. 

I, being the practical 'thou shall not waste a perfectly

 good half of banana' mama that I am, 

started storing the remaining bananas in a container in the 

refrigerator and decided it was high time I create a go to banana recipe. 

So Benny, keep up the good work, I could eat this goodness all year long!

This recipe will yield 2 large loaf pans of outrageous 

quick bread or ~32 large scoop muffins. 

What you need:

1 cup of butter (soft)

4 eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

With an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) blend the above ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp baking soda 

Place dry ingredients in a sifter

5 ripe bananas (peel and mush finely with a fork) yields ~2 cups

1 cup finely chopped raw pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (+ additional 1 cup for topping)

 Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three heats.  

That way the wet dry integrates very well.  I always hand

mix at this point, as to not over mix.

Fold in the banana

 Fold in the pecans, coconut and chocolate chips

Use a large scoop if you are going the muffin route, otherwise 

coconut oil two large loaf pans.

For muffins I am borderline obsessed with parchment muffin

liners.  They do not stick to the muffins, like the fluted cups

sometimes do and they look so dang cute, which is obvy 

important!  I buy them in big bunches on the internet.

here's a little picture from an old post.  After coating

the pan with coconut oil, cut a piece of parchment paper

for each pan, allowing a bit higher up the sides, so after

baking you can run a knife along the two shorts sides

of the pan, then use the parchment like handles to lift the 

bread out, and transfer it to a cooling rack.  

Top with a good sprinkle of coconut 

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes if baking muffins and I would

guess at least one hour to one hour and 15 minutes for 

the loaf pans.  Make sure you do the toothpick check!!

Although them to cool a bit and then get your gobble on!!

 Benny Approved!!

Enjoy!

xo

Crunchy Cornflake Cookies

I ate a  cornflake cookie at a cafe when we lived in Oklahoma and it was 

love at first bite!  I threw this recipe together almost 5 years ago, 

and the taste is deliciously spot on! These cookies are loaded with some 

of the best pantry goodies imaginable, so of course they are certain to be a hit!

 What you need:

 1 cup Butter, soft

1/2 cup + 2T Oil

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 cups Cornflakes

1 cup Quick Oats

1 cup Raw Pecans

1/2 cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)

3 1/2 cups AP Flour

1 T Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Place the oats, coconut and pecans in a food processor fitted with the

sharp blade. Pulse until consistency of large crumbs.

I feel certain we over pulsed the three ingredients as I had eager helpers

in the kitchen, after their soccer game. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Next, pulse in the cornflakes until bits of cornflakes appear throughout.

Then set the food processor aside

In the green bowl are the wet ingredients whipped together: butter, oil,

eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and pure vanilla extract. I use an 

electric hand mixer to blend the wet ingredients.

In the sifter, awaiting a sift, are the dry ingredients: AP flour, 

salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

Slowly sift and hand mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

Then fold in cornflake crumble goodness.

 Use a small scoop (this is ~2 T scoop, but you could do as small as 1 T)

Line 12 on a parchment lined baking sheet and press the dough 

balls flat with clean finger.  

Bake for ~13 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Remove the cookies from the oven, then edges should be a tad 

darker in color than the centers.  Allow the cookies to cool for 

a minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack 

for complete cool.

Enjoy. 

xo

Birthday Party Prep, in the kitchen

 Sweet Logan turned 5 yesterday.  I will post all the pics of her wonderful birthday celebration, but for now here are the goodies I whipped up for her party!  

 You can't spell P-A-R-T-Y without cookies, or something 

like that...am I right?  Semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies,

dusted with sea salt are ALWAYS on the menu!

Dark chocolate cupcakes (along with vanilla cupcakes that

didn't get their time to shine in front on the camera during prep)

alwaty please the crowds!

 

 No Fail Frosting! 

 It is a must for cupcakes, layered cakes, spoons and fingers!

Make this recipe, it is quick and easy and oh so tasty!

