Non-Dairy Banana Chocolate Ice Cream Pie

Is it really August?  The time is flying and I can feel fall coming right around the corner.  That feeling is in my mind and not due to any sign from the hot and unseasonably humid weather that doesn't seem to let up.  I guess the thought of fall is more like wishful thinking at this point  But doesn't a pumpkin spice cake or warm apple pie sound delicious? 

In the meantime, I have this banana chocolate ice cream pie to cool me off.  I love the combination of banana and chocolate! 

Today marks another round of Secret Recipe Club.  This month I was assigned Deanna's blog, The Mommy Bowl.  The Mommy Bowl is dedicated to gluten free and dairy free recipes.  There's a charming story behind how The Mommy Bowl got it's name.  Deanna had a bowl, actually 3 bowls, that have been with her since childhood.  She managed to hang on to them through college dorm rooms, apartments and eventually marriage and children.  The bowls are still in Deanna's life and she always keeps one of the bowls at the ready for her morning cereal--The Mommy Bowl.  Her bowls have been filled with various things over the years and her blog is the journey to document what will fill her bowl next.  Don't you just love that?

When I first started browsing Deanna's blog, I'm not going to lie, I got nervous.  I have only baked gluten free once and butter and eggs, among other dairy products, are regular characters in my kitchen. What would I make?  The reality is whatever recipe I selected, I would have to go out and buy ingredients which are not staples in my pantry.  I was having a little bit of the fear of the unknown....but this is what Secret Recipe Club is all about.  Making new things.  New, tasty things.  :)

I ultimately decided to make Deanna's Non-Dairy Queen Ice Cream "Cake" a.k.a Banana Chocolate Ice Cream Cake.  But I turned mine into pie because I didn't have the mold rings Deanna used for hers.  But I do have a cute 6 inch mini pie pan.  And it worked perfectly!

What I enjoyed the most about making this was seeing how alternative ingredients turn into flavors that I'm familiar with.  Like turning dates, cocoa powder, honey and water into fudge sauce.  And it really does have a dark chocolate fudgey taste and consistency.  I would never guess I was eating dates!  Kind of cool!  It turns out my gluten free, dairy free fears were unfounded.  This ice cream pie is a delicious and refreshing summer treat.  It reminds me a lot of eating a chocolate covered frozen banana topped with nuts.  Who doesn't love those?  Especially on a hot day.

Thanks to Deanna for turning me onto the goodness of a non-dairy frozen dessert!  If you are looking for a variety of gluten free or dairy free recipes, including a ton of baked goods head over to The Mommy Bowl.

Enjoy!

Non-Dairy Banana Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
adapted from The Mommy Bowl

Note: The Mommy Bowl makes an ice cream "cake" version using a round English muffin mold.  For this presentation head over to her site. 

Makes one 6 inch mini pie

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1/3 cup whole almonds
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (heaping) raw cacao (I used cacao nibs)

Fudge:
3 dried dates soaked in water for 1 hour
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (I used cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon honey (not in original recipe)
1-2 tablespoons water

Ice Cream:
2 large bananas, peeled and frozen (I used 3 small)
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

Chocolate Sauce to drizzle on top:
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (I used cocoa powder)
1 tablespoon coconut nectar, agave nectar or maple syrup (I used clover honey)
1 teaspoon water

Prep:
Start by peeling and freezing the bananas.  I recommend doing this the night before you plan to make the dessert.  Prepare your mini pie pan (or you could use a 6 inch cake pan) by spraying it with non stick cooking spray. 

Make the Crust:
Next make the crust by combining all ingredients in a mini food processor until the nuts begin to break down and release some of their oil.  The crumbs should stick together when you press them together.  Press crumbs along bottom and sides of the pie pan.  Place pan in freezer for about an hour or until crust feels solid.

Make the Fudge:
While the crust is freezing, make the fudge by combining all the ingredients in a mini food processor and blend until smooth.  Spoon the fudge layer over the frozen crust, on the bottom and up the sides stopping about 1/4 inch from the top of the crust layer.  Return to the freezer for another hour or until the fudge is frozen.

