Delicious Banana Bread

I'm a huge fan of quick breads, like I've said before. Pumpkin is probably my favorite (there will be an amazing pumpkin bundt cake coming soon!), but banana isn't far behind. I have made this recipe about three times now and each was great. The most recent time (when these pictures were taken), I substituted half of the flour with whole wheat flour. I didn't notice any different in taste, texture, or moistness, so if you would like a slightly healthier version, I would recommend this substitution. Otherwise, stick with the recipe that follows!

Just a few tips to get you started. You want to use really ripe bananas. They mash better and have a more banana-y taste. They are gross to handle, but the end result will just be better. I used a mini food processor when I did my “mashing,” but you could use a fork, a potato masher, etc. The food processor makes more of a paste (yuck) and the bread doesn’t end up with any small bits of banana.

The only other thing is to remember not to over-stir the batter once the flour is added. If you do, the bread will turn out gummy and tough. Just stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears!

Time to get baking!!

Basic Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour (again, I used 1 cup regular, 1 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out on a wire rack. Enjoy!!

Cookie Dough Topped Brownies

These little treats caused quite the stir among my friends. I posted the link for them on my g-chat status and I had about 10 responses of people begging asking me very nicely to please bake these brownies for them. There’s just something about raw cookie dough that gets people going! After all of the fuss, I decided I just couldn’t wait any long to try these out, so I whipped them up to bring to my niece’s field hockey game (and made them again to send to a couple friends).

There really isn’t anything to this recipe. It’s a basic brownie made with melted chocolate chips (as opposed to come recipes that call for cocoa powder). I melted the chips and butter over a direct flame (not a double boiler) and they did just fine. I was careful to stir frequently and remove from the stove as soon as the chocolate reached a smooth consistency. As far as the mixing portion went, I just used a spoon. I thought about using my KitchenAid mixer but decided against it because it would have just meant more dirty dishes!

I would recommend being sure to let the brownies cool completely (maybe overnight?) before topping them with the cookie dough. I tend to be impatient and only waited about an hour and the dough got a little melty/goopy as I tried to spread it around. Otherwise, this is so easy and has great results.

Now go. Make this recipe. I know you’re dying to!!

Cookie Dough Topped Brownies
From My Kitchen Cafe

Brownie Layer:
1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Cool completely and then top with the cookie dough layer.

Cookie Dough Layer:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) - softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls over cooled brownies; carefully spread over top (the dough can be hard to spread, but the best method is to dampen your fingers... it will prevent them from getting so sticky). Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.


Next up: Delicious Banana Bread!

Halloween Peppermint Patty Brownie Cups

Now that I'm back from Quilt Market with my mom and aunt, I can get back to baking! In honor of Halloween, which is just around the corner, I decided to make something festive -- Brownie Cups with Halloween Peppermint Patties! I've been seeing a lot of cookie dough and brownie recipes being made in muffin tins (saves the time of having to form individual cookies) and decided it was time to try it out for myself!

I used regular-sized muffin tins and the result was quite rich, so it might be fun to play around with mini muffin tins too. You might have to cut the peppermint patties to fit, but no harm done (you will have to cut baking time, however)! Either way, the fudgey-minty combo is so, so good! The only challenge with this recipe is deciding when to remove them from the oven. The original recipe suggests using a toothpick or cake tester, but the problem is that the peppermint patty will be melted inside, so the toothpick never comes out cleanly. I just went by look (made sure the top was darkening and the sides were slightly pulling away) and feel (each top felt firm).

Now, there are unlimited ways of decorating the brownies to make them more Halloween-y. You could make some orange frosting, top with a candy corn, or do something like this. However, the orange filling of the Peppermint Patties will do the job!

Peppermint Patty Brownie Cups
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (as seen on The Brownie Project)

8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¾ tsp salt
3 large eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
12 small chocolate covered peppermint patties, such as York

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in a double boiler and melt over low to medium heat, or melt in the microwave in 30-second increments.

2.    Whisk the sugar and salt into the butter and chocolate combination until mixture is smooth. The, whisk in eggs to combine. Gently add in flour and cocoa until smooth.

3.    Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 peppermint patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons batter, covering patty completely. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted halfway into centers (above mint patty) comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Snickerdoodles & Chocodoodles

The words Snickerdoodle and Chocodoodle make me think of a Goldendoodle – an adorable mix of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. So so cute. Once I get over how cute that dog is (and how about a Puggle?!), I can move on and focus on actual Snickerdoodles! I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes and was very willing to try this one when it mentioned you could make a chocolate version. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?! 

The basic Snickerdoodle version of this cookie is really good. It had just the right amount of sweetness (only 1/3 cup of sugar) given it would be rolled in a cinnamon/sugar combo before baking. I usually prefer a few more spices mixed into the actual batter (this only has nutmeg), but the texture was great and the overall taste didn’t disappoint!

The Chocodoodle version really grew on me. At first I was thrown by the flavor of chocolate mixed with nutmeg, but, after my second cookie (!), I was really loving it -- it was almost like the nutmeg made the chocolate taste richer. This is definitely one to try… it’s not your everyday cookie.

