Posted: September 15th, 2010 | Filed under: Bread | Tags: banana bread, chocolate chip banana bread, chocolate chip peanut banana bread, easy banana bread, peanut banana bread | 1 Comment »
This last weekend was the birthday of my amazing hubby Ryan –he turned 27. We celebrated this weekend with some of our amazing friends — Ryan claimed that it was one of his most favorite nights of all time. I couldn’t agree more, we had an absolute blast. We are so blessed to be friends with such amazing people. I can’t believe we are getting old so fast. It is crazy — things are not at all like we thought they would be — they are quite possibly better. But sometimes we still feel like we are 18. Time is just flying by so fast–but I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to spend my life with anyone else.
But amongst all of the birthday busy-ness I still found time to bake. Of course I made him breakfast (which I’ll post later this week) and some super yummy cupcakes — but I also continued my peanut/butter baking!
Okay, so there may not be actual peanut butter but there are peanuts in this banana bread! Now, if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I am on a perpetual quest for new banana bread recipes and new things to do with the bananas that get brown too quickly for me. So there I was, reading through the magnificent Magnolia Bakery Cookbook and there it was — chocolate chip peanut banana bread. I know, I know, not actual peanut butter, but I had just bought peanuts for one of the peanut butter recipes and I don’t use them that often, so this would be a great use of resources, and well, it just seemed perfect. What I really like about this bread is that the banana is super light and sweet and just dances in the background to the beautiful chocolate chips and the little tiny bits of peanuts add an amazing crunch.
MMM….. I just get so excited about it — and the next day it was even better. The banana flavor came out more, it was like all the flavors had a little party over night where they all bonded and became better friends. So, if you can possibly keep your hands off of it, I suggest waiting to eat it the next day.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Banana Bread
adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
1/3 c unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 c mashed ripe bananas
1/3 c whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c sifted self rising flour
1/2 c finely chopped unsalted peanuts
1 c chocolate chips (I used 60% cocoa)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs on at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, milk, vanilla, and salt. Max in the sifted flour until well combined. Stir in the peanuts and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Posted: May 16th, 2010 | Filed under: Bread, Breakfast | Tags: banana bread, cream cheese, cream cheese and banana bread, cream cheese banana bread | 1 Comment »
You know, when I was a little girl… I remember my mom making banana bread. You know how the bananas are perfect for just a day or two, then they start to over ripen — (I like mine with just a tiny bit of green.)– and she would let them over ripen, and when I would ask about them – “Mommy, the bananas have spots, should we throw them away?” and she would simply reply… “No, no, we are saving them for banana bread.” Mmmm… I would think… I like banana bread. And I still do. And I let my bananas over ripen to the point of Ryan asking… “Alyssa, when can we toss these things?” And then I make banana bread. And while I have made some tremendous banana breads – using whole wheat, and half wheat, pecans, walnuts, and lots of butter and no butter and yogurt and I am still always ready for a new recipe… just to see. And I stumbled across this one. Full of cream cheese and banana and just tangy enough and perfectly soft and yummy. And do I even need to discuss how the house smells while it is baking away in the oven? Good. Really good.
Cream Cheese Banana Bread
adapted from Southern Living Cookbook
3/4 c butter, softened
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
2 c sugar
2 large eggs
3 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blened. Stir in mashed banana and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil the last 15 minutes to prevent browning. Cool on wire racks for at least 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool 30 minutes.
Posted: March 25th, 2010 | Filed under: Bread, Breakfast | Tags: banana bread, banana chocolate chip, banana chocolate chip espresso muffins, banana muffins | 2 Comments »
I am guilty every now and then of not eating the bananas on purpose… there they sit on the counter top – ready to jump into my cereal bowl, top a peanut butter and honey sandwich, or talk me into a little bowl of ice cream. I let them get those nice brown sweet spots, those great little brown spots of goodness… spots that mean banana bread, banana cake, banana stuffed french toast…. all kinds of banana yummies. Because with those bananas come some pretty endless possibilities.
And I am very happy I let those little suckers sit. (Now, I will admit, that once my husband tried to throw my sweet sweet brown skinned babies away! But I stopped him and baked them very quickly into a tasty loaf of bread before he complained of the “whole apartment” smelling of banana.”)
You see… its been a very busy busy couple of months. And some sweet friends had a very very precious little Olivia. And for having the said Olivia I promised a wonderfully baked treat. And it took me a little longer to bake up a treat than originally planned — but I don’t think the sweet new parents cared when I delivered a box of freshly baked goodies… with one of new Dad’s favorite things… coffee.
You see, John likes coffee a lot… I mean a lot a lot… like, borderline too much. (And yes, his is on the extreme side of that line.) So how perfect is a little espresso in a little muffin action? Especially when paired with two of my favorite things, banana and chocolate.
So enjoy… and just a note, I’m posting the original recipe, but I may have had a little extra banana in that batter, and trust me, it was not a bad thing.
Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
1-1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Yield: 12 muffins (I got 16)
