Battle of the Banana Breads

My son loves bananas, and I always have them in the house. But some weeks he is a little slow to eat them, and I need to make use of the overripe ones.

In the summer it's easy: I make all sorts of smoothies for him. He loves coming home from summer camp to find one ready for him in the fridge. It's a cool treat and a tad healthier than ice cream.

In the winter, I turn to my oven. I've made banana cookies, muffins, and even monkey bars, but banana bread feeds my family longer. The thing is, when you have a long winter like we've had this season, banana bread can get tiring pretty quick. So I made an effort to try some new recipes. I found two to try, taking a break from my go-to recipe, and here I rate them all.

Caramelized Banana Bread with Browned Butter Glaze
Recipe from: Cooking Light
Pros: Flavorful and moist. Does not develop a "crust" while baking
Cons: Cooking the bananas is not a step found in traditional recipes. If pressed for time it might not be a step you can afford to take.
Comments: A hit! Loved throughout the family. No one had any complaints, even though there aren't any chocolate chips in it.
Rating: 5 stars

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread
Recipe from: Little Bits of Baking, Crafting & Life
Pros: It has crumbs on top.
Cons: It has crumbs on top.
Comments: Originally from North Jersey, my husband and I are huge fans of the crumb bun, so we were excited to give this a try. Because the crumbs go on the bread before it goes in the oven, it takes longer to bake and subsequently develops a hard crust in order for it bake all the way through. I think it should be pre-baked for 15 minutes or so, before adding the crumbs on top and baking all the way through. I have not tested my theory, though.
Rating: 4 stars

Buttermilk Banana Bread
Recipe from: Grace and Good Eats
Pros: It allows me to use up both bananas and any buttermilk I have lingering in the fridge.
Cons: I added 1/4 cup Nutella to this recipe, which meant it had to be baked longer and the bread developed a crust.
Comments: Very quick and easy to make. At the last minute I decided to swirl a 1/4 cup Nutella into the batter once it was in the loaf pan. This resulted in a longer baking time. I would be willing to make this again without the Nutella -- to my husband's and son's disappointment.
Rating: 4 stars

Overall: We enjoyed all three of these recipes. Personally, I like a soft banana bread and the first recipe does not form a crust during baking. But if you have overripe bananas in your kitchen, any of these recipes is a great way to use them.

Enjoy!

Creamcicle Makover

When I first started cooking and baking, there was no rhyme or reason to what I would make and when. I only had a small amount of recipes in my arsenal, so I made what I could based on what ingredients I had on hand and how many people needed to be fed. It was that simple.

But as my skills in the kitchen started to grow, I wanted to start challenging myself. Not just will the skills needed to make the recipes, but finding the right one to express both the season and how much I cared for the people I was feeding.

I love eating seasonally. You won't catch me making an apple pie in the summer. Heck no! And as much as I love pumpkin, I don't crack open a can until October. And that has allowed me to fully appreciate and explore the abundance of summer's bounty and flavors.

The thing about summer is, it's just so ... fun. As a working adult, I don't get to spend the summer days running through the sprinkler or riding my bike to the public library any more. And because of where I live, no more chasing down the ice cream man, either. But I have found ways to capture that carefree feeling through food.

Enter these cupcakes.

First off, what is more fun than cupcakes. For me, the cupcake brings back memories of birthdays and class parties in school. Lining the tins for my mother with the papers and licking the leftover bits of frosting from the can. And as for summer flavors, few are as iconic as the creamsicle. So when I needed to bring a dessert to a family gathering this summer, it was a no brainer.

Summer may be coming to a close, but there are plenty of days left to enjoy the flavors of the season.