 Copious amounts of rice krispy treats!  I didn't make 

homemade marshmallows for these bad boys, as I have

in the past.  But the secret to stepping up your game with

a krispy bar made with a bag of marshmallows: a bit of sea salt!

 Peanut butter and homemade jam (via the MIL) is 

turned into party food, by removing crust, with a round 

biscuit cutter and dipping the cut edges into

tiny sprinkles!  So cute and festive!

It's a 5 year old birthday party, but I always plan

for the parents who are showing up as well. 

Beer and handmade wraps were on hand for them.

Store bought tortillas filled with havarti, oven roasted

turkey slices, candied bacon* and sun-dried tomato 

mayonnaise** were perfection!

*to candy bacon, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and parchment (no stick, yay)

place bacon on the prepared baking sheet and generously sprinkle with brown

sugar and cracked black pepper.  Bake until crispy (directions on bacon package). 

Do not drain on paper towels as the sugars will just stick to the paper!  I place the cooked

candied baon on a cooling rack and allow to drip a bit (playing baking sheet under the 

rack to catch drips).  once cool, store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.  

Can be made a few days in advance.

**to make sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, grab your food processor and whip 2 small jars

of drained sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup cream cheese (soft) and 1 cup real mayonnaise.

Store air tight in the refrigerator, can be made a week in advance.

PARTY PICS SOON !!!

(but, let's be real...what does 'soon' mean to me?  still haven't finished

Sundance Film Festival 2014 pics...opps!)

 

Italian Cream Cupcakes, on the QUICK!

I was in a pinch for a dessert and thought I would give a go at making Italian Cream Cupcakes, 

starting with a box of cake mix.  The results were fantastic (and oh so quick), so give this a whirl!

What you need:

box of white cake mix (that will yield a 9x13 pan)

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

2 T water

2/3 cup shredded coconut

1 cup raw pecans 

Click here for my delish frosting recipe, that must top

these cupcakes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chopped

pecans to fold into the frosting.

Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the pecans.  If you don't feel like

getting your chop on, pulse the pecans in a food processor.

By hand or mixer, blend the cake mix, buttermilk, butter, water and eggs.

Then fold in the coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

 

I use a large scoop to plop the batter into muffin papers (I looove

the organic look of these parchment papers I picked up at King Soopers) 

Bake in a 350 degree, preheated oven.  17-21 minutes bake time.

While they bake, make the frosting!!!  Here is the link again. 

Stir in the 1/2 cup of chopped pecans you reserved.

After the cupcakes cool (I always set on a cooling rack for at least

half hour), top with as much frosting as you wish.

Then, ENJOY!!!  

xo.

Toffee Pretzel Crunch. Oh My!

I was making care packages this week to send off and deliver locally

as several friends needing the TLC of homemade treats.

I was thinking how tasty it would be to dip pretzel rods in toffee, but

then at a little Oprah light bulb moment and decided on this...

you can thank me later.

What you need to make this ridiculous treat:

3 1/2-4 cups Pretzel Crisps

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Line a large jelly roll pan* with aluminum foil, and then thinly coat the foil

with butter (I just gently rub one of the sticks used in the recipe along the 

foiled surfaces. You will not use much) then place a layer of Pretzel Crisps 

along the bottom of the buttered pan.  I break up some of the crisps. Don't 

worry if the crisps are overlapping. 

* a jelly roll pan is smaller than a sheet pan, but larger than a 9x13 pan.

 In a saucepan over medium/high heat, begin melting the butter, brown sugar and salt.

 This is one pot you want to watch boil.  Continue stirring as the sauce boils 

and thickens.  Watch that it doesn't burn.  I stir at boil for a couple minutes.

Pour the boiling sauce evenly over the pretzel crisps.  

Place pan in a 425 degree oven.

The sauce will thicken in the oven. After 4 minutes I pulled the bubbling concoction 

out of the oven.  Check at 4 minutes. If it isn't super bubbly and darker in color, 

put it back in for 1 additional minute.

 Immediately sprinkle the semi sweet chocolate chips evenly 

over the toffee pretzels. 