Make the Ice Cream:
Blend bananas and non dairy milk in a large food processor until smooth and creamy and no chunks of banana remain.  Fill the pie with the banana "ice cream" and return to the freezer for 2-4 hours or until frozen through.

Make the Chocolate Sauce:
Mix the sauce by stirring all the ingredients together in a small bowl until it reaches a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle sauce over the frozen banana pie and return to the freezer for one final set up, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cut, serve and enjoy!

Chai Banana Bread

I almost gave up.  I've been getting Cooking Light magazine since the beginning of the year and I've had completely mediocre, non-blog-worthy, results with the three recipes I've tried to date.  Until now.  Recipe number four from the May issue turned it all around.  I guess I won't cancel my subscription just yet. 

Chai banana bread was a big success, making the previous lack luster results all worth it.  At least that's what I'm telling myself.  I measure the success of a recipe by asking is it something I would make again?  It may need some tweaks or changes, but the base recipe is solid enough to warrant a repeat.  This recipe?  Already planning it.  No further tweaking necessary (you'll see below I already did the slightest bit of tweaking).

Wondering what "chai" is?  Chai, which is a reference to masala chai, means mixed spiced tea and originates in southeast Asia (around India).  The chai spice mixture, which can vary, typically consists of things like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, star anise and allspice.  Chai tea has become popular all over the world, and you can sample the Americanized version at your local Starbucks or coffee house.  Just ask for a "Chai Tea Latte".  You'll get a slightly sweetened, steamed milk beverage infused with a concentration of black tea and spices.  It's actually my favorite hot coffee house beverage (no coffee for this girl).  It reminds me of spice cookies and gingerbread.  Which is probably why it works so well with banana bread.

In this recipe there is no tea involved, just the spices.  Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and allspice are mixed together.  A portion goes into the banana bread batter and the remainder gets mixed with powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla to create a spiced glaze to finish the bread.  The spices are present, but not overwhelming. 

This lightened up version of banana bread doesn't lack in flavor or richness.  It can easily pass for it's full fat banana bread cousin. 

I made one substitution in the recipe.  I didn't have plain yogurt on hand so I substituted fat free buttermilk.  I didn't actually have store bought buttermilk on hand either, so I made my own.  I added 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to 1/3 cup of fat free milk.  It worked perfectly!

Tip of the day - Make Your Own Buttermilk:

I always get so frustrated when I buy buttermilk at the store because I can never ever seem to use the whole container despite my best efforts.  Making your own is easy. 

To make one cup of buttermilk - Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to a glass measuring cup and then fill up to the one cup line with milk.  Let it stand for 5 minutes and stir before using. 

That's it.  No more wasted buttermilk!  You can use any type of milk you have on hand--fat free, low fat or whole milk.

*****   

Hubby and several of my co-workers sampled the bread and it was well received by all.  Hubs even went back for thirds!  This spiced twist on a classic may just become my new "go to" banana bread recipe. 

Enjoy!   

Chai Banana Bread
from Cooking Light

Notes: the instructions below are how they are laid out in the magazine.  I did make a modification on preparing this by mixing my spice mixture and then adding the 1 1/2 teaspoons of it into the dry flour mixture (instead of mixing it into the batter at the end).  I just had a hard time stepping away from the traditional method of mixing wet and ingredients separately and then combining them together at the end.  I also mixed my vanilla in with the rest of the wet ingredients.  It would probably work out just fine either with either method.


1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
1/3 cup plain non fat yogurt (I used fat free buttermilk)
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
10 ounces all purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons low fat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or just mix by hand the old fashioned way.  I used a stand mixer.  Combine bananas, yogurt, cooled melted butter and eggs until just blended.  Add sugars and mix until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat until just blended.

In a small bowl combine the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.  Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract into the batter until just combined.  Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.  To store, wrap the bread in foil and place in a zip top bag with the air removed. 

Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, remaining spice mixture and milk until fully combined and spoon over the bread.

Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting

You probably already know that I'm slightly obsessed with the giant warehouse store, Costco.  Hubby and I find ourselves there most weekends snacking on the tasty samples they hand out while stocking up on fresh meats, fruits, veggies, wine, pantry items, household items, books, beauty products, vitamins and even gas. The list goes on and on.  You think it would be overkill for our 2 person household to visit Costco weekly, but somehow it seems we are always running out of something that is a Costco staple. 

