that's about fifty bananas too many

The other day after my brother participated in an obstacle course/race, I got a text from him saying "Prepare to bake a sh*t ton of banana bread" with the above photo attached to it. Apparently there were boxes of leftover bananas after the race and he felt "obligated" to take one. Of course by now they're already starting to get brown spots so I'm trying to think of things to do with them as they get to that overripe stage. And I don't really want to bake a thousand loaves of banana bread.

My first instinct was to pore over the recipes on Foodgawker, one of my favorite sites. I could spend hours staring at all the beautiful food shots and bookmarking recipes to try. I typed "banana" into the search box and just four pages into it I've found a bunch of recipes I'm dying to try. The contenders right now are..

Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Frosting
Banana Honey Muffins
Banana Cream Scones
Banana and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
Low Fat PB Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Pudding
Baked Banana Chips
Banana Caramel Mini Tarts

There are a ton of banana related recipes out there! Have any of you been in this predicament before? What is your favorite recipe for when you have to disappear a million bananas?

Any suggestions are very welcome. Clearly I have a lot to choose from but sadly a few of these recipes call for like half a banana. Pathetic. I figure I can make things like the scones that use 2 bananas and double or triple the recipe and then freeze them.

What a bizarre problem I have here. I think Mom's getting a banana cake for Mother's Day. Maybe with Nutella involved. Yes, I like this.

Last final tonight! Woohoo! Hope everyone's week is going well. Are you having crappy cold weather where you are too?

caramelized banana loaf cake

This is another recipe I snagged from Shutterbean. I swear she makes the best things. And this is definitely one of them. One thing I do like about living back home is that I now have people to cook for. If I made a dessert when I lived in my apartment, I'd probably eat one piece and then the rest would go to waste. Unless Charlie came over. He's good at helping me get rid of sweets. :)

Basically, the other night my mom hinted at wanting a dessert so I quickly scrolled through my arsenal of bookmarked recipes and knew I found a winner. There was one slice left by the end of the night.

Start by getting some sugar caramelizing.


Stir in some butter..


..and get those bananas in there.


Put them in the loaf pan and cover with all the caramel.


Mash the rest of your bananas with sugar.


Get all the dry stuff in there.


Mix it well and pour it over the bananas.


In the oven it goes!

It's one of those things that fills your house with an amazing cinnamony cakey smell. So good.


Some fresh whipped cream to go along side. Eat up! It's funny how much I loved this along with other banana breads or muffins but I can't eat a raw banana without gagging. Weird. I don't know.



Caramelized Banana Loaf Cake
recipe from Rachel Ray via Shutterbean

3 to 4 large bananas
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 large egg + 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325F.

Grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Cut the ends off the bananas and cut them into pieces that fit in the bottom of the loaf pan. Cut the pieces in half lengthwise and peel. You'll probably have 5-6 halves for the bottom. Put the rest of the pieces aside.

In a saucepan, bring 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water to a boil without stirring it. Cook until the water evaporates and the sugar starts to turn a golden brown (but not too dark!! It will get bitter if it burns.) Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it's all melted. Place the banana slices in cut side down and cook over low heat for a minute. Remove from heat and put bananas side by side in the loaf pan, cut side down. Pour any remaining caramel over top of them.

In a medium bowl, mash up the rest of your banana pieces. They should equal about a cup so use more or less depending. Add sugar and combine. Mix in the egg and egg white and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in banana mix and oil.

Pour batter over bananas and put it in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 50-55 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out dry. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it on a plate. Let it cool completely.

Try not to eat the whole thing. ;)

brown butter biscuits

Scared? Don't be. Brown butter biscuits are worth melting up a stick of butter for. They go perfectly with any meal. Or by themselves! Ever since I first saw them on Shutterbean I've made them a bunch of times and they are perfect no matter what you pair them with. So get a stick of butter browning and get out your dry ingredients!

Pour all the dry goods into a bowl.


Add your browned butter and milk.


Mix!


I got a little lost in what I was doing and forgot to shoot a few steps, but now you just pat out the dough, cut out the the biscuits, put them on a baking sheet, and in the oven they go.

And out they come looking like this!


Eat them with something saucy that needs sopping up or cut one in half and slather it with jam for a tasty breakfast. Can't go wrong!


Brown Butter Biscuits
recipe from Shutterbean

1 stick of butter
2 cups + 2 tbsp flour, + more for dusting
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Put butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the butter as it melts, until it starts to foam and sputter. When it becomes a golden brown and starts to get a nutty smell, remove it from the heat. Let it cool to room temp.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in the brown butter and milk. Pat out the dough into a 1/2 in thick round on a floured surface. Cut the dough into 3 in biscuits. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and into the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.