The heat of the pan will quickly melt the chocolate chips.  If you

find that they aren't melting, pop the pan back into the cooling oven for 

1 minute and the chocolate will be ready to spread with a knife.

After the chocolate chips are evenly spread across the top of the toffee,

pop the pan in the freezer to set up for 30 minutes.

 After setting in the freezer, I pull the brick of toffee from the foil,

double checking that all foil pulled away, then use my hands to 

break into chunks.  I store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

It packages up nicely, in boxes, to drop with friends and neighbors.

I buy bulk food safe boxes on the Internet.

Enjoy!!!

Brown Butter Marshmallow Crispy Treats

I signed up to bring a 'treat' for Logi's preK Valentine's 

party tomorrow. I was thinking it would be fun to put a treat 

on a stick, and quickly decided I would make marshmallow 

crispy bars, and poke them with the barbershop pole paper 

straws I bought after Christmas sales. Then, as I was about to grab 

several bags of marshmallows off the  market shelf, I decided that 

I would try making these treats with my tried and true  

homemade marshmallow recipe. With a few tweaks to said recipe 

these treats turned out better than I imagined, and I am certain to 

never buy a bag of  marshmallows ever again!

What you need to yield a 9x13 pan:

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 stick of unsalted butter

 1/2 tsp sea salt

10 cups crispy rice cereal

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract*

 Confectioner's sugar, for dusting the 9x13 pan

Paper straws (optional)

*the almond was a last minute idea, and it really works

well with the nuttiness of the brown butter.  

The almond extract is optional.

Combine the unflavored gelatin packets with 1/2 cup

ice cold water in the bowl of an electric stand mixer,

fitted with the whisk attachment.  Pulse the whisk quickly,

to combine the gelatin and water, then let sit and 'bloom' 

while you continue the next step.

 In a saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of 

water.  Cook over medium/high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves,

then just allow the syrup to continue boiling without stirring.

At this time, place the 10 cups of crispy rice cereal in a large mixing bowl, 

set aside.

 Continue the boil until you reach a temp of 240 on a candy thermometer.

The temp will sit at 220-225 for what feels like forever, so just be patient.

 So thankful I am able to grab this image from my previous

marshmallow post, as I totally forgot to snap this today!  Phew.  

I carefully pour the 240 degree syrup over the bloomed gelatin and 

begin whipping.  I whip on low for a minute, to the everything mixed up, 

then I switch the speed to high and set a timer for 10 minutes.

While the gelatin and syrup whip, slowly melt a stick of butter over

medium heat.  

At this time butter and shake the 9x13 pan with confectioner's

sugar.  Coating the bottom and all 4 sides with butter and the sugar.

Set the pan aside.

After the melted butter bubbles for a bit, the edges will start to darken.

Watch it closely, and pull the pan from the heat when the butter turns dark golden.

 

When removed from the heat I stirred the in the 

vanilla and almond extract into the brown butter. 

After the syrup and gelatin has whipped for 10 minutes and looks

beautifully white and fluffy, stop the mixer, and pour in the brown butter 

(with the vanilla and almond).  Then whip on low, increasing speed to medium, 

until the butter is incorporated and the marshmallow is smooth and fluffy.

I just pour the brown butter, I do not scrape the bits off the pan.

 

 Pour the marshmallow over the crispy rice cereal (I use a bowl scraper

to get all the marshmallow out of the mixer) and start combining, really 

pulling the cereal up from the bottom of the bowl with each stir.  

Place the marshmallow crispy mix into the prepared pan (I doubled

the recipe) then rub a little butter on your hands and press firmly into the 

pan.  Set the pressed pan aside for an hour.

After an hour I flipped the pan onto a cutting surface.  I used a sharp serrated 

knife to cut desired size squares (cutting off the irregular edges). 

Yum!

I decided the kids would love these treats 'on a stick'.

Of course you can do this same thing with store bought marshmallows, but the fluffy 

fresh marshmallow combined with the brown butter is simply outrageous!