One of my Costco staples is the ever so addicting chocolate hazelnut spread, Nutella.  They sell it in a pack of two 26.5 ounce jars for around $8.99 (bargain!).  Nutella is a go to spread for my English muffin (purchased at Costco) breakfast.  I toast up the muffin extra crispy and spread half with peanut butter (also purchased at Costco) and the other half with Nutella.  Along with a cup of hot tea or a glass of cold milk, it's a salty, sweet and satisfying breakfast.  This preparation is where 90% of my coveted Nutella ends up.  Occasionally I spread it on graham crackers for a snack, but for some reason I have never crossed over into the Nutella baking world.

When I learned that Sunday, February 5th was World Nutella Day, I knew it was just the push I needed to go a different route with Nutella.  Technically I didn't "bake" with it.  But all cakes need frosting, right?  Baby steps.

Nutella and bananas are two ingredients destined to be together.  I first experienced this flavor combination when Hubby and I had a crepe with fresh bananas and Nutella from a street food vendor in France nearly 10 years ago.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  If you are a fan of bananas and chocolate, I insist strongly urge you to give this duo a try.  What I like about Nutella is it's creamy and chocolaty with warm hazelnut tones in the background.  Even if you don't like nuts (I don't generally care for them in my sweets), don't let that deter you.  The flavors in Nutella are subtle and the chocolate is the star.
When I went in search of a Nutella recipe a few days ago, I quickly came across this Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting on the Toasty Biscuit.  With three ripe bananas sitting on the counter and my love of the banana/Nutella combo, this recipe was calling my name. 

The cake is moist and rich with banana flavor.  It's cake meets banana bread in terms of the density and texture.  The cake is great all on it's own.  It would be nice with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a dollop of fresh whipped cream or this Nutella frosting.  The only change I made to the cake was the size of the pan used.  The original recipe calls for a 10 inch square pan, which I don't find to be standard in most American households.  I used a 9 x 13 pan instead and adjusted the baking time and it worked perfectly.

I have to be honest, I struggled a bit with the frosting recipe.  The recipe took a little tweaking with a little extra butter and Nutella.  Following the original recipe, I found the Nutella flavor got lost in the sweetness of the powdered sugar.  To adjust, I added an additional 1/4 cup of the hazelnut spread to make it more prominent.  I also found the frosting to have a slightly dull finish so I ran my offset spatula under hot water, shaking off the excess, and spread it across the frosting to smooth it out.  I incorporated all my changes into the instructions below.

Guess what I'm eating for breakfast for the next couple of days?  Hint, it's not an English muffin!

I'm looking forward to seeing other food blogger's Nutella recipes.  I have a feeling more Nutella baking is my future.  What are your favorite Nutella recipes?


Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting
Adapted from Toasty Biscuit (originally adapted from All Cakes Considered)

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper.  Or alternatively you can butter and flour the pan, knocking off excess flour. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat on low until just combined.  Add in vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until just combined.  With mixer on low add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Add half the buttermilk.  Alternate flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with buttermilk.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on center rack for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn cake out onto a cooling rack and remove parchment.  Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Nutella
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream (or condensed milk)

In a stand mixer beat butter and Nutella on medium, about 1 minute until fully combined.  Add in confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time.  Mixture will appear crumbly.  Add in 2 tablespoons of cream and continue beating on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes.  Add additional tablespoons of cream until the frosting reaches a soft, spreadable consistency.  I used 4 tablespoons in total.  Generously spread frosting over cooled cake.  For a smooth finish, run your knife or offset spatula under hot water and gently smooth the surface, rinsing off it off after each swipe. 

Banana's Foster Fritters

The first time I remember having bananas foster was early on in my dating life with Hubby.  We went to a dinner party hosted by one of my co-workers at the time and they made it for dessert served over ice cream. As I watched my co-worker's husband make the dish, I was wowed by the drama of it.  The rum caught on fire lighting up the pan while the bananas flambeed amdist a gooey caramel like rum sauce.  What I was most impressed with was the simple ingredients involved and how quickly a delicious and impressive dessert came together. 

Baked Explorations Banana's Foster Fritters are inspired by the classic dish.  It's bananas foster meets donut.  I was worried this would be a lot more complicated than its inspiration dish.  But it really wasn't.  The dough is very simple and comes together quickly and easily.  The rum dipping sauce takes just a few minutes in a saucepan.  The most challenging part was the frying.  I still struggle with frying and getting oil to the right temperature.  The recipe recommends 375 degrees, but I found that too hot.  My first fritter was very dark on the outside but still raw on the inside.  I lowered the heat and found 350-360 worked best for me, however, the outside was still a tad darker than I would have liked it to be.  But at least the dough wasn't raw!  As you can see I gave these a solid dusting of  cinnamon powdered sugar.

The result?  A crisp texture on the outside with a moist cakey inside.  The bananas are incorporated into the dough and the dipping sauce is what makes this a "fosters" fritter instead of just a banana fritter.  With brown sugar, butter and a little rum, among other things, the sauce has the same flavor as the gooey goodness from a traditional banana's foster.  Seems like the sauce was a big hit with many of the Club: Baked bakers.  Some have even suggested this would be a good sauce/syrup for pancakes, waffles or french toast or a topping for ice cream.  All great ideas!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the best part!  You probably already noticed in the pictures, I added chocolate chips into the dough of a few of the fritters.  I love banana and chocolate together.  It was delicious!

Hubby enjoyed these (the ones without chocolate chips of course), which is always a pleasant surprise coming from my non dessert loving husband.  I made half a batch and ended up with 8 small fritters.

Thank you to Stephanie of Ice Cream Before Dinner for choosing this week's tasty recipe.  You can find the recipe over on her site.  To see how other bakers did with their fritters head over the Club: Baked site. 

Next up on the Club: Baked roster...Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins on October 1st.  I'm not gonna lie, this one sounds a little odd to me.  I have had mixed feelings about savory muffins in the past.  But I'm curious about the combination of pumpkin and cheddar.  This one is definitely outside my comfort zone--which isn't a bad thing!

Sweet Melissa Sundays Top 10 Favorite Recipes!

In April 2010 I started participating in the weekly online baking group, Sweet Melissa Sundays.  The group had already been baking their way through the Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy for about a year when I joined.  And the group posted the final recipe (of just over 100 recipes) on August 21, 2011.  In the past year and a half I've met some amazingly talented bakers and learned tons.  Before joining this group my baking repertoire consisted of mostly cookies, a few cakes or cupcakes and a pie here and there.   What I liked most about the group was being pushed outside my comfort zone.  Without the group I doubt I would have tried more than half the recipes that turned out to be some of my favorites. 

When I tasted each of the recipes below for the first time, I said, "wow".  For each and every one.  Literally, I said, "wow".  Out loud.  I love when you bite into something and you're not sure what to expect or think you know exactly what to expect, and you are pleasantly surprised and all you can say is "wow!" 

To wrap a year and a half of baking I wanted to put together a list of my favorites.  They are listed in order the group made them.  So without further adieu...

Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is the base for several recipes in the Sweet Melissa book.  It's incredibly moist and deep dark chocolaty.  I have an affinity for cakes made with sour cream and this one really knocks it out of the park if you are a chocolate lover.  I have made it several times and will continue to go to this as one of my top chocolate cake recipes. 

Gingersnaps

When I got my first turn to host a recipe for the group I had to go with Gingersnaps.  It only seemed right!  I was surprised at how much I liked these cookies, since I already have my own go to ginger snap recipe.  Melissa Murphy's version contains typical spices you might expect, like cinnamon, ginger and allspice, but what was really unique was the inclusion of white pepper.  Everything in my gut was telling me to omit the pepper, but I felt like I really had to do the recipe proper justice and follow it word for word.  And you know what?  The white pepper works!  It blends with other spices to make a perfectly sweet and mildly spicy cookie.  And it pairs beautifully with a lemon cream filling.