Creamsicle Cupcakes

Recipe from Woman's Day
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Orange Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
  Orange Cream Frosting
  
• 1 8-oz. brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• Orange paste food color (optional)

Directions:

1. Cupcakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until blended.
3. In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs, orange zest, and vanilla until blended. Beat in remaining 1 cup sugar. Beat in oil, then buttermilk, until blended.
4. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.
5. Bake 25 to 28 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
6. Frosting: Beat cream cheese, vanilla and orange zest in a medium bowl with mixer on low speed to blend. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in orange food color, if using, until light orange. Refrigerate until firm enough to spread.
7. Spread about 1 tablespoon frosting on each cupcake.

Best. Banana Bread. Ever.

Since I've had my son, not a week goes by that I don't buy bananas. Some weeks, all of the bananas are gone before I can buy more. And others, well, I'm left with soft, browning bananas that no one wants to eat.

I hate wasting, so then my mission becomes finding something to do with those bananas. In the summer I make smoothies, my son's favorite afternoon treat. In the winter, I bake. Cookies and muffins aren't a problem, but banana bread was always something I struggled with. I would use the standard Betty Crocker recipe, the same one I use for pumpkin and zucchini bread. But for some reason with the banana bread, the outside would be overcooked before the inside cooked. Frustrating and disappointing. I was just about ready to give up on banana bread all together.

Then I found the recipe below from Cooking Light, and all that changed. Now my family is hoping for extra, soft, brown bananas so I can make this bread. No more muffins. No more cookies. This banana bread is a real winner. So if you've struggled with banana bread in the past like I have, I urge you to give this recipe a try. It just might have you hoping for brown, soft bananas at the end of the week, too.

Caramelized Banana Bread with Browned Butter Glaze
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
• 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons amber or gold rum (molasses works well, also)
• 2 large eggs
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Baking spray with flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons half-and-half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and bananas; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Place banana mixture in a large bowl. Beat with a mixeer at medium speed until smooth.
3. Combine buttermilk and next 3 ingredients (through eggs). Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Scrape batter into a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan, and cool on a wire rack.
4. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes or until butter begins to brown; remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and half-and-half, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over bread. Let stand until glaze sets.

Note from the Kitchen: I have not made this recipe with rum. The first time I made it I did not have any on hand, so I used molasses instead. The bread was so delicious, though, that I have continued to use molasses instead of rum. Also, because I make this for us to snack on throughout the week, I have not made the glaze for this bread. And we don't miss it. However, if I was entertaining with this bread or bringing it to a gathering, I would use the glaze to dress it up.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

My father was an early riser, and believed because he was up the whole family should be up, so we didn't waste the day. Unfortunately for this late riser, Sunday was no exception. My father would drive us to 7:30 mass Sunday morning. As a young girl, the best part was the post-Church stop at the bakery. We would pick up donuts and buns, then head to my grandparents' house for breakfast.

Every week the order was the same. Danishes -- cheese, specifically for my mom -- for my parents, a Boston cream donut for me, and a crumb bun for my grandmother. Her Sunday wasn't complete without one. And to this day, and I can't have a crumb bun and not think of her.

There's just one problem: with all the supermarket bakeries most local ones are now out of business. And outside of New Jersey, crumb buns aren't always easy to find. What's a nostalgic granddaughter to do?

Thankfully, when my husband and I first started dating, his aunt passed this recipe along to me. At the time neither of her daughters spent much time in the kitchen, and while I didn't cook I did enjoy baking. And think she was finally happy to have someone to share the recipe with.

This is a wonderful recipe for so many reasons. One, it's a family recipe and I always enjoy making those. Two, it's super easy. Three, it's so moist and delicious. I like to stock up on yellow cake mix when it's on sale. Then, whenever I need a quick dessert I whip this up. It's always a hit and it feeds a crowd. You really can't go wrong.

And if you're feeling nostalgic for a crumb bun on a Sunday morning, well, look no further.

