Banana Bread

 An excess of bananas led to to this one. Pretty basic.

Quick note: the recipe is recommended for a 8.5" x 4.5" inch loaf pan. I only have a 9" x 5" pan, so I doubled it. It tasted great but I did not accommodate for that in the timing. So note to self: ALSO DOUBLE THE COOK TIME!

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar (if doubling, I recommend cutting down on the sugar by a 1/4 cup or so)

3 bananas VERY RIPE

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare loaf pan with butter, oil or butter flavored pam.

3. In mixing bowl, combine melted butter and sugar.

4. Mash bananas and mix into butter and sugar.

5. Add egg and vanilla.

6. Mix in baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.

7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

8. Bake for 40 minutes or so until toothpick or fork comes out clean.

9. Remove from oven and completely cool.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (THE classic)

 I made these for Super Bowl Sunday along with E's chili (which I am not allowed to post here). Better than Nana's!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 sticks (one cup) salted butter, softened (VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT IS SOFTENED)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 t vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz package semi-sweet or milk chocolate morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granultated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes and remove to wire racks to complete cooling.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese's pieces

 I got a new stand mixer for Christmas and this was the first thing I made because I love peanut butter, chocolate and Reese's. It was a no brainer.

Not going to lie, these cookies are really sweet and need to be tweeked. But here is a starting point to perfect.

Note to myself: Everything should be room temperature!

1 cup butter (room temp)

1 cup creamy peanut butter (Regular Jif is best!)

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t kosher salt

Reese's pieces and chocolate chips to taste

1. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla until well-combined, about 2 minutes.

3. Add in sugars and beat until well-combined, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes.

4. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

6. Add candies and chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

7. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper.

9. Scoop 1 1/2 T of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.

10. Bake for 9-13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are set.

11. Cool cookies on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Blueberry Muffins

Marsha loves these! She says they are like candy. Audrey and I made these one day after we picked blueberries at The Ivy Place and had over two pounds of fresh glorious blueberries. So yummy!

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 t salt

2 t baking powder

1/2 cup milk

2 cups blueberries

Streusel topping (do not double! this makes a lot and I made that mistake once)

3 T white sugar

3 T brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

5 T melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin tin with fun liners.

2. Add butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. One at a time, add an egg, blending in between. Mix in vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add to sugar mixture, a little bit at a time, alternating with the 1/2 cup milk. Do not over blend!

4. Add blueberries to batter and fold in.

5. Divide batter among 12 cup muffin tin (or make 24 smaller muffins between two muffin tins).

6. Mix streusel topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of muffins.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fondue

New Year’s Eve dessert with the kids!

In a double broiler, combine the following until smooth:

8 oz milk chocolate chips
2 T heavy cream
2 T chunky peanut butter

Place in fondue pot or small crock pot to keep warm.

Serve with sliced bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, rice Krispy treats, cheesecake

Reese Peanut Butter Cup Swirl Cake

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Topping:

3 T creamy peanut butter
2-3 T milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T chocolate syrup
 1 bag Reese miniatures, cut in half

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. Beat cake mix through butter with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds then medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Remove 2/3 cup of the peanut butter mix; stir in 1/2 cup chocolate syrup to make fudge batter.

4. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining peanut butter mix into slow cooker, followed by all of the fudge batter. Top with remiaining peanut butter mix and swirl with a knife.

5. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Turn off slow cooker, uncover and remove insert to cool for at least 15 minutes.

6. In medium bowl, beat 3 T peanut butter and 2 T milk with whisk until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Spread glaze over cake. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle peanut butter cups over top.

French Apple Tart

Pilsbury pie dough (yeah, I don't bake)
Apple preserves (or pear if you can't find apple)
1 vanilla bean, split length wise
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 Granny Smith apples, skinned and sliced thin

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Roll dough to 12-in and place on pizza pan (I use the the one sold at Target with the holes and it worked well)

3. Brush dough with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of apple preserves. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and combine with brown sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon over the dough.

5. Arrange apple slices on crust in a circle. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over apples.

6. Bake for 35 minutes (it only took me 20 minutes before my crust and apples were done).

7. Brush 2 Tablespoons of apple preserves over cooked tart.

8. When serving, top with creme fraiche.

Based on yet another Cooking Light recipe.

Gingerbread and Lemon Curd Trifle with Blackberry Sauce

I make this for the holidays, and its a popular entry to all the pot lucks during that time...

Gingerbread and Lemon Curd Trifle with Blackberry Sauce
(Recipe credit: Bobby Flay, Foodnetwork.com)

For the Lemon Curd Filling
2 (11-oz) jars prepared lemon curd
2 cups heavy cream, sweetened with sugar and vanilla, beaten to soft peaks

Place lemon curd in a large bowl. Fold in half of the whipped cream until combined. Reserve remaining whipped cream for the top of the trifle.

For the Blackberry Sauce
2 pints fresh blackberries or 1 bag frozen blackberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Place blackberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until the berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the framboise and lemon juice.

For the Gingerbread
Well, I could make my own, but I don't bake. So I just buy a premade one.

To assemble
In a trifle bowl, start with an even layer of gingerbread cubes, top with 1/3 of the lemon curd mixture, and 1/3 of the blackberry sauce. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.