Banana Oatmeal Bars

As much as my sister and I love food (between the two of us, we could probably eat the entire contents of both our kitchens in one day flat.  Haley, should we try this?), we don't often swap recipes.  There's no hard feelings behind this, just that we don't really cook for each other as we did back in Florida.  At college, Haley was a frequent visitor at my apartment during junior and senior year, and we would spend lots of time looking through cookbooks, trying out baked goods, and eating lots of pasta together.  Living in two separate time zones has really put a kink in that, though.

She did, however, pass this recipe on during my recent bachelorette weekend, and I knew I would have them waiting for John Paul when he got home.  I used her suggestion of substituting applesauce for the vegetable oil, and also added 1/4 c. melted peanut butter for a little nuttiness. 

HOLY BANANAS.  Just make them.  They're gooey, soft, and unbearably decadent for a dessert with no butter.  And Haley, keep those recipes comin'.  You've totally proven your worth in the baking department, yet again.

Spiced Banana Bread (with chocolate!)

Ah, summertime.  When my thoughts turn to bananas and baked goods.  Remember in the past when I made these and this?  Well, here's something else: spiced banana bread with chocolate chips.
John Paul was out of town on business stuff last week, and I wanted to welcome him home on Tuesday with a baked good.  We had some extra bananas from my smoothies that were getting spotty, and I ran across Smitten Kitchen's recipe for banana bread just in the nick of time.  I was intrigued by the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves), and loved that it only required one bowl to mix everything in!  I did add about 1 c. chocolate chips because I like my banana bread to be dessert-like, but kept everything else true to her vision.
John Paul was happy.  I was happy.  The house smelled good.  All in all, this recipe is a keeper!

Cocoa Banana Muffins

This plate perfectly describes these muffins!  They're slightly chocolatey from the cocoa powder (no actual chocolate used), super moist from the bananas and yogurt, and tastefully sweet.  As in, yes, they're a bit desserty, but total acceptable breakfast food. 
I think I might be officially over the chocolate and banana combination for the time being... although this recipe could bring me back.

Cocoa Banana Muffins (adapted from Nick Malgieri's The Modern Baker, 2008)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 medium very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork
1/2 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream
12 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together mashed bananas and yogurt/sour cream.
3. Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well mixed, and a little lightened in color (about 1 min.). Beat in eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each.
4. Decrease mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 flour mixture, then 1/2 banana mixture. Repeat until everything is mixed and tastes good when you stick your finger in to test (yes, you should definitely not skip this step).
5. Divide batter equally among muffin pans either greased or fitted with cupcake liners.
6. Bake until they are well risen and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack then eat up!



 

Banana Rum Layer Cake

A couple weekends ago John Paul and I were invited to a lovely rooftop barbecue, and a friend informed me that the couple throwing the shindig is very gourmet.  With that tidbit, I knew that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Oreos were out of the question.  I broke out the big guns: two banana-rum layers with ganache covering everything.  Not only did we not bring home any leftovers, but I'm still getting compliments on it!  If there is an event and you need to impress, break this out.

Banana Rum Layer Cake (from Nick Malgieri's The Modern Baker, 2008)
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large eggs
1 c. mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)
2/3 c. milk
1 Tbsp. dark rum
1 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 lb. semisweet chocolate
4 Tbsp. butter, very soft

1. Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well in a small mixing bowl.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until lightened in color and texture. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, stir bananas, milk and rum until well-blended.
5. With the electric mixer set to low, alternately add flour and banana mixtures until everything is incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat the batter continuously for 3 minutes.
6. Divide batter equally between 2 round, well-greased cake pans. Bake until layers are well risen and deep golden, 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool layers in pans for 5 minutes, then turn onto racks to finish cooling.
8. While the cakes are baking and cooling, combine cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When heated through, add chocolate chips and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in butter until incorporated and shiny. Cool in fridge for 1/2 hour.
9. Place a dab of ganache onto a cake plate. Put one layer over it, and pour enough ganache just to cover the top. Place the other layer on top, and cover top and sides with ganache. Put cake in fridge to set the frosting, then serve!



 

 

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Oh Lordy, y'all.  These muffins are soo good.
The recipe comes from the August 5 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which I would browse through while at the Diego lake house.  By "browse through" I of course mean "look for the comics and crossword puzzle and maybe see what's in the Living section."  Last Thursday there was a whole mess of recipes designed to be easy to eat while commuting to work, and these muffins stood out.  It was almost as if they were calling to me, knowing that I've been on the hunt for a new banana muffin.  They certainly do not disappoint.  One banana and some yogurt add the creamy moistness, while a bit of brown sugar and the blueberries contribute just the right amount of sweetness.  Don't miss the lemon zest, which gives these muffins a fresh aromatic quality, and brightens the taste of the berries.  They're good throughout the day, from breakfast to a midnight snack.  If you're feeling particularly decadent, half and top with butter and a bit of raspberry or blackberry jam. 
Really, is there ever a time when we're not feeling decadent?

Banana-Blueberry Muffins (from August 5, 2010 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used Greek and it was great!)
1/4 c. milk
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. zested lemon
1 c. blueberries, rinsed

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly grease 12-cup muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder and soda, and salt together.  In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, yogurt, milk, banana, egg, butter and lemon zest.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until blended.  Fold in berries, careful to not overmix.
3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until muffins are just firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a baking rack to cool completely.

 

 

Banana Pudding Pie

To be quite honest, John Paul and I should not be allowed to live together. We love each other a whole bunch, and laugh the vast majority of the time, but we also eat TONS of baked goods because neither of us has the willpower to resist a good dessert suggestion. So when I mentioned last week that I was craving banana pudding, John Paul immediately seconded the idea, leaving me no option but to find a decadent, refreshing banana pudding pie recipe to satisfy our enormous appetites.

Oh, did I ever find a delicious summer dessert. I started off with a pie crust made from Nilla wafers, filled it with vanilla pudding and bananas, and even added a little sweetened condensed milk to finish it off. To make the pudding thicker, I used half and half, which does sweeten it more than if I'd used just milk. If you're not crazy about really sweet desserts, use just milk, or bypass the sweetened condensed milk. Obviously, it's not healthy in the least (although the bananas add a bit of potassium; can that please count?), but it is perfect after lunch on a hot day, when baking dessert is too much work. And, really, we can't be expected to eat salads all the time, anyway.

Crust (From Country Living, here)
50 vanilla wafers (I used 70-80 mini wafers)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Combine wafers, sugars and salt in food processor and pulse until finely ground. (If you don't have a food processor, use a blender or put everything in a big Ziploc bag and crush with your hands. Or feet, there's no judgment.) Stir in butter and vanilla, then press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Pudding* and Banana Filling
2 packages instant vanilla pudding (you can make your own; I'm just a bit impatient)
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
3 bananas, thinly sliced

Combine half and half, milk and pudding mix into medium bowl. Whisk for two minutes, until smooth. Spread sweetened condensed milk onto bottom of crust. Add 1/3 of the pudding, place banana slices in one layer on top of pudding, then repeat two more times. After pie has been assembled, chill in refrigerator for at least two hours. Serves about 10 slices.


*I used Trader Joe's instant vanilla pudding, which calls for 1 3/4 c. milk for each package, and two packages filled the pie crust perfectly. Double check other pudding brands' prep instructions if you're iffy about the filling.