Gone Banana's

    We haven't been eating our banana's as quickly as we usually do. Rather than having the over ripened banana's take up prime real estate in my freezer, I have been experimenting with a few different Banana Bread recipes. I recently came across this one, for Peanut Butter Candy Bar Banana Bread. 
   

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Banana Bread:
(From Pillsbury Hamburger: 2006 Edition)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
10 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Directions:

(1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for a dark pan). With cooking spray, lightly grease the bottom of a standard size loaf pan.
(2) In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until creamy.
(3) Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Beat on medium speed until combined.
(4) Add all remaining ingredients except the chocolate bar. With a wooden spoon gently combine the chocolate (Reserve 2 Tbsp. for topping). Pour mixture into the loaf pan.

(5) Bake 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool inside the loaf pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, and let cool on a wore rack. Add the reserved chocolate to the top of the loaf, and let it melt with the existing heat from the bread.

*Recipe yields 1 loaf or 12 muffins.

You may also like:
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Double Chocolate Banana Loaf with Toasted Walnuts
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Apple Cream Cheese Muffins

    Since apples are in season, I felt inspired to make these delicious Apple Cream Cheese Muffins. I found the recipe in one of those mini Pillsbury magazines you find in the grocery aisle five or six years ago. I think they're delish.
    They are a great way to use up any old or bruised apples you may have, and they freeze well so you don't have to worry about them going stale (Not that stale muffins are a huge concern in this house).

Apple Cream Cheese Muffins:

Photo from Pillsbury: Hamburger Edition 2006

Ingredients:

Muffins:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (Reserve 1 Tbsp. in a separate bowl for the filling)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten (Reserve 1 Tbsp. Add to the same bowl as the reserved brown sugar, for the filling)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce (I used my Homemade Apple Pie Filling. Just toss it in a food processor to purée and Voila)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup apple, peeled and shredded (about 1 lg. or 2 sm.)
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

Streusel:

3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

Directions:
(1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tray, by spraying with cooking spray or lining with muffin cups.
(2) In a large mixing bowl, combine all but 1 Tbsp. of the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

(3) Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla, and remaining egg to the flour mixture.
Beat on medium speed until combined. Stir in the shredded apple.

(4) Add the reserved 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. of egg to a food processor. Add the cream cheese. Pulse to combine.

(5) Fill the muffin tray less than half full with the apple cinnamon batter. Top each with 1 tsp. of the cream cheese mixture. Top each with a spoonful of the remaining batter to fill the cups 2/3rds full.




Make a small well inside the batter
to hold the cream cheese mixture.

Add the cream cheese mixture.

Top with the remaining batter.

(6) In a small bowl, mix all the streusel ingredients; sprinkle over batter.

(7) Bake 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from pan. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.



*Recipe yields 12 muffins.

You may also like:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Double Chocolate Banana Loaf with Toasted Walnuts

    I had a few over ripe bananas that I didn't want to go to waste. What better way to use them them in a Double Chocolate Banana Loaf with Toasted Walnuts. I found this recipe a while back, while searching for a way to use my over ripe bananas that wasn't the traditional Banana Bread. Since I have a family of chocolate lovers, I figured this would work just fine. I'm glad I tried it out, because it was a hit.

Double Chocolate Banana Loaf with Toasted Walnuts:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dark or white chocolate chips
2 Lg. eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 Lg. ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and place the oven rack to the middle position.
(2) Prepare a non-stick loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray.
(3) Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool, and then coarsely chop.
(4) In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
(5) In a second mixing bowl, combine the bananas, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.
(6) With a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet into the dry ingredients until just combined and the batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips.

(7) Bake for 55-65 minutes (22-25 for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
(8) Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan.

*Recipe yields 1 loaf, or 12 muffins.

You may also like:
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Peanut Butter Candy Bar Banana Bread