Blueberry and Almond Biscotti

What is a biscotti anyway?  It's essentially a twice baked cookie.  Round 1 is baked in a loaf form and then the loaf is sliced into the biscotti spears you are probably familiar with and those are baked again to get a nice crunchy texture.  I have never been a biscotti person.  Probably because I'm not a coffee drinker or a fan of crunchy cookies in general.  I had never made biscotti before and  I really didn't expect to like this.  I hate being wrong. But love it all at the same time because these biscotti are delicious and you don't need a hot beverage to enjoy them.  They also make great gifts since they keep well for several days. 

Melissa's recipe called for dried sour cherries, but I switched it up with dried blueberries instead.  What made this recipe for me was the lemon zest.  The lemon flavor is incredibly bright in this crunchy cookie, but not overly lemony.  This recipe opened my eyes to the possibility of making various flavors of biscotti (which I have on my to do list).

Sweet Almond Cake with Lemon Curd

Before joining SMS, I will be honest, most cakes I made were out of a box.  With the exception of carrot cake.  My family has a great carrot cake recipe that doesn't involve a box.  One day I'll get around to posting it on the blog.  What I didn't know was the various techniques used in making cakes from scratch.  This one calls for ground almonds and whipped egg whites in the batter.  You whip up the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (similar to making a meringue) and then gently fold the airy mixture into your cake.  I really don't know much about the science of baking, but I do know this cake is delicious with a lightly sweet almond flavor.  It has a lovely toothsome crumb from the ground almonds and a light moistness.  This cake would be a wonderful base for many fillings and frostings.  Speaking of fillings and frostings, the lemon curd and lemon mascarpone frosting that accompany this cake were not the stars for me.  I had to switch to lemon cream cheese frosting because I had trouble with the mascarpone.  This cake recipe, however, is on my list of keepers!

Mom's French Pancakes (aka Crepes)

Can you say yummy?  Can you say easy to make?  Can  you say "Oooh la la"! This recipe was another surprise winner!  I mean I knew I already loved crepes, I just doubted my ability to make these thin delicate little pancakes.  The ingredients are simple and the batter can (and is recommended) to be made the night before you make these little jewels.  I used a large non stick skillet and after making one or two crepes, really got the hang of it.  If you have not made crepes before, you must try them!  The options for filling them are endless....but my favorite combination is seen above.  Nutella and sliced bananas.  Simple.  Delicious!

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pie

Though I am posting these in the order I made them and not in any preferential taste order, I will say this is a fantastic recipe and is among my top 3 favorites from the book (along with the chocolate cake and honey cream caramels).  I was completely blown away by the perfect marriage of lemon and blueberries amidst a creamy custardy filling.  And this pie is one of the easiest in the book to make.  Especially if you use a pre-made graham cracker crust from the grocery store (a slight diversion from the original recipe).  Melissa's recipe calls for traditional pie dough, but as I was making this pie for the second time for Mother's Day earlier this year, I had a crust mishap.  I used Melissa's all butter pie crust recipe and had major shrinkage occur.  Irreparable shrinkage.  At 11 pm on the eve of Mother's Day I went to the grocery store to buy a roll of Pillsbury pie dough, but at the last minute decided to go with a graham cracker crust.  You know the kind that you find in the baking aisle and comes in a foil pie tin with that cool plastic covering that doubles as a lid when you flip it over?  I have to say, I loved it!  I think this pie is even better than fantastic when made with a graham cracker crust.  Definitely a winner!

Pecan Frosting

I almost didn't make this recipe.  Melissa's original recipe is called Coconut Pecan Frosting, otherwise known as German chocolate cake frosting.  I really don't care for the texture of coconut and I'm generally not a fan of nuts in my dessert.  But the point of this group is going outside your comfort zone.  So I failed in that I didn't go completely outside my comfort zone.  I just took a small step.  I decided to simply omit the coconut from the recipe since that was the greater of two evils.  Imagine my surprise when I tasted the final product and loved it!  It really is less like a frosting and more like a candy topping.  My family loved it spread on graham crackers best.  But it would also make a delicious ice cream topping and it's not too bad with pumpkin cake either! 