Aunt Patti's Crumb Cake

Country Cooking Family Recipe
Makes 1 13x9 cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• Oil, water, eggs to box's specifications
• 1/2 lb melted butter
• 3 cups flour
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven and mix cake mix to according to box's directions.
2. Pour batter into a 13x9x2 greased pan and bake for 20 minutes.
3. In a bowl mix butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla with a spatula until crumbs form.
4. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle crumbs over top of cake.
5. Return cake to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

We All Need More Carrot Cake

Many years ago, at my bridal shower, this recipe was given to me by a member of husband's family. I put in one of my homemade cookbooks -- a binder full of recipes -- and would think "I should make this" when I flipped through the dessert section. But for whatever reason, I never did.

Then this fall, with extra carrots in my vegetable drawer and my parents on their way to visit us, I finally decided to bite the bullet and make this cake. Now I'm horribly embarrassed I waited so long! This cake is so delicious!! It's so moist, thanks to the applesauce and pineapple. It has a wonderful gourmet-like sweetness, thanks to the vanilla extract. And the cinnamon gives it such warmth.

I know carrot cakes are popular for Easter. But truthfully, I think this cake is perfect for the fall and winter months. The flavors warm you up from the inside out, and offer the comfort we look for in food during the colder months. So don't wait until the bunny comes hoppin' down the trail to make this cake. Make it now, before the weather gets warm.

Carrot Cake
Recipe from Country Cooking's Family

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 1/4 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 cup nuts or raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 8" square pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream oil, sugar, and eggs.
3. Add drained pineapple and grated carrots. Mix batter until well blended.
4. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Add to creamed mixture, and mix until well blended.
5. Add vanilla and chopped nuts or raisins. Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Note from the Kitchen: This is a deliciously moist cake that tastes good with a simple sugar frosting. It's delicious with a cream cheese or buttercream frosting as well.

Ginger, Minus the Men

Every year, a week or so before Christmas, my boss brings in containers upon containers of Christmas cookies. Butter cookies, chocolate chip, sugar ... you name it, she bakes it. My favorite of her cookies, though, are gingerbread men. So much so, that last year I decided to try my hand at them.

And here's what I discovered: Gingerbread men are a hard cookie to bake. (Maybe not as hard a butter horns, but that's a separate story.)

Getting the right texture and flavor is no small task. And the dough isn't the easiest to work with, either. It was a bit disappointing that I wasn't able to master this cookie. And unfortunately I was short on time and ingredients to keep trying until I got it right. I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to do without that delectable ginger cookies unless someone else made them for me.

And then I found the recipe below. I had completely forgotten I cut it out of a magazine at the end of the holiday season last year. I tucked it away in a recipe box filled with holiday recipes, and found it when trying to decide which cookies to bake this year. It seemed simple enough, so I decided to give it a whirl.

And I found my ginger cookie!

First off, they're easy to make. And if you have small children this is a cookie they can easily help with. (We love quality time in the kitchen in our house.) The flavor is outstanding. Ginger and spice, but without being overwhelming. And finally, the texture. Crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. Just a perfect holiday cookie.

Sure, they're not in the shape of men, but it's a small sacrifice to enjoy a wonderful ginger cookie that will warm you up not just during the holidays, but all winter long.

Ginger Crinkles
Recipe from a magazine
Makes 6 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, molasses, and ginger. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be soft). Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, about 1 hour.
3. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll half the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 rounded teaspoon each) and then roll in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
4. Bake, rotating the position of the pans halfway through, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and set, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Let cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Chocolate Cookie Heaven

I love to bake. And I love to share what I bake with others. So for the holidays I give my son's teachers homemade cookies along with a gift card. And every year I pour over all of my recipes, deciding what to make.

This year I was met with a particular challenge: Everything needed to be ready for Friday, and I had a particularly busy week at work, which, unfortunately, was going to cut into my baking time. So I needed delicious and simple. No small feat.

In a Christmas recipe box I found a Betty Crocker recipe for "Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies." I read the recipe and it was easy enough, but I know not everyone is a fan of candy canes. (Crazy, but true.) So I decided to take inspiration from my Mint Chocolate Oreos and use mint Hersey kisses for this recipe, so the cookies would still have that mint flavor, but without the candy canes.