Life has been crazy since I've started observing a class. Not just from losing the time in which I'm there, but afterward I've been so exhausted! My body's just not used to this workin' girl schedule. ;) Yesterday after I got home, I passed out with my computer on my lap as I was trying to get some bloggy stuff done. When I woke up I was so disoriented. It took a bag of Fritos on the floor next to me to remind me that I had just eaten lunch before I fell asleep. That's what getting up at 5:30 am three days in a row when you are so not used to it will do to you! I didn't go in today because I'm going to start observing another grade soon but I actually woke up on my own today at 7:30. It felt so refreshing to be able to naturally wake up that early.

Today I'll be spending a lot of time on two crafty projects that I have in the works and I'll either update later today or tomorrow on what's going on. One involves beads and the other involves yarn. Both are wearable. Yay! I think I need to make up some more of these lovely biscuits to sustain me through my crafty endeavors. Or maybe some coffee. :) It's super rainy here which is the perfect time to have a crafty/warm beverage filled day. I'm starting to like rain.

How are your endeavors going? Happy almost Friday!!

creamy chicken + rice soup

We won't be wanting to have hot and hearty meals like this for much longer so I thought I'd get this soup recipe in while the weather is still being indecisive. It was 56 degrees when we went for our walk yesterday.. today it's 30!

This soup is warm and filling and surprisingly quick to whip up! Saute some fresh chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in some olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.


It pretty much goes without saying that fresh ingredients are best but I think sometimes I don't fully appreciate it until I have a spoonful of fresh cooked vegetables that aren't complete mush or have a questionable appearance. Same goes for home cooked chicken versus the stuff you find in prepackaged meals. Blech.

When the vegetables are starting to get soft, add the broth, spices, shredded chicken, and rice.


Cook it for 15-20 minutes. Then add the evaporated milk and cornstarch to make it creamy.


Finish cooking and serve. I bought a big crusty loaf of bread to go with it. And of course, slathered it in pesto. :)


Cook up a big pot of this soup before it's too hot to handle! Or just tuck the recipe away for fall. :)

Creamy Chicken + Rice Soup
slightly adapted from For the Love of Cooking

1 tsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dry basil
1 bay leaf
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup rice
1/2 sweet frozen corn
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 12oz can evaporated milk.

In the bottom of a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Saute carrots, celery, and onion until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about a minute. Add broth, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chicken, and rice and cook covered over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Bring soup to a boil. In a bowl, mix cornstarch with evaporated milk. Add mixture to soup and stir. Lower the heat and add frozen corn. Let soup simmer for a few more minutes. The soup will thicken as it sits. Remove bay leaf. Serve with some crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy the warmth!

overnight french toast

This is a little Christmas tradition I wanted to share because it is so delicious. And you can make it anytime of the year! It just became a tradition for us every Christmas because all the prep work is done the night before so you just pop it in the oven Christmas morning and that's it!

My mom learned this recipe from my aunt so I'm not exactly sure of its origins, but we've been doing this for years now. Once again, I slacked on picture taking this holiday break so I remade it this past weekend so I could post it here.

Start by making your brown sugar "sludge". Believe me, this is the best sludge you'd ever wanna eat. And its a special occasion so you don't have to feel guilty about it :).


Mix mix mix.


Grease a baking dish and pour the brown sugar goodness into it. Spread it around.


Now, you want to get a loaf of nice crusty french bread. It's the perfect bread for this. However, I decided I was going to make this fairly late at night. The first market I went to was out of pretty much all bread in the bakery. The second market had one loaf of french bread and one loaf of italian bread. Before I could locate the bread among all the empty baskets, some women swooped in and grabbed the last french bread. I had two options.. challenge her to a duel with the bread, or suck it up and try to use the italian. I was too committed to just give up so I pouted and grabbed the italian bread. It worked, just not as nicely. So do as I say, not as I do. Use french bread.

Cut up the bread into 3/4in to 1 in slices and line up on top of the brown sugar. You should be able to get neat rows of three when using the proper bread. Not this hodge-podge mess.


Mix up your egg mixture and pour it all over, making sure to coat all of the bread.


Now cover this up with foil and put in the fridge overnight. Get some sleep!

When you take it out of the fridge in the morning, most of the egg mixture will be absorbed. Uncover it and put it in the oven for a half hour. Go open your Christmas presents. :)


When it comes out the edges will be nice and crusty and inside will be soft and hot. The brown sugar mix on the bottom really completes it. After you scoop your pieces out, spoon some of the remaining brown sugar on top. ;)


Overnight French Toast

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 loaf crusty french bread
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a medium bowl. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pour into a greased 9x13 in baking dish. Cut bread into 3/4 in to 1 in slices and line up across brown sugar mixture. Beat eggs with milk and vanilla. Pour egg mixture all over the bread, making sure it all gets coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake for 30-35 minutes at 325F.



The perfect start to a special day.



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apple cheddar scones

I've always been skeptical about the whole cheese and apple combination that seems to be pretty common. The thought of mixing the two always seemed repulsive and downright wrong to me. I have always been tempted to buy that little pack at Starbucks with the apple slices and cheese in it but could never bring myself to do it. I finally decided to give in and see what all the hype was about so I baked these scones to sooth my curiosity.