Honey Cream Caramels

This was yet another goodie I had never made before.  I don't have anything against caramel candies.  I like them just fine, but there are a lot of other treats I would reach for first.  Luckily I didn't write this recipe off!  These caramels are soft and sweet and delicious.  I really didn't think I would like these as much as I did.  I kept going back to the kitchen and sneaking one more (I'm not sure who I was sneaking them from, but I felt a little guilty eating so many of these honey infused treasures).  This recipe is easy to make and caramels are another great giveaway treat because they store for up to two weeks in an airtight container.  They would also be delicious with a little sprinkling of sea salt before they completely set.  Honey Cream Caramels will be making it into my holiday baking rotation this Christmas!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Melissa shares a master preserves recipe that shares general ratios of fruit to sugar, acid, etc. and then has recipes for 5 different flavor variations.  This is one of those recipes that was widely praised by many members of the group.  I was able to make three variations, plum preserves, white nectarine cinnamon preserves and of course strawberry rhubarb. 

I feel like a broken record here, but preserves or jam was something I had not made before joining this group.  And I was surprised at how easy they are to make and delicious.  There's something special and very satisfying about making toast in the morning and slathering it with your own fresh made preserves.  I also took the leap into the canning world with these preserves.  Yet another great goodie to give away as a gift.  Of three preserve variations I made, the strawberry rhubarb was my hands down favorite!  The tartness from the rhubarb is a perfect match to the sweet strawberry.  And it makes a great filling for a crumble bar! 

Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream

I didn't actually make this recipe along with the group.  They made it long before I even knew Sweet Melissa Sundays existed.  And to be honest, vanilla ice cream is not something that really excites me.  There are so many delectable ice cream flavors in the world to choose from.  But I found I was in need of an ice cream to pair with this Plum and Raspberry Pie with a Sweet Almond Lattice.  This pie was incredibly tart and needed a nice sweet ice cream to balance it out.  I decided to give Melissa's recipe for Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream a shot since I would be serving to others who don't share my lack of excitement over vanilla.  Also, I had recalled reading in various posts from my fellow SMS bloggers, how delicious this ice cream was.  And they were right!  It's got a depth of caramel like flavor from the brown sugar and is the perfect accompaniment to a fruit pie or tart.  Yet another pleasant surprise!

I made 40 recipes with the group and a few more on my own outside the group. There are many more the group made before I joined that I would still like to try...like Butter Toffee Crunch, Lemon Icebox Cake with Strawberry Sauce, Sweet Almond Bread Pudding with Raspberry Sauce, Caramel Apple Turnovers with Sweet Ricotta Filling, and Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake to name a few. 

It's been a great ride and I've learned a very important lesson...don't judge a dessert by it's ingredient list!  Even if you are unsure if it would be your thing or if you think it sounds too hard or complicated, give it a go.  You might just be surprised yourself!

I want to extend my thanks to all the fabulous SMS bakers.  You girls rock, sharing great ideas, encouragement and support!  I loved checking out everyone's creations on Sunday mornings.  Special thanks to Karen of Karen's Cookies Cakes & More for maintaining the site and keeping everyone on schedule.  She has spearheaded a new baking group called Club: Baked to keep us busy and learning new things.  This group started on July 1, 2011 and we are baking our way through Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  This group bakes twice a month and so far there have been some pretty stinkin delicious recipes.  We really just got started so please feel free to join our baking adventure!

Banana Bread

Last Sunday I used up the last of our brown bananas by making a classic banana bread.  I normally add in chocolate chips to my banana bread and bake it in 4 mini loaf pans.  This time I decided to make a large loaf and go pure with straight up banana bread.  No chocolate chips this time. 

The wonderful smells of the baking bread brought my husband downstairs to investigate.  He was so looking forward to having a piece.  Needless to say he was not pleased when I told him this bread was destined for the freezer and would be brought out later in the week for our friend Shannon who was coming to visit us for several days.  Sorry honey!

To store the bread I wrapped the cooled bread in tin foil and then placed it in a ziploc bag (removing as much air as possible) and then it went into the freezer.

I took the bread out the night Shannon arrived and let it sit on the counter overnight (still wrapped up) so it would be ready for our breakfast the next day.  I will say that the first day the banana bread was not as moist as I wanted it to be.  The secret is patience (which I'm not always good at).  The second and third days it was more and more moist.  Make sure you keep it tightly wrapped in foil and inside the ziploc bag at all times to maximize moisture.  The recipe comes from my mom and I added a twist by adding in 1/4 cup of sour cream.