Success! These cookies are soft and chewy on the side. If you like texture, you might want to use candy canes. Crushed on top of these cookies, they'll add a crunchy contrast. But if you like mint without the canes, then this is the way to go.

Mint-Chocolate Chocolate Cookies
Recipe modified from Betty Crocker
Makes about 32 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 bag Hershey's Mint Kisses

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir cake mix, oil, vanilla, and eggs until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
2. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cook 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Unwrap 3/4 of Hershey's kisses and melt in a double-boiler. Stir as chocolate melts until mixture is smooth. Spread chocolate over cookies.

A Fresh, Minty Take

Ahh...The holidays. The time of treats, sweets, yuletide, good cheer, and sometimes total choas.

I love it for many reasons, one of them being I get to flex my baking skills. My foray in the kitchen started with baking, and while I enjoy cooking and experimenting, it's always feels good to get back to my roots.

This time of the year can be harried. Lots of errands, shopping, get togethers, etc. So it's always good to have some simple yet elegant recipes in your arsenal, for those last-minute occasions. And this recipe definitely fits the criteria.

As soon as I saw this on Oh So Shabby's facebook page, I knew immediately I would be giving it a try this holiday season. It was easy enough to make that my sous chef could easily be of assistance, and we didn't make a mess of the kitchen.

And when it was finally time to cut into it, it didn't disappoint. It was beautiful and the aroma from the peppermint was soothing. It was enjoyed by all.

Cane Candy Cake
Recipe from Oh So Shabby blog

Ingredients:

Cake
• 1 box white cake mix
• water, oil, and egg whites, as per box instructions
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract Icing
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk or water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Decoration
• Candy canes or hard peppermint candies, crushed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
2. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Into a small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food coloring and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.
3. Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cook cake completely, about 1 hour.
4. In a small bowl, mix icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy. Store loosely covered.

Notes from the Country Kitchen:

• My white cake box gave instructions using either whole eggs or egg whites. I recommend using the egg white recipe. It gives the cake a very light and fluffy texture, and keeps it white for that candy cane look.
• The icing will be thick, and be careful not to thin it out too much. If you do, it will simply run off the cake.
• When icing the cake, I place it on a cooling rack with a piece of waxed paper underneath. This way the icing drips onto the paper for easy cleanup.

See how pretty it is when you slice into it?

Sugar Cookie Makeover

I'm a lucky mom. My son loves to bake and cook. With me. Whenever I start to get to work in the kitchen he comes running in and asks, "Mommy, do you need your little sous chef?"

(It's okay. You can sigh and say "Awww." I do every time.)

So when the sign-up sheet for my son's preschool Thanksgiving party went up, I immediately knew what I wanted to bring in: cookies. So my son could help me bake. And I knew exactly which cookies I wanted to make, too.

Now, many parents would get store-bought cookies or maybe the break-and-bake kind. In fact, I had the break-and-bake kind in my freezer. Trouble is, there are kids in his class with peanut allergies, and while those cookies may not have nuts, many of them are made in factories where there are peanuts. But that's okay, because I knew how to make sure my cookies were nut-free.

Pumpkin spice sugar cookies.

I had made these with my son last year, during the Halloween snowstorm, while listening to Christmas carols. A delightful mix of holidays and traditions. And these cookies were no less delightful. Sweet with a hint of spice. A wonderful holiday treat.

So if you're looking for a Thanksgiving treat, an alternative to the traditional pies, give these cookies a try.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Recipe from Food.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
  Icing:
• 1 cup powedered sugar
• 4 to 5 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 3 drops yellow food coloring

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add flour and baking soda; stir gently to mix; set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl, blend butter and powdered sugar together.
3. Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and egg; stir to combine.
4. Mix in the flour mixture; blend well.
5. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven on ungreased cookie sheets for about 8 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
8. Once cookies are cool, mix icing ingredients. Ice cookies and let set on a wire rack before storing.

Going Dutch

It's that time of year. Scour the food blogs and everyone is posting their fall favorites. Muffins, crisps, and pies. Pumpkin and apples. You name it, there's a recipe for it. Heck, I'm no different. I have a section of my blog devoted to pumpkin, my very favorite gourd.

So when my mom and were planning an autumn Sunday dinner, there was no shortage of dessert recipes in my arsenal to choose from. Despite that, I decided to try something new: Dutch Apple Pie.

This pie is so good. How good, you ask? Good enough that my mom asked me for the recipe on the spot. And I wrote it down for her before I left for the evening. Yup, it was that easy that I could write it down from memory, having only made it once.

Easy and delicious? Certainly makes it a winner in my book!

Dutch Apple Pie

Recipe from Taste of Home
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
  FILLING:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 3 cups diced peeled tart apples
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and butter; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set pie plate aside.
2. For filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in apples and vanilla. Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Banana? Versatile? Who Knew?

Like earlier this month, I found myself with a few overripe bananas. Last time my son and I made Banana-Strawberry Muffins.

I never seem to have much luck with banana bread, and I didn't want to make muffins again. A quick Google search turned up this recipe for banana cookies. And determining I had all the ingredients on hand, my son and I set about making these cookies.

These cookies were everything they were promised to be and more. The aroma filled the house with a wonderful, warm scent, courtesy of the ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Golden brown out the outside, they have cake-like texture on the inside, something you just can't get from cookies bought at the supermarket. And it's that cake-like texture that made me think the cookies would be great for whoopie or moon pies (or whatever you call them).

The original recipe says it makes 30 cookies. It also says to drop dollops of the dough on your cookie sheet. Now, I don't know what they consider a dollop, but I used my 1" ice cream scoop, and I got 4 dozen cookies.

But you know what they say: The more the merrier!

Banana Cookies

Recipe from Simply Recipes
Makes 30 - 48 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 large bananas)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace (I used nutmeg)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup pecans, or walnuts, or chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
2. In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.
3. Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and shift into butter and banana mixture, and mix until just combined.
4. Fold into the batter the nuts and/or chocolate chips if using. Drop dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown.
5. Let cool on wire racks.

One Small Step for Pie-Kind

Making pies can be intimidating. At least for me. Maybe that's because in my family, my mom and dad's pies are revered. They'll be married 40 years in October and for 38 of them, they've made the apple and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. (They didn't make the pies the year I was born -- I was born on a Sunday and came home on Thanksgiving -- and the year my sister was born -- she was born on Thanksgiving, and my mom went into labor just as they were starting to peel the apples.)

That's a tough reputation to live up to.

But I knew the time would come when I would have to take a crack at it. Sure, my pie could never be as good as my parents' but may I could find a way to make it my own. And maybe, just maybe, my pie could revered in its own way.

But first I needed to find a recipe that wouldn't intimidate me.

Last season on her show, The Pioneer Woman made a flat apple pie. Everything about it seemed simple: the crust, the filling, the presentation. It was the perfect pie for this novice.

But, novice or no novice, I wasn't going to follow the recipe exactly. So, since apples weren't in season, I decided to make mine a flat peach pie instead.

And it didn't disappoint.

Not only was the pie easy to make, the crust was fantastic. It was so flaky, and better than any store-bought crust I've tried. I'll be using this crust for pies, pot pies, and any other recipe calling for a crust. It was perfect, just like the Pioneer Woman promised.

