Banana Bread

Why is banana bread so good with coffee?  Something about a nice slice of banana bread with a cup of rich dark coffee makes a day right.

Yep that's right!  I made banana bread again!  This time I loaded it up with goodies. 

I made this banana bread for the Tzu Chi Math Tutoring students and teachers for a snack.  The program started in 2010 and now has a small following of students.  More students should really take advantage of the program.  The teachers are great!  I hope everyone enjoyed the treat!

Banana Bread
Adapted from Buttered Up

Ingredients:
3 medium sized bananas, overly ripe
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup coconut

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 6 mini loaf pan.
2.  Mash bananas
3.  Add all ingredients but the additions.  Mix well until all the flour is gone.
4.  Stir in the additions until just combined.
5.  Pour into mini loaf pan and even out the top with a spatula.
6.  Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  If top of bread begins to brown, tent the top with foil and continue baking.
7.  Cool in pan for 30 minutes.  Let bread cook on cooling rack for about 20 minutes or until firm before cutting.

This banana bread is very rich in flavor.  2 slices from a mini loaf is more than enough for me and my coffee break. There is nothing I would change about this recipe. 

I do have to say that I love my mini loaf pan.  It allows me to bake and share.  Love it!  Everyone should own one!

This is Khloe the pup and her dad when I get home from work.  I now know why she thinks she is a baby.  Her doggy dad treats her like a baby and coddles her.  Aw how can you not love these two?!?

Keep on baking!
XOXO

Rocky Road Cookies

So Kraft came out with these marshmallows called Mallow Bits.  In short, they are basically the marshmallows that are dehydrated in hot coco mixes.  Or that least that's how I would describe them.  They are sold in a bottle kinda like ice cream toppings.  I found mine at Target.  They were just randomly on a end cap.  I saw vanilla and peppermint.  I got the vanilla one cause peppermint sounded too Christmas-y.

So what do I think of when I think of marshmallows?!?  Rocky road ice cream!  Okay whatever.  Don't ask me why but that's what I thought of when I saw these marshmallows.  So I decided to take a stab at making some rocky road cookies. 

Rocky Road Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

4 ounces hot chocolate mix (not sugar free)

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sliced almonds

1 cup super mini marshmallows (Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits)

1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Whisk flour, cocoa mix, salt, and baking soda together

2. Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)

3. add eggs 1 at a time.

4. Add vanilla

5. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX

6. Fold in the almonds, marshmallow bits and semi chocolate chips

7. Chill dough for about 1 hour (very important)

8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

9. Use a cookie dough scooper and drop about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

10. Bake them 1 sheet at a time for about 9 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

I love that these cookies came out so moist and chewy.  However, next time I do think I will use regular size chocolate chips in stead of the mini ones.  Maybe even switch out the semi sweet to milk chocolate.  The husband made a comment that the cookies were not chocolaty enough.  Man he is a cookie snob now. 

I feel like I am constantly washing the TV blankets.  Now I know why.  Apparently the pup snuggles in them.  How can one get mad at this cute little fur ball?

 With the weather being so chilly lately I can't even blame the pup for snuggling in some blankets.  Her face when she wakes up cause her mean momma flashes a camera at her. I love this dog.

Keep on baking!
XOXO

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping

Happy New Year!  Man does time fly.  I mean, who would have thought that it would be 2012 already.  I could have sworn that we were just worrying about Y2K.  You know.  When everyone bought in bulk cause the computers were all going to malfunction and goodness how were we going to ever purchase products without computers?!?  Or the world would just end so better do everything like spend all your money cause ... THE WORLD IS ENDING IN 2000.  Man does that seem silly now.

I am starting the new year with a banana bread recipe.  I know I know.  Banana bread is all what seems to be on my blog lately.  But it's a new year and I promise the next recipe will not be a banana bread recipe.  Maybe.  Muahahahaha.

Banana Bread
Adapted from Completely Delicious

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)

For the topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Combine banana, honey, milk, butter and eggs.
3.   In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until just combined.
5.  Pour mixture into greased mini loaf pan.
6.  Sprinkle topping evenly on to top of batter.
7.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack. 

This was super yummy.  I do think next time I will put more topping on the bread cause a lot of it disappeared. What a yummy way to start the new year.

The holidays were a whirlwind in my house.  Time flew by.  I blame being sick.  The pup was a reindeer this Christmas.  She loved it.  Don't let that face fool you cause her tail was wagging like crazy.  I know.  My crazy pup likes to dress up.

And of course the pup got lots of gifts.  I am pretty sure she got more gifts than I did this year.  She is very spoiled.  But spoiled just right!

The pup also started 2012 by graduating from Intermediate Training.  I am such a proud doggy mom.  My cray cray pup has come a long way.  She's still crazy, but tamable now.  

Keep on baking and cooking!
XOXO