Sour Cream Banana Bread

I always have the problem of my banana bread taking forever to bake, but the middle still being gooey. By the time it's fully cooked the bread starts drying out. So I found a new recipe, then tweaked it because I didn't like how it mixed up the first time. The batter smells like vanilla pudding... and you might just want to start eating it! But don't... bake it into a delicious loaf of banana bread.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar*
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 medium bananas, mashed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add in the sour cream, and then the mashed bananas - mixing between each.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt - then fold into the wet ingredients. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely (or eat warm like we do!).


*The first time I made this I did not have enough sugar. I used 1/2 cup sugar and ~1/2 cup honey. It was delicious, but browned a bit more than using all sugar.

New York Style Crumb Coffee Cake

I wanted to make something warm and delicious for breakfast. This coffee cake hit the spot! The cake batter doesn't look like much, but it's enough - trust me. There's just PLENTY of topping that goes over it. ;)

Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted
1-3/4 cup pastry flour

Cake Batter:
1-1/4 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray (or slightly smaller if you want more dense cake).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the butter over the top and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add the pastry flour and mix until it incorporates (it will be chunky, but no flour will be noticeable).

In a bowl with a stand mixer using the paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. Add butter one piece at a time, beating on low until there are no visible butter chunks. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix until all has been incoporated.

Spread dough into pan. Sprinkle crumb topping over it, squeezing the dough into a crumbly mixture if not already. Do not press the topping into the batter - just let it sit on top.

Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until crumbs are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Crescents

This is such an easy little snack or dessert, maybe even breakfast treat! My whole family loved them. :)

1 tube crescent rolls
peanut butter
semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini ones)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the unrolled crescent rolls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper underneath). Spread a layer of peanut butter on each triangle; top with chocolate chips. Roll from the bottom of the triangle to the point. Place in the oven and bake 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve while warm.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

I made these mini-muffins for my older son's class snack, and they were a hit!  I doubled the recipe, which made 48 mini-muffins, 6 full size muffins, and two mini-loaves of pumpkin bread.  When doubling the ingredients, the 1 can of pumpkin puree falls 1oz short of what's required, so I subbed 1oz of unsweetened applesauce to round it out.  So moist & delicious!

1 ½ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cup flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (about half a 15 oz can)
½ cup cold water

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Put in greased loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake at 325 degrees.

* Bread (one loaf) = 75-90 minutes

* 12 Muffins = 40 minutes

* 24 Mini muffins = 25 minutes (mine were done at 19 mins. in a dark metal pan)

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins

I had a couple overly ripe bananas and needed to make something with them. These mini-muffins were perfect, and delicious! My kids really liked them.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 overly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray 24 mini muffin tins. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the honey, egg, milk, and oil. Then stir in the mashed bananas. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 12-15 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Let cool slightly on a cooling rack.

Basil Pesto Muffins

These are savory muffins that go well with any Italian dinner... if you can wait until dinner to eat them!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4t. salt
1 c. olive oil, divided
3/4 c. milk
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
1 c. shredded parmesan
1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 c. chopped pine nuts
Coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-c muffin pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and table salt in a large bowl; form a well in the center.

Combine 3/4 c. oil, milk and eggs in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout until eggs are lightly beaten. Pour mixture into well of dry ingredients; stir only until moistened.

Fold basil, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic into batter just until evenly distributed.

Spoon batter into each muffin cup filling 2/3 full. Drizzle 1 t. remaining olive oil over each muffin. Sprinkle pine nuts and sea salt on top of each muffin.

Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20-22 min.

Heat broiler to high with rack 6 in. from element. Broil muffins until tops are golden, 2-3 minutes.