Flat Peach Pie

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Makes 2 pies

Ingredients:

• 5 firm peaches, sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust (recipe below)
• 6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, flour, lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Set aside.
3. Roll out the pie crusts into large circles. Place them on large baking sheets.
4. Place half the peach mixture on one crust and the other half on the remaining crust.
5. Fold over the edges of each crust so that it covers 2-3 inches of the peach mixture. Dot the tops of the pies with chunks of butter.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is golden and bubbly. If the crust appears to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

Perfect Pie Crust

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Makes two to three 9-inch pie crusts

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add in the shortening. Using a pastry cutter, gradually work the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Lightly beat the egg with a fork, then add it to the mixture. Next add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it's just combined.
4. Remove half of the dough from the bowl and place in a large plastic bag (do not seal) and slightly flatten with a rolling pin. (This makes it much easier to roll out the crust later.) After flattening, seal the bag tightly.
5. Repeat with the other half of the dough and place the plastic bags in the freezer.
6. When you're ready to use a crust, remove one from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter and thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the bag and place on a lightly floured surface.
7. With a rolling pin, begin rolling the dough from the center, outward. When at desired thickness, carefully lift the pie crust and lay it over a pie pan. Using your hand, lightly form the crust so that it fits inside the pan and overlaps the edges.
8. Fill the pie crust with filling and bake according to the pie recipe's instructions. Or, for a pre-baked crust, fill with pie weights (or pinto beans placed on aluminum foil) and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden.

You Say Banana; I Say Muffin

The good thing about summer? The overwhelming amount of produce. The bad thing about summer? Not being able to use the overwhelming amount of produce before it goes bad.

And that's where baking saves the day.

Normally when baking with fruit, like when you make pies, you need it to be on the firmer side, so the juices don't run and make a huge mess in your oven. But muffins and breads are perfect for fruit that's imperfect. And that's exactly what I had this week, strawberries that were starting to go soft and bananas that were too soft to eat on their own. My son wanted to know what we could do with them. Make muffins, of course!

These muffins were a big hit with the whole family -- even my husband, who doesn't like strawberries. Because they were already soft and baked into the muffin, the broke down even more, adding a natural sweetness to the muffin, which was complimented nicely by the smokiness from the brown sugar.

These muffins are great any time of the day: on-the-go breakfast, mid-morning or afternoon snack, or evening nosh. Take your pick!

Banana-Strawberry Muffins

A Country Cooking Original Recipe
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1 cup chopped, fresh strawberries
  Streusel Topping
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cold butter

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of muffin tin or line with paper baking cups.
2. Make streusel topping and set aside.
3. Beat milk, mashed bananas, oil, and egg in a large bowl with wire whisk. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt all at once until flour is just moistened (batter will be lumpy).
4. Fold in strawberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, and sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of streusel topping.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If baked in greased pan, let stand about 5 minutes in tin, then remove to wire rack to cool. If baked in paper baking cups, immediately remove from pan to wire rack.

Happy Birthday!

Last month my son turned 4. (Where did the time go??) And of course the big question was, what kind of treat should we bring in to preschool? Sure, we could've just went out and bought something already made. The kids love Munchkins, so you can never really go wrong with them. Basic chocolate cupcakes are always a hit, too. But my son and I love to spend time in the kitchen together, so simple and basic just wasn't going to cut it.

Something else to consider is the state the kids would be in when their parents came to pick them up. Just the week before the kids had cupcakes for another child's birthday. The icing on these cupcakes was at least 2 inches and high, and the kids were experiencing quite a high themselves thanks to all that sugar. So I decided to look back to my own childhood, remembering my favorite treats. And one came to mind.

Black-Bottom Cups.

They're chocolate, small, and absolutely delicious. And they were a big hit. The kids loved them as much as I do, and my son's teacher even asked me for the recipe.

It was a happy birthday all around.

Black-Bottom Cups
Recipe from a childhood friend of Country Cooking
Makes at least 5 dozen mini cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Follow directions on cake mix.
3. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Line mini-muffin tins with papers.
5. Fill 2/3 of tins with chocolate cake mix, and top each with 1 tsp. of cream cheese mixture.
6. Bake for 20 minutes and cool on wire rack.