The bread was the perfect thing to have on hand for breakfasts for us and our house guest and it pairs nicely with a cup of hot tea. 

If you have ripe bananas you need to use give this banana bread a try.  You might also like banana cupcakes, or banana chocolate chip cookies.

Recipe:

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large bananas mashed (about 1 cup)

Optional add ins - 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a large loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans. 

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together.  Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add in eggs, sour cream, vanilla and mashed banana until fully combined.  With mixer on low add in dry ingredients in 3 batches until just combined.  Batter will be thick.  Pour it into your prepared pan(s) and bake for 50 - 60 minutes for a large loaf pan until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown bananas were calling desperately from my kitchen.  "Use me! Use Me!"  And my friend Amy kept telling me how much she really wanted to make the Banana Cupcakes I posted last month.  Since I was going to see Amy this week I thought she needed a little banana and chocolate love.  Plus I have been wanting to try these cookies for a few years.  Yet another recipe from my favorite cookie cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cookies.  Her recipe calls for walnuts and chocolate chunks.  I omitted the walnuts and used chocolate chips instead of chopping up chunks.  I made the full recipe which yielded 3 dozen cookies.

These cookies are super easy to make and they are delicious.  They are a moist and cakey cookie.  A marriage of 2 perfect foods....banana bread and chocolate chip cookies.  They are very delicate and so moist that they had to be separated by pieces of parchment for storage.  And speaking from experience, they make for a nice breakfast!

If you have a brown banana calling out to you.....click here for the recipe.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

I love it when I have super ripe bananas the same day that I happen across a delicious banana cupcake recipe on one of my favorite blogs. It's destiny. Really. Because this banana cake is absolutely perfect. Light. Moist. Banana-ey. These cupcakes are good enough to stand alone.


But what takes a cupcake to the next level? The frosting of course! Well I had very good intentions to make the vanilla pastry cream that was intended to top these cupcakes. However, limited time resulted in a completely different topping. Again, it was destiny. Because who doesn't love banana and chocolate? Especially when it's chocolate ganache. The ganache is so silky and smooth and melts in your mouth.


This recipe is for sure a keeper. And I look forward to the next batch of ripe bananas so I can make the cupcakes again with vanilla pastry cream. Check out the Brown Eyed Baker's blog for the recipe. See below for the chocolate ganache recipe. So heavenly!



Chocolate Ganache
from Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

6 ounces best-quality semisweet (58%) chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the heavy cream until scalding, or until the cream is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed along the edges. Do not boil.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup.

Mac n Cheese with Chicken & Bacon and Berry Banana Smoothies

I have special guest blogger today. My niece, McKenzie is an aspiring young cook at age 12 and prepared her first meal from start finish this weekend (well 99% on her own...apparently grandma (my mom) was hovering a bit while Kenze was using the stove). I'm just sad I wasn't there to enjoy it. But Grandma raved about how yummy it was. Without further adieu...


I am taking foods class as my elective and our first recipe was to make a berry smoothie. In the smoothie are frozen berries, milk, vanilla yogurt, and one banana. It turned out pretty tasty (these were served for dessert).


Mac and cheese- This was very easy. You just have to boil some noodles and add velveeta cheese, evaporated milk, bacon bits, and chicken. Sprinkle some bread crumbs and plop it into the oven at 350 degrees. This was my favorite.



For dinner I served the mac n cheese with corn and peas mixed together. These were just leftovers from the night before. It made the mac n cheese taste very good! Everyone I cooked for which was my family loved the meal. Hope you enjoy. :)

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Mom's French Pancakes (Crepes)

Who knew crepes were so easy to make? If I had known, these would have graced my kitchen a long time ago! This is why I love being a part of Sweet Melissa Sundays--trying new things and going out of my comfort zone. The batter comes together easily. I halved mine and used my mini prep food processor rather than the blender. I used 1/4 cup batter per crepe and it made a total of 6 crepes. A quick swirling motion to coat the bottom of the pan and these little babies cook up in about a minute.