De-lish-ous.



Both blogs I saw these on said it was pure fall and they were so right. I've been missing fall lately since the weather has gotten soo so cold and these scones brought me back. Definitely the perfect warm, sweet yet savory, breakfast for one of those cool mornings.

I had just gotten some fresh gala apples in so I used them since they are really good for baking. Peel them and cut them up into chunks. It says to cut them into 1/16th's and I definitely made them smaller but I'm ok with that ;). Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet. I also had some really good Irish cheddar leftover from Christmas so I shredded that up for these.



After the apples are cooled and the dough all comes together, pat it out into a 6 in circle.


Cut the circle into 6 pieces and bake. I baked up half and froze the other half for later. They should be all golden brown and crusty on top when they're done.


Serve warm. Pretend it's fall again :).


Apple Cheddar Scones
recipe from Smitten Kitchen via What Megan's Making

Makes 6 scones

2 firm tart apples
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375F.
Peel, core, and chop apples into chunks (approx. 1/16 size pieces). On a baking sheet with parchment paper, place apples in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. (Apples should feel dry and have a little color.) Let apples cool completely. Put them in the fridge to speed the process.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine butter, cream, cheddar, and one egg, adding the flour mixture on top. Mix until dough is just combined.

On a floured surface, pat out dough into a 6 in round. It should be about 1 1/4 in thick. Cut into 6 triangles. Place the wedges back on the parchment lined pan. Combine egg and salt to make an egg wash, brush over the scones, and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and firm.

If you want to freeze some for later, skip the egg wash and wrap them up. When you are ready to make them, brush on the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake frozen for just a few extra minutes.




I will never doubt apples and cheese again :)

Okay, time to get crafty. I have much to do before opening the store and I want to do that soon!

mexican hot chocolate cookies

As promised, the second hot chocolate post today.. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies! This recipe was a first for me and everyone seemed to love them. They taste like hot chocolate with a bite. Not too much though. I'm not a fan of majorly spicy things and I thought these were great so I totally recommend trying them.

Start by creaming your butter, either by hand or in a standing mixer, and add sugar. Combine until sugar is fully incorporated into the butter.



Add eggs and mix well.


In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Pretend that the face staring out of the bowl doesn't look like the Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas.



Mix dry ingredients and add to the batter a little at a time.



Make sure to mix well and fully stir in all flour and cocoa.



Mix remaining sugar, cinnamon, and ground chile in another bowl. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and coat it in the sugar and spice mix.



Place them three in a row on a greased cookie sheet and bake.



You'll know they're done when they flatten and get all crackly.



Serve up with a cold glass of milk, in case Santa can't handle his spice ;).



Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
from Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 3/4 cups sugar (separated)
2 large eggs
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground chile

Preheat oven to 400F. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add eggs and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Pour into batter a little at a time, mix well. When all ingredients are combined, roll heaping tsp of dough and roll into mixture of remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and ground chile. Place three in a row on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies have set and begin to crackle. Should make 3 dozen cookies.

homemade hot chocolate

I didn't even realize I forgot to post yesterday until about 9:00 last night when I was sitting at my kitchen table covered in flour, drinking wine, and carefully measuring and cutting out pieces for gingerbread houses. :/ That's what happens when you wake up, start baking, and don't leave the kitchen all day except to go to the state store (PA anyone?) to stock up on holiday fun drinks. So to make amends, I give you two posts today. Two hot chocolatey posts. One that you drink, the second that you eat. So here goes the drinkable one. Stay tuned for the nom-able one. If you follow me on twitter, I'll post a link as soon as it's up.

I'm a sucker for the packaged Swiss Miss stuff for sure but I saw a recipe for homemade so of course I had to try it. It's really easy and a good solution if you run out of Swiss Miss like I did the other night. Get a little bit of water simmering in a pot and stir in your chocolate and sugar.


You'll get some sort of wonderful fudgey looking mix. Stir until most of the lumps are gone and stir in milk, a little at a time.



Heat the mixture until it's hot all the way through, but not boiling. Keep stirring so the chocolate doesn't settle on the bottom and burn.




Remove from heat and add your vanilla.


Give it a good stir. I then held a strainer over my giant Pyrex measuring cup (holds about 5 cups) and poured the mix in just to make sure there weren't any lumps from unmixed chocolate. This also made pouring it into mugs a lot easier.



And there you have it! Top with some whipped cream or marshmallows and enjoy.


Homemade Hot Chocolate
adapted from allrecipes

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, bring water to a simmer and add cocoa and sugar. Mix well, being careful not to burn. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Heat until hot all the way through, but not boiling. When hot, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. (Optional): Pour through a strainer to remove any chocolate lumps. Makes about four servings.

Stir with a candy cane for some minty flavor and pair with sugar cookies. Leave it out for the big man on Christmas eve ;)