Snack Time!

We love to snack in my house, so it's important to have something available to nibble on as we go about our day. In an effort to be a tad more healthy, I'm trying to make those snacks, instead of purchasing pre-packaged ones from the supermarket.

We had a great first effort with the Strawberry Oatmeal Bars I made with my son last month. They were perfect for nibbling during the day or a quick "cut-and-go," and I was looking for something similar to make for this week.

So I pulled out my folder, the one filled with recipes torn from magazines or printed from the Internet, and I found this recipe from the January/February 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine: Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Score!

My son and I made these yesterday afternoon, and despite lots of nagging to lick the spoon, we had a good time. Again, this was another recipe that was easy to make with him. Like with the Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, he measured and stirred the dry ingredients, feeling like he really was "making" the cookies. They filled the house with a wonderful scent as they baked, and we tasted them warm, while the chocolate chips were still gooey. Heaven!

Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from the Food Network Magazine
Active: 35 minutes | Total: 1 hour
Makes: about 32 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed, finely ground in a spice grinder, or pre-ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop heating tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes from the Chef:

• I used a 1" ice cream scoop and this recipe made closer to 4 dozen cookies than the 32 stated above. The dough does spread, though, so leaving 2 inches between cookies is important.
• I used my mini cuisinart to grind the flaxseeds, since I don't have a spice grinder.
• Don't be afraid to add the flaxseeds. They added a nutty flavor to the cookies. The whole family loved them.

A Sweet Snack

My son loves to help me in the kitchen, and it's no surprise, really. Lord knows we watch plenty of the Food Network in our house. And when my son could sit up in his high chair I would sit him in it in our kitchen and talk him through all the steps as I cooked dinner, like my own Food Network show.

As my son turned two, he was no longer content to sit idle in the high chair and watch Mommy. He wanted to help Mommy. I tried to steer him to his play kitchen, but he rejected that option. Nothing short of the real thing would do. So I would put the seasonings I needed in a bowl, hand him a whisk, and let him mix away.

By December he was helping me bake Christmas cookies. And now, on the cusp of four, his interest in helping Mommy cook has not waned. (I only wish he was as interested in the clean-up!) The difficulty lies in finding recipes that are simple enough that he can take a more active role and would be interested eating.

Enter the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. It's everything I'm looking for in a recipe. I can make it with my son. It's easy enough to help him measure out the ingredients. With nothing that needed to be poured, he stirred the dry ingredients while I cut the butter. He helped me press the oat mixture into the pan. And as a kid who loves granola bars and strawberries, he couldn't wait for these to cool so we could cut them.

If you have a little helper in your kitchen, I highly recommend this recipe. A great way to have fun and keep it interesting is to try different flavors of preserves. And if you do, let me know how they are. I have a feeling we'll be sticking to strawberry in our house.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 40 minutes
Makes 24 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 10 to 12-ounce jar strawberry preserves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch rectangular pan.
2. Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly.
3. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

A Fresh Taste of Spring

The perfect dessert.

Finding one is not always easy. Particularly for me.

Because, for me, it's not just about making something everyone will eat and enjoy. I also like my desserts to have the flavors of the season, and to make our taste buds sing. A tall order for sure.

So when asked to make dessert for this year's Easter celebration, I immediately knew I wanted to make this Lemon-Blueberry Bundt cake. Now granted, blueberries aren't in season right now, but in my mind, nothing says "fresh" like the flavor of lemon. It's bright and invigorating. As an added bonus, the acid in the lemon brings out the sweetness of the blueberries, even when their not at their sweetest.

So if you're looking for a new and fresh dessert, give this cake a try.

Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons flour 

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• water, as necessary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl stir together cake and pudding mixes. Make a well in the center of the mix and pour in water, applesauce, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape sides of bowl and beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, and flour. Toss to coat. Fold blueberries into cake batter with rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Allow to cool completely and then invert onto serving platter.
5. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add water, a teaspoon at a time, until glaze reaches desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.

City Meets Country

Fresh out of college, my first job was in the city -- Jersey City, that is. Five days a week for almost five years I took the train into Hoboken, and then the PATH to Journal Square. I worked the early shift -- 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM -- and it was too early to eat breakfast before I left the house. So every morning I would bring my breakfast, usually cereal, Pop-Tarts, or even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

One day a colleague was eating a beautiful carrot muffin with a velvety cream cheese filling. I asked her where she got it, and she said the PATH deli in Journal Square. She gushed about the muffin and its cake-like texture, saying it was more like eating dessert than breakfast. I decided the next morning to give a muffin a try.

The next morning I entered the deli and stood at the end of a very long line. Despite the length I was fortunate to have my pick of muffins. Because it was so early many of my fellow commuters were just grabbing a cup of coffee on their way to the Financial District. I opted for a cappuccino muffin, loaded with chocolate chips and dusted with powdered sugar.

It immediately became my poison. I could eat one every day. They were so good I bought an extra one to bring home for my mom to try. And she enjoyed them so much some mornings I would buy all the muffins in the display case -- five or six -- for her so she could freeze them and eat them at her leisure.

All that changed, though, in 2005. My husband and I moved to the Poconos. No more commute to Jersey City, no more trains with bomb-sniffer dogs, and no more cappuccino muffins. I thought about those muffins often, though, over the past 6 years. So when I found this recipe in the January/February issue of Cooking Light, I knew immediately it was the perfect way to bring that portion of my past city life into my country life.

Chocolate Chip-Coffee Muffin
Recipe from Cooking Light

Hands-on time: 17 minutes.
Total time: 35 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup whole milk
  
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• Cooking spray or cupcake papers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Combine first 5 ingredients.
   
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
   
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray or lined with papers. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes or until done. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

New Twist on "Coffee Cake"

I first made this recipe back in 2010, and it was a great St. Patrick's Day treat.

We're not Irish, but it's fun to make themed meals, and St. Patrick's Day provides the perfect opportunity for that. And it's nice to be able to carry that through both the entree and dessert courses. And if you want to take it one step further, serve it with an actual Irish Coffee or hot chocolate with a shot of Bailey's.

(My young son was partaking in these, though, so I opted to skip the whiskey frosting. Instead I frosted half of the batch with vanilla icing, and dusted the other half with powdered sugar. They were delicious all the same.)

Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living
Makes 15

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup boiling water
  
• 2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
  
• 1/4 cup whole milk
  
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  For the frosting
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon whiskey
  
• Instant-espresso powder, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cupcakes: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour water over espresso powder; let cool. Combine espresso with milk. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on a medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (batter may look broken).
   
2. Fill 15 cups (of two 12-cup muffin tins) three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool; turn out cupcakes from tins.
   
3. Make the frosting: Whisk together cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form. Add whiskey; whisk until slightly stiff peaks form.
   
4. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting; dust with espresso powder.

Pumpkin Palooza, Part 1

This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday with my favorite gourd: the pumpkin.

In preparation for Halloween I had picked up the special issue of Martha Stewart. And when I saw this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes, I knew I would be making them for my birthday.

They didn't disappoint, either.

They filled the house with a wonderful aroma as they were baking. And they tasted as good as they smelled. These cupcakes are a great way to celebrate an autumn birthday, Halloween, or just life in general.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
  
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for tins
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush 16 cups of standard muffin tins with butter; dust with four, and tap out excess. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown. Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
   
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture to combine. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
   
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire rack to cook completely before removing cupcakes. (Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in air containers.)
   
4. Us a small offset spatula to spread frosting over cupcakes. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring up to room temperature before serving.

Note: Dust with powdered sugar or frost with vanilla, cream cheese, or brown-sugar cream cheese frosting.