I was a little worried about flipping such large thin "pancakes", but it was really simple. Even if they don't lay down perfectly, just use your spatula to straighten it out...and in less than 30 seconds side number two is done. Easy peasy!


Hubby and I fell in love with crepes after a brief to trip to Paris about 7 years ago. They can be found from street food vendors and are served warm and gooey. And my absolute favorite is Nutella with sliced bananas. So that was a given. And, not surprisingly, of the 3 variations I tried, the Nutella with bananas won hands down! This was breakfast this morning and the crepe went perfectly with 2 crispy slices of bacon. I hear that chocolate covered bacon is all the rage, and now I understand why. My bacon may have slipped into to a bit excess Nutella left on the plate. And it was tasty!


The next variation was a simple squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of powdered sugar. I actually didn't taste this one. Hubby did...he said it was kind of bland (not enough lemon I guess) and the fact that it wasn't warm by the time he got it didn't help.


The final version was macerated white peaches with fresh vanilla cinnamon whipped cream. It was good--but didn't have the wow factor that the Nutella/banana combo had. The vanilla cinnamon whipped cream was a nice touch and inspired by SMS baker Nikki from last week's recipe for Sweet Plum Clafoutis with Almonds. Thanks Nikki!


I look forward to more crepes...perhaps I'll try savory fillings next time. Thanks so much to Jaime of Good Eats and Sweet Treats for choosing this week's awesome recipe! Check out her site for the recipe. See how other SMS Bakers fared this week.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Coconut Custard Pie

I love being a part of Sweet Melissa Sundays baking group because I am continually learning new things in the realm of baking and sweet treats. I thought I was a decent baker, but didn't realize how limited my range of skills were with mostly experience in cookies, cakes and the very occasional pie. But there is so much more to be mastered! This weeks challenge is a custard pie....Coconut Custard Pie selected by Ruby of I Dream of Baking. Making custard is a first for me and this one came together very easily. The recipe calls mixing up the custard in a blender and then into the pie shell for baking.

I opted for 4 rustic mini's in ramekins and halved the filling recipe. I admit, I cheated on the crust this week to save time and bought the pillsbury refrigerated roll crust. Blind baking the crust in the ramekins (blind baking is also a first for me) was a little challenging. I ended up scrunching up pieces of foil and tucking them inside the crust. I pre-baked them for about 20 minutes (which may have been too long because by the time I baked the custard in the crust it came out much browner than I wanted it to be). Unfortunately I lost some of my rustic crust that overlapped the edge of the ramekin when it went into the oven. It wasn't quite sturdy enough to hold itself up.

I'm on the fence about coconut (love the flavor, not so in love with the texture). I opted to do 2 ramekins with coconut and 2 with caramelized bananas.



For the bananas I sliced them about 1/4 inch thick tossed them in lemon juice, laid them out on a foil lined baking sheet and topped each slice with a nice coating of sugar. Then I popped them under the broiler for about 5 minutes until they had a nice color. The one thing I forgot was to spray the foil with non stick spray so the bananas had to be gingerly removed. I filled each ramekin halfway with custard and laid in 5 or so banana slices and then topped it off with more custard. I baked the custard filled ramekins for about 35 minutes until they were set. As many of the other SMS bakers, I also topped off my mini's with fresh made whipped cream and a little toasted coconut and caramelized banana slices. Because like Tracey, I think everything is better whipped cream!





So? How did they turn out? The custard had a nice creamy texture, however it was not sweet enough for my taste. Hubby described it as, "blah". Though I added a heavy layer of coconut at the bottom of each ramekin the coconut flavor was very mild. And I still don't like the texture of coconut. Next time I will add more sugar and will replace milk with coconut milk to get the coconut flavor without the texture. The banana version was also on the blah side....should have doubled the number of banana slices inside and added a dash of banana extract. I would also omit tossing the bananas in lemon juice (it was recommended in a recipe I found to keep the bananas from turning brown...they added a little tang and kept the banana flavor from truly caramelizing).




I enjoyed the custard itself so I will be giving custard another try in the future...most likely without the crust. Thanks for hosting this week's recipe Ruby!