Snickerdoodles (with Chocodoodle option!)
(From Bake or Break)

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar, + 2 tablespoons for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1.    Preheat oven to 350°. Line or grease baking sheets and set aside.
2.    Combine flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3.    Beat butter and 1/3 cup sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until smooth.
4.    Mix together cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pinch dough into walnut-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon/sugar mixture, and place on baking sheets.
5.    Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for one minute, then cool completely on a wire rack.
6.    Makes about 18 medium-sized cookies.

To make Chocodoodles: Replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cocoa.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I really try not to go to parties empty-handed. Depending on the party, I'll bring different things, but I really like to bring baked goods -- people always appreciate it and it gives me an excuse to bake! This weekend I went to a co-workers belated birthday party and brought along these peanut butter cookies. I left some plain, and decorated others with chocolate. These cookies are great on so many levels: only 4 ingredients, they contain peanut butter, if you run out of flour you can still bake, and they're essentially fool-proof.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat peanut butter and sugar until smooth and combined
3. In a small bowl lightly beat the egg and then beat into peanut butter mixture along with the baking soda
4. Arrange teaspoon-sized drops of cookie dough about 1" apart on a cookie sheet (I used a Silpat). With the tines of a fork, slightly flatten the cookie dough drops to ensure even baking.
5. Bake about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes after being removed from the oven. Transfer onto a cooling rack.

Chocolate for Dipping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

1. Over a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate and shortening together (or you can do this in a microwave).
2. Stir frequently, making sure the chocolate on the bottom of the pan does not burn.
3. Once the chocolate reaches your desired consistency, fill a ziploc bag, cut one of the bottom corners, and drizzle on the cookies!

Next up: Snickerdoodles & Chocodoodles (!!)

Cinnamon Chip Scones

I have had a bag of Hershey's Cinnamon Chips in my pantry for about 3 months now. I wanted to make Cinnamon Chip Scones, but I was afraid of scones. I think I was getting held up at the phrase "cut in butter" because I had never done it before, nor did I have the proper tool. I have since learned that you don't really need a cutting tool to be successful and that Cinnamon Chips do no good just sitting in a pantry! 

Cutting the butter in can be done a number of ways. You can use an actual pastry blender, a fork, your fingers, or a food processor (the method I chose). I combined the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together first in the food processor. I then added the cubed butter and ran it until "coarse crumbs" were formed. I then added the buttermilk and pulsed until a dough was formed. Next, I removed the dough from the food processor bowl and put it into a mixing bowl where I incorporated the cinnamon chips by hand.

Not including baking time, this recipe took about 15 minutes to put together. It was very, very simple and had great results! The scones weren't too sweet and had a great texture. The buttermilk helps with the flakiness factor and makes the scones fluffy instead of dense.

In making this recipe again, I would cut down on the cinnamon chips. As you can see in the pictures, each scone is jam-packed. This is probably a matter of taste, but I prefer a little more plain-ness. SO go ahead, give the recipe a try -- it couldn't be any easier!

Cinnamon Chip Scones
From Taste of Home: Simple and Delicious

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1 package (10 ounces) cinnamon baking chips
2 tablespoons butter, melted
      
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Fold in chips.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 10-12 times or until dough is no longer sticky. Divide in half; gently pat or roll each portion into a 7-in. circle. Brush with butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Cut each circle into six wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.


Next up: Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies (drizzled with chocolate!), and soon oh-my-gosh-these!

Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

I would like to say I'm not very picky about my food, especially baked goods, but the more I think about it, the pickier I feel. I'm pretty sure I love spice cakes/bread without exception, though. Zucchini, pumpkin, and carrot especially... yummm! The problem is that most spice cakes will call for a cream cheese frosting. I can't stand cheese in my desserts (yes, this includes cheese cake and cannoli!). With fall approaching and zucchini easy to find, I thought I would make Martha Stewart's Zucchini Spice Cupcakes, but switch up the frosting.

This is a very straightforward recipe, but be sure not to over-mix the batter once the flour is added -- it will lead to a gummy, tough texture instead of the lighter feel of a cupcake. I generously sprayed the muffin tins with non-stick spray but still had trouble removing the cupcakes. I would highly recommend using muffin tins or liners if you have any around. Plus they can make the cupcakes more festive!

The frosting was a great addition to these cupcakes. I don't think I've ever had frosting with cinnamon in it, but it blended really well with the spiciness of the cake. My recommendation would be, however, to cut the sugar back. The original recipe for the frosting called for 2 cups of powdered sugar; I found this to be way too sweet. Next time I would use 1 1/2 cups instead. Also, depending on how heavily you frost, the recipe may need to be doubled.

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (found on Erin's Food Files)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 cups packed grated zucchini (including the skin!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners or generously spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla, and zest until well blended; whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Stir in zucchini, then add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
 
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Frost once cooled and removed.

Spiced Frosting
From The Taste of Home Baking Book (found on How to Eat a Cupcake)

2 cups confectioners' sugar (next time I will use 1 1/2 instead)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons milk

Combine confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Using a mixer, combine with butter, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes once they have completely cooled.

Next up: Cinnamon Chip Scones!

Dough-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Dough!

After subscribing to my first food blog about a year ago, my GoogleReader accumulates over 100 posts a day (not counting sewing/crafting blogs and, of course, Perez Hilton important worldly news) and I'm ready to join in on the madness! I tend to bake at least once a week and I think this will be a fun place to chronicle new recipes and my successes/mishaps.

I hope you find some delicious things to make, and let me know how they go!!

Up First: Martha Stewart's Zucchini Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting