Cream Cheese Banana-Nut Bread

There's something about making banana bread that makes me feel at home.  My mom used to make banana bread all the time when we were little, and I loved helping mash the bananas with a little fork in that little stainless steel bowl. Now in my mom's kitchen it's my nieces who are the ones that help with making the banana bread.  The little girls love pulling up a chair and putting on the aprons to help pour and stir.  I don't have to pull up a chair anymore, but I still like to put on the apron.  

Happy Monday!

Cream Cheese Banana-Nut Bread
3/4 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, about 3-4 bananas
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.  Stir in mashed bananas, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract.  Spoon batter into two greased 8x4-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.  If the tops start to get brown, you may want to shield the tops with aluminum foil in the last 15 or 20 minutes of baking.  Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool 30 minutes on racks before slicing.

source:  recipe from Southern Living, January 2005

Chocolate Fudge Pie

Do you know what's hard?  All the important stuff.  Like marriage.  And family.  And learning to be selfless.  And figuring out what's right.  And then choosing to do the right thing.  It's exhausting!  So I eat pie.  Really, it's great. This chocolate pie is the dense kind, not the creamy kind.  And the dense kind is the kind you want when you're overwhelmed with the hard stuff in life.  Definitely the dense kind.

Chocolate Fudge Pie
1 piecrust, fitted to a 9-inch pie plate
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Place the pie plate on a baking sheet.  Prick crust with fork and line with foil.  Place pie weights or dried beans on foil.  Bake at 375 degrees until the edges are firm, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and weights and bake until just golden, another 8-10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Using the double boiler method, melt the chocolate and the butter.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar until fluffy, 4-5 minutes.  Fold a third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the crust and bake at 325 degrees until puffed and just beginning to crack, 20-25 minutes.  Cool for one hour, then chill.

Beat the cream with the remaning 3 Tbsp of sugar until soft peaks form.  Spread over the pie.

source:  recipe from Real Simple, November 2009

Chocolate Chunk Muffins

So much has happened the past few days!  On Thursday we finished packing and cleaning up our old house and loaded the truck. Friday we drove down and unloaded the truck, which was quite a task since we now live on the 3rd floor! Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we unpacked, bought new furniture, and tried to find our way around town.  Also on Monday we celebrated our 1st anniversary (thanks for all your kind congratulations!).  So, I apologize for my lack of blog activity but things were a bit crazy!

We LOVE our new place!  I feel completely at home here already which is such a blessing!  Everything is unpacked, and we feel very settled.  Yesterday afternoon as I was waiting for the internet guy to come, I decided it was time to bake in the new kitchen.  I'm a firm believer in chocolate for breakfast: pain au chocolat, chocolate milk, chocolate chip pancakes, etc.  These chocolate chunk muffins almost taste like a chocolate chip pancake.  Without the mess of syrup.

Chocolate Chunk Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Grease regular muffin tray or line with muffin liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, stir together sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chunks. Divide batter among baking cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until done.  Makes 12-14 muffins.

source:  recipe from bakerella

Snickers Cheesecake Brownies

The past week has been crazy:  Caleb has been wrapping things up at work, I worked on finding a place to live, we've been trying to get rid of our place here, the house is a maze of boxes, and we're moving in three days!  Last week I had had enough of the craziness and just needed to bake something. This recipe has been stashed in my to-make file for three very specific reasons:  Snickers. Cheesecake.  Brownies.  

Snickers Cheesecake Brownies

for the brownies:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

Place butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over simmering water.  Stir frequently until mixture is melted.  Remove chocolate mixture from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and salt.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is incorporated before adding the next.  Stir in flour and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture is glossy, about 1 minute.

Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the brownie starts to pull away from the pan.  While brownies are baking prepare an ice bath.  Fill a pan with ice cubes and water 3/4 inch deep.  When the brownies are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it in the water bath.  Allow brownies to cool completely in water bath.

for the snickers cheesecake layer:
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
8 Snickers (fun size 4.62 oz), chopped

Add all ingredients except Snickers in a bowl and mix to combine.  Pour on top of cooled brownie and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until set.  Cool to warm then press chopped Snickers into cheesecake layer.  Cool completely before serving.  Store in refrigerator.

source:  recipe from bakers royale, originally from Alice Medrich

P.S.  Today is the last day to enter to win an iTunes giftcard and iPhone sleeve!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I've made a number of banana breads in my life, but never had I tried a chocolate banana bread.  Not until this week.  I wondered if the chocolate would overpower the bananas, but it didn't.  This bread is moist and perfectly blends the chocolate and banana together.  A new favorite banana bread for sure!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer in large bowl), beat the butter at medium speed until soft, about 1 minute.  Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat another 2 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating a minute after each addition.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.  Still on low, add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into buttered 9x5 loaf pan and place on insulated baking sheet or two regular baking sheets on top of each other.  This will keep the bottom of the bread from over-baking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent and bake another 40-50 minutes (total baking time is 70-80 minutes), or until knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Cool pan on cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

source:  recipe from joy the baker, from Baking: From My Home to Yours


Other favorite banana breads:
Banana Zucchini Bread
Best Banana Bread
Caramel Pecan Banana Bread

linking up with this chick cooks, delectable tuesday, tasty tuesday party, full plate thursday

Rainbow Cookies

In middle school I went through a phase where I refused to eat the brown M&Ms.  

I mean, they're just so ugly compared to all of the other M&Ms.  All of my reject brown M&Ms sat in a giant Ziploc bag on top of my dresser, ugly and uneaten.  

Then I decided to write M&Ms and ask them why they had to put such an ugly piece of candy in an otherwise colorful bag.  They responded and said that without the brown M&M, people might get confused and think they were Skittles.  

In these rainbow M&M cookies, I have included the brown M&Ms.  

Just so you don't mistake these for rainbow Skittle cookies.  

You know, with that whole taste the rainbow thing.

Giant Rainbow Cookies

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) salted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup M&Ms

Mix flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until they are combined.  Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed.  Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms.  Fold in the M&Ms.

Divide the dough depending on what size cookies you want:  1/4 cup portions for 18 large cookies or 2 Tbsp portions for 36 smaller cookies.  Shape each portion into a ball with your hands then pull each ball of dough apart into two equal pieces.  Turn each half so that the rough side of the half (what used to be the inside of the ball) faces upward, and then squish both halves together.  Place the dough rough-side up on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes (large cookies) or 8-12 minutes (smaller cookies) or until the edges are slightly brown.  The centers should be soft and puffy.  Do not over bake.  Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on wire racks.

source:  recipe from how sweet it is

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

A couple of weekends ago Caleb and I completed another thing off of our summer bucket list - we went berry picking!  We went to a berry farm where they have blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.  We intended to pick all three, but because it was early in the raspberry season and some greedy woman had gotten there before us and picked the raspberry bushes clean (seriously, I saw her lugging her huge hoard of raspberries around), we came home with just blackberries and blueberries. I let the blueberries sit at room temperature for 24 hours to finish ripening (as instructed by the berry farm people), but after that I couldn't wait to bake with them!

{fresh blueberry almond coffee cake}

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups plus 3 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 large egg white*
1 cup sliced almonds

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  Combine butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in whole eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just incorporated.  Fold in blueberries.  Spoon batter into buttered 2-2 1/2 quart baking dish and spread evenly.

*To measure the half egg white, lightly beat an egg white with a fork in a measuring cup, then pour out half of it.

In a small bowl, combine egg white, remaining 3 Tbsp sugar, and almonds, stirring to coat almonds.  Spoon almond topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Cool in pan on a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

source:  recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever had a pizookie?  This "pizza-cookie" is cookie dough baked in a personal-sized dish, much like a little pizza.  I was introduced to the concept just last week and am now sad for the years of my life that were without pizookies. Personally, I prefer making these deep-dish cookies rather than dropping dozens of cookies on baking sheets and checking on them every 30 seconds between the 10-12 minute mark to make sure they're not over-cooked.  Your cookie-baking life will be much simpler with the pizookie.

my delicious deep-dish cookie

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
.75 lb chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chips)

Beat together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and sea salt.  Sift together the flour and baking soda.  Stir into batter. Add chocolate chunks and stir until well mixed.

Fill 4" ramekins (or other small baking dish) with raw cookie dough, about 1/2" thick.  Place ramekins on baking sheet and put in the middle rack of the oven.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-18 minutes (you want them slightly undercooked but not doughy).

Remove from oven and place each ramekin on a napkin (so that you can hold the hot dish).  Top with ice cream.

With the remaining cookie dough you can make chocolate chip cookies, baking the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.  Or you can roll the cookie dough into logs and store them in the freezer to pull out next time you want a pizookie.

source:  recipe from white on rice couple

Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cakes

Hands down best way to start a week?  A cup of a coffee and a muffin.  Or a donut. Or a scone.  You get the picture:  Monday morning comes around, go get yourself a baked treat and a cup of coffee.

Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cakes

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Stir together flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Blend in 1 1/2 sticks of butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter.  Transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to a medium bowl and blend in cinnamon, remaining 1/2 stick of butter, and remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar with pastry blender until crumbly.  Stir in pecans.  Refrigerate streusel topping for 15 minutes.

Whisk together sour cream, egg, yolk, vanilla, baking soda, and orange zest in a bowl.  Stir into remaining flour mixture until just combined (batter will be stiff).

Generously butter 18 muffin cups; butter tops of muffin pans as well.  Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full.  Sprinkle each with streusel topping and press it lightly into batter.  Bake at 350 degrees until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Cool in pans on racks for 30 minutes.  Loosen cakes with a sharp small knife, then carefully remove from pan.  Makes 14-18 cakes.

source:  recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook

S'mores Cookie Bars

We are home!  We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to tell you about it!  This week I'll be posting about our trip and pictures of what we saw, but first I need to sort through all of our pictures, work on the laundry that is exploding out of our laundry room, and get some food back in our fridge.  So here is a recipe that I tried right before we left.  One of the things on my summer bucket list (which is still only on paper and not yet in blog form) is to make s'mores inspired desserts.  This was the first one that I've tried and because it was so good I can't wait to make more s'mores desserts!

S'mores Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff

In large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.  Add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half.  Press one half into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Place chocolate bars over dough.  Two king-sized Hershey bars should fit perfectly side by side.  Spread the marshmallow creme over the chocolate bars. Place remaining dough in a single layer over the marshmallow creme (I flattened the dough into small shingles and laid them next to each other until the marshmallow creme layer was covered).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.  Makes 16 cookie bars.


source:  recipe from lovin' from the oven

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

After I made raspberry white chocolate muffins last week, I didn't know what to do with the leftover raspberries.  Then joy the baker saved the day by blogging this crumble recipe.  I love how well the sweet peaches go with the tartness of the raspberries.  Would you judge me if I ate this for breakfast?  Because I did.  It was delicious.

Peach and Raspberry Crumble
5-6 medium ripe peaches, sliced
1 cup fresh raspberries (or thaw and drain frozen ones)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Place sliced peaches and raspberries in an 8x8 baking dish.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.  Work together the flour mixture and the butter until it's crumbly.  Toss 1 cup of this mixture into the baking dish with the peaches and raspberries.  Stir together loosely.  Spread fruit evenly in dish and top with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees until fruit is juicy and bubbling, and top of the crumble is slightly browned and crisp, about 30 minutes.

source:  recipe from joy the baker

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

These would make a great gift, but we've been selfish.

My mother-in-law sent us some cucumbers and zucchini from her garden, and I immediately was thinking of what I could bake with the zucchini.  Last time I made this banana zucchini bread, so I wanted to switch it up this time.  Then I remembered something I had put on a list (of course) of recipes I wanted to try. They are seriously the best thing I've eaten in a while.  The Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream at Ben & Jerry's over the weekend was a close second, but these cookie sandwiches are telling Little Debbie and her oatmeal creme pies to move on over. You can get the template for the labels (here).

I love the texture of the nuts, oats, and zucchini.

Zucchini Nut Bread Cookie Sandwiches

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Beat 1 stick of butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Beat flour mixture into butter mixture.  Stir in zucchini, oats, and pecans.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, in balls of about 2 Tbsp and placing about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Beat together remaining 1/2 stick of butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Once cookies are cool, spread filling onto the flat side of one cookie, and sandwich with another cookie.  Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.  To keep fresh, place in Ziploc bags or airtight container and store in fridge.  Makes 10-14 sandwiches.

source: recipe slightly altered from Martha Stewart Living, March 2011

I've linked up with sweet as sugar cookies!

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

It had been a while since I had picked/seen/eaten raspberries, so when I washed these all I could see were all those little hairs.  Why do raspberries have those little hairs on them?  I was tired of wondering so I googled.  Apparently they are the remnants of pistils, the female portion of the flower, and they may help protect the fruit from insect damage.  Good to know.  I guess?  Anyway, we think these muffins are really good, and I'm glad to have a good raspberry muffin recipe.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cups sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups raspberries

Line muffin pans with paper liners or lightly grease.

Whisk lemon juice, milk, oil, and egg in a medium bowl until well combined.

Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and white chocolate in a large bowl.  Add the raspberries to the dry ingredients and gently stir to coat the berries in the flour mixture.  Then gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Pour the mixture into the muffin tins about two-thirds full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes in pan before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes 15-18 muffins.

source:  recipe from gimme some oven

I'm linking up with sweets for a saturday at sweet as sugar cookies!

Banana Macadamia Muffins

So here it is: a muffin with bananas, coconut, pineapple, AND macadamia nuts. Say whaat?!  They're pretty much screaming aloha as they come out of the oven.  All of the different flavors blended so well together and made for delicious, moist muffins.  Enjoy!

Banana Macadamia Muffins
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until moistened.  The batter with seem very stiff.  Fold in the mashed bananas, the coconut, and the pineapple.  Combine well to ensure the fruit is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins two-thirds full.  Sprinkle with macadamia nuts.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pans before removing to wire racks.

source:  recipe from Simple & Delicious, June/July 2011

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

I have this weird thing where I like knowing people's favorites.  Probably because I have a favorite everything (soda, ice cream, pair of jeans, month, cushion on the couch) so I assume others do too.  I learned shortly after Caleb and I started dating that HE HAS NO FAVORITES.  This drives me crazy!  We finally figured out Caleb has one favorite.  Snickers bars are his favorite candy bar.  That is it.  I have one favorite of my husband's to work with.  So when I found this recipe, I just had to make these cookies.  After a couple of rough days at work last week, I wanted to have these coming out of the oven as Caleb got home from work.  Those with a peanut allergy stay away - there's Snickers AND peanut butter!

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 regular-sized Snickers bars, chopped
3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy.  Add the sugars and beat until smooth.  Add the egg and mix until combined.  Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again.  Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears.  Stir in the chopped Snickers bars and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

source:  recipe from browneyed baker

Caramel Pecan Banana Bread

It's day 3 of our stay at the beach, and we are so relaxed.  Wake up, eat, lay on the beach, take a dip in the pool, eat, lay on the beach, get in the hot tub, eat, read, talk, eat, sleep.  Seriously - this is the life.  Caleb and I have had a couple of hard weeks with work and other things, so it's been great to get away from it all and just enjoy ourselves.  As much as I love cooking, it is nice to have those hours of my day free again!  I had asked my mother-in-law if she wanted me to cook anything ahead of time to bring, and all she wanted was this bread.

caramel & pecan topped banana bread

Caramel Pecan Banana Bread
2 cups flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe large bananas
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans
half a package (5.5 oz package) Werther's chewy caramels, chopped

In large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In medium bowl, mash the bananas.  Add the eggs, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla and combine well.  Lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined.  Don't overmix.

batter topped with pecans and caramels

Pour batter into greased 9-inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle the chopped caramels and chopped pecans over the top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until bread is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

source:  recipe adapted from joy of baking

Pecan Chocolate Chip Scones

Remember how last week I was all about baking with pecans?  These babies were part of it.  These scones are so moist!  And they almost taste like a big thick pancake you can eat with your hands.  In other words, they're good.

scone topped with powdered sugar

Pecan Chocolate Chip Scones
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp maple syrup (whatever you have on hand; I used Log Cabin)
1 Tbsp milk for brushing tops
confectioners sugar, for tops

Stack two baking sheets together and line the top baking sheet with parchment paper (to keep the bottom of the scones from burning).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.  The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.  Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips.  In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk with the maple syrup and then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dough comes together.  Do not overmix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and 1 1/2 inches thick.  Place on the baking sheet.  Cut the circle into eight wedges.  Brush tops of the scones with milk.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is cooked through.  Remove from oven and turn your broiler on high.  Sift powdered sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place under the broiler.  Broil for just a few seconds, until most of the sugar is melted and the tops turn golden brown.  Be sure to watch the scones as they're under the broiler - they can burn quickly!  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Source:  recipe adapted from joy of baking

New Favorite Cookies

Do you know Joy the baker?  If you don't you should.  Her recipes are scrumptious and her blog makes me laugh.  Which automatically puts her on my to-be-friends-with list.  Anyway, I made a cookie recipe of hers last night.  They were amazing.  Definitely my new favorite cookies.  They are Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Caleb said it sounded like a lot going on in one cookie.  It is.  It's like a party in your mouth.

Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups uncooked oats (I used old-fashioned)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Beat the sugar, brown sugar, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Beat until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to the butter and egg mixture slowly beating on low speed until just incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans last.

Using either an ice cream scoop or your clean hands, drop balls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until they've reached your desired doneness.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes about 4 dozen medium-sized cookies.

Source:  recipe adapted from joy the baker


today is the last day to enter to win a walmart gift card!

Rice Krispies Treats

I saw the cutest idea for Rice Krispies treats a couple of months ago here.  I had to make them.  My nieces love Rice Krispies treats so I made them last week to bring down here with us.  I used the original recipe (here) and spread them into a greased pan, but I reserved a little of the mixture to make these cute treats!

Roll the mixture into little balls and place on parchment paper.

Dip the top of each ball into melted chocolate and 

allow excess chocolate to drip off.

Dip or sprinkle the sprinkles or topping of your choice.

I used mini chocolate chips.

And fun sprinkles.

Such a colorful treat!

Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Muffins

I needed something new, and I realized I hadn't made an apple muffin yet.  Enter these muffins.  The OCD-ness in me really wanted to rename these Apple Butterscotch Cinnamon muffins so the adjectives would be in alphabetical order, but it sounds awkward.  So as much as leaving it ACB irks me, these are yummy muffins.  After taking a bite Caleb said, "these are fluffy!"  I think that is a good thing when it comes to muffins.  I don't like when they're heavy and dense; they tend to dry out faster.  Happy Monday!

Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Muffins
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped apples (in pretty small pieces)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix lightly with a fork to blend.  Stir in the oats and mix together.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth (your Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attachment works great too).  Beat in the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until incorporated so as to not end up with dry muffins.  Fold in the butterscotch chips and the chopped apples with a spatula.  Divide the batter evenly into muffin tins lined with paper liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 18-22 muffins.

Source:  recipe adapted from annie's eats