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My youngest Hungry Puppy is the force behind this post. I don't do anything banana related unless I am coerced or have a load of brown bananas that nobody ate. This case was definitely coercion. My youngest Hungry Puppy asked if we could make banana bread, and we happened to have one lonely brown banana sitting on the counter. You know that I could never do just plain old ordinary banana bread, so we added cinnamon, cinnamon chips, and toffee bits, and it turned out quite well! It's definitely a hit with both of my Hungry Puppies.
Cinnamon Toffee Banana Bread
6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 medium to large bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup toffee bits
Demerara Sugar, optional
Cinnamon, optional
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, followed by the mashed bananas. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and stir until just combined. Stir in the cinnamon chips and toffee bits. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle demerara sugar and cinnamon over the top of the batter.
Place the banana bread in the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the bread to loosen from the pan. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Makes one 8x4 loaf.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
It was an early release day from school here today, so my Hungry Puppies and I had lots of time for kitchen projects! My oldest Hungry Puppy chose this cake and made most of it by herself. It is super simple and very fast to make, and the results are delicious. Moist yellow cake filled with chunks of chocolate covered graham crackers, topped with a toasted marshmallow frosting (I found the recipe here), with marshmallows and more chocolate covered graham crackers sprinkled on top.
S'Mores Snack Cake
S'Mores Cake:
Yellow cake mix plus ingredients to prepare the mix (I used the box to bakery instructions)
1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate covered graham crackers
Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces (1 bag) mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate covered graham crackers (to sprinkle over the top)
1 cup mini marshmallows (to sprinkle over the top)
Preheat the oven to the temperature directed on the box. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, or use the box to bakery instructions. Stir the chopped chocolate covered graham crackers into the prepared batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the toasted marshmallow frosting, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition until blended and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment paper. Spread the 10 ounces of mini marshmallows over the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Place the marshmallows under the broiler until golden brown and toasted, for about 1 minute, watching constantly so they do not burn. Scrape the toasted marshmallows into the frosting and beat until combined. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it has cooled, then beat again.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate covered graham crackers and marshmallows over the top. Makes 24 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I was tasked with making an "amazing" dessert for a dinner that we were invited to the other day. Do you know what kind of pressure that puts on a person? "So, I hear you make amazing desserts. Would you bring one to dinner?" This means that there is no possible way you can bring anything less than amazing. So you have to find of think of something amazing, first of all, then you have to execute it without a hitch. And if both of those fail, you just hope that those eating it have no taste buds and still think your dessert is amazing. After searching and thinking and wracking my brain trying to figure out what to make, I found this recipe. I didn't make many changes to the recipe. But I did make the buttercream 3 times. Yes 3. And not because I wanted to either. My culinary skills left me the day I made this cake. It's a wonder it was even edible. But oh how edible it was. This cake was moist and fudgy and the peanut butter buttercream was delicious! Hopefully it reached amazing status.
Eggless Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Swiss Buttercream
Eggless Chocolate Cake:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Swiss Buttercream:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
6 Tablespoons cold butter
2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons peanut butter chips
1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the sides (to use as handles). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the water, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan, then run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen from the pan. using the parchment paper as handles, gently lift the cake out of the pan, peel off the parchment, and set the cake on a serving plate.
For the buttercream, combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl (I used the bowl of my stand mixer). Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk the egg whites and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. Remove the bowl from over the pot of water and beat the egg white mixture with an electric mixer (I used a stand mixer) for 5 or 6 minutes, or until the mixture is completely cool, white and fluffy, and stiff peaks form. Beat in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until blended and smooth.
Spread the buttercream over the cake. Sprinkle with the dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and mini chocolate chips. Makes 12 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I stumbled across this recipe in one of my many recipe binders. It was one that I clipped ages ago with good intentions to try out and never did. It looked very appealing, however, so I decided to make it right away. I ended up changing the recipe almost completely, so it is kind of a combination of several recipes including my binder recipe and this one. This pie turned out really wonderfully. The texture is definitely that of ricotta, but the sweetness with the warmth of the cinnamon, the orange, raisins, and chocolate is just really good. I don't think it is really like any other pie I've had before, and I would definitely make it again.
Ricotta Pie
2 layer 9-inch pie crust (I used this one)
24 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out half of the pie dough and fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese and sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, raisins, and mini chocolate chips, and stir until combined. Pour the ricotta filling into the prepared pie dough. Set aside.
For the lattice crust, roll out the second half of the pie dough, and cut into 1 inch strips. Lay half of the strips over the filling, about 1 inch apart. Fold back every other strip about half way, then lay another strip across the center of the pie perpendicular to the others. Unfold the strips over the center strip, then fold back the alternate strips and place another strip across the pie. Repeat until the lattice completely covers the pie.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and just set. Remove pie from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 1 9-inch pie.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I came across this recipe while searching for a soda bread recipe for St. Patrick's day (long story...found a great one, forgot to add the baking soda), and immediately put it on my to bake list. One problem. Have you ever tried to find candied orange peel in ND in March? No? Neither have I, but I tried at Christmas time (you would think it'd be everywhere), and 7 stores later I was lucky to find some. Crazy. So, instead of doing the runaround searching for it, I decided to make my own! Whoa, who'd have thought that would be a possibility that I could pull off? It totally worked, and it was totally easy and delicious. In fact, I couldn't keep my family's hands out of it! I used this recipe for the candied orange peel, but made a few changes: I used the peel of 3 oranges, not 2, and I did not coat the finished peel in sugar (since I would be baking with it), just placed it on a sheet of foil and let it dry. This bread is amazing!
Candied Orange Peel and Chocolate Chunk Soda Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks
6 ounces (about 1 cup diced) candied orange peel, diced
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly grease the paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers, until course crumbs form. Stir in the chocolate chips and candied orange peel. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, then stir into the dry ingredients until just blended.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times, or until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a round, and place on the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make 3 cuts across the top of the dough in the shape of an asterisk, about 1/2 to 1 inch deep.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set, and a toothpick inserted deep in the center comes out clean. Remove bread from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack before serving. Makes 1 loaf.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
This recipe was totally my sister's idea. 100%. Which means she is a genius. This bread pudding is a totally best friends with this White Chocolate Pecan Bread. In fact, if you really wanted to go over the top with this recipe, use the white chocolate pecan bread in it. Double White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding. I'm drooling. Which is embarrassing, because I was already drooling before we doubled the white chocolate pecan-ness of this bread pudding. I'm a hopeless case. I accidentally "tasted" a whole corner of the pan when it came out of the oven. Yep, it's that good. You definitely want to use dry bread for this recipe. How dry? It can be "I accidentally left it on the counter for a week and now I have a loaf-size crouton" dry. This simple bread pudding is so moist, and the pecans sitting on top get toasted during baking, adding to the flavor. Top it off with the butter cream sauce (original recipe found here), and you have an amazing decadent breakfast or a delicious dessert.
White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding with Butter Cream Sauce
White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding:
6 cups dry bread cubes (I used french bread, White Chocolate Pecan Bread would be yum)
1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
3 cups warm milk
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Butter Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
In the prepared baking dish, combine the dry bread cubes, 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour the milk mixture over the dry bread cubes in the baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread cubes to make sure they absorb the milk mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup pecans over the top of the bread pudding.
Bake the bread pudding for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked through. Remove the bread pudding from the oven.
To make the butter cream sauce, in a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar until combined. Add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
Serve the bread pudding warm with the warm sauce spooned over the top of each serving. Makes about 12 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
A while ago, I was at the grocery store and stumbled across a display of fun size Butterfinger candy bars. Why is this significant? Because they were .50 per bag. No that is not a typo, and yes you read that right. I bought an embarrassing number of bags, because, hello? Why would you not? My oldest Hungry Puppy voted to just eat them, but I was having visions of all kinds of Butterfinger baked goods. Like these cookies. Which are amazing, by the way (and the dough is insane. I may have hidden a bunch in the freezer for myself...). When you chop the candy bars, keep the chunks fairly large. Butterfingers are tricky to chop because the knife just wants to slide off and shave bits instead of giving chunks. When you mix in the chopped candy, it will crumble just a bit more, but you will still have good sized chunks instead of Butterfinger powder.
Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
6 Tablespoons shortening
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
11.5 ounces (about 2 cups chopped) Butterfinger candy bars, chopped
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
With a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Add the all purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined. With the mixer on low, beat in the semi sweet chips and chopped butterfinger.
Use a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon) to scoop the dough into balls. Take each ball in your hands and pull it apart into two equal parts. Rotate the two pieces of dough 90 degrees so that the jagged surfaces are facing up, then squish the dough ball back together, preserving the new jagged top. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is just set. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for several minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
So, I've had some vanilla beans in my possession for a really really long time. So long, in fact, that they dried out completely. So I plumped them back up, then didn't use them, causing them to dry out again. I won't mention how many times this occurred. I finally had to just buckle down and figure something out to do with them. So here we are. I love this combination of a moist and fudgy chocolate brownie topped with a sweet and light white chocolate mousse. So delicious, and not too difficult. Mousse recipe adapted from here.
White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Mousse Brownies
Brownies:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Mousse:
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x9 inch square baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving the edges hanging over the sides (for handles), then lightly spray the parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat until incorporated. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined. Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Remove brownies from the oven and let cool completely.
For the mousse, place the white chocolate in a large medium sized bowl. Heat the 1/4 cup of whipping cream until it is at a simmer, then pour over the white chocolate and let sit for a minute or two. Stir the chocolate mixture until completely melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of whipping cream and the vanilla bean seeds. Beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled white chocolate mixture. Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg white and chocolate mixture. Spread the mousse over the completely cooled brownies and chill until firm. Cut into squares and serve.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
