Banana Bread

A good friend of ours (who I babysit for!) shared this fabulous banana bread recipe with me. I made it with whole wheat flour, and it was still just as moist and yummy:-) But no nuts for us... I am the only one who likes them in desserts.

A cup of tea and a slice of bread is the perfect afternoon snack:-)

Banana Nut Loaf

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel

2 ripe bananas, cut up (1 cup)

2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Lightly grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and soda.

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add orange peel; beat well.

Mash bananas with a fork; stir in milk.

Add flour mixture and banana mixture

alternately to creamed mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into pan, bake at 350° oven for 45-50 minutes.

When tooth pick comes out clean, it is done. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Apple Cake with Vanilla Sauce

I made this yummy apple cake last Sunday evening. We ate it still warm while playing an exhilerating game of "Dutch Blitz"!!

♥Apple Cake with vanilla sauce♥

(Recipe for 8x8 pan, I doubled this)

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. milk

3/4 cup sugarr

1 cup all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat with great results!)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups cored, peeled and chopped apples, such as Golden Delicious or Crispin

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Vanilla sauce (recipe follows)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8 inch square cake pan. Cream the butter, egg, milk, and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl; then stir into the butter mixture until blended. Stir in the apples and walnuts. Spoon the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared pan. Bake until lightly brown, and tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Pour warm sauce over cake before serving.

Vanilla Sauce

Melt 1.4 cup butter (1/2 stick) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fresh skimmed cream from our milk), 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract ; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to slightly cool and thicken, about 5 minutes.

(Sauce can be refrigerated , tightly covered, up to 3 days. Makes about 2/3 cup.)

This received rave reviews from the tasting crew: my brothers and sisters and mom and dad!:-)

It would make a yummy breakfast coffee cake, too!

~Crepes~

This is a favorite at our house! We don't make them often because it takes a long time to make enough for our big family.

If you aren't familiar with crepes, they are like a very thin, eggy pancake that you roll up with a filling. Sooo yummy!!
~Crepes~
This recipe makes 12 crepes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Mix together until smooth. Pour into a crepe or omelet pan that is well buttered. Flip when bubbly. stack the cooked ones on a plate. Serve warm with your favorite sweet or savory toppings!

We like:

~berries and home made whipped cream~

~Cinnamon sugar on the inside, rolled up with powdered sugar sprinkled on top!~

These are a real treat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert!

~Homemade granola~

I am sharing with you the home made granola recipe I make. Normally I don't measure I just throw in this and that. Today I decided to measure (because my sister Bonnie over at http://crabapplepond.blogspot.com was asking for the recipe).

I have tried other recipes which I find on the internet, but my siblings and dad always say they like the normal one, so I just keep on making it! 

Dry Ingredients:

9 cups of oats (I usually do half quick oats and half old fashioned oats)

1 cup sun flower seeds

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

2 Tablspoons cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

Optional: 1 1/4 cups dry instant powdered milk  -- this adds a nice sweet flavor and texture. I use it when we have it.

Mix these together in a big bowl:

Liquid Ingredients:

2/3 cup olive oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place these ingredients, except for the vanilla, in a sauce pan and heat on the stove. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and add the vanilla:

Pour over the dry ingredients:

Stir with a wooden spoon. I usually stir till it has cooled slightly, then I use my hands to toss it and mix it really well:

Spread out on 2 greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes; stir around with a spatula; bake an additional 5 minutes or until it is beginning to turn brown but not burning! (watch carefully:-)  ).

Cool completely before storing in an air tight container:

Serving suggestions:

~Serve with milk and sprinkle on some raisins

~Serve with yogurt and craisins

~Make berry yogurt parfaits and top with granola

Delicious Cinnamon Rolls !!

This makes a large batch, and they are oh so yummy! Perfectly light and fluffy and gooey:-) Yes, you should make these too!

Quick Buttermilk Sweet Dough

(you turn this into cinnamon rolls)

2 slightly rounded Tablespoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar)

2 eggs

5 1/2 - 6 cups flour

1/2 cup softened butter (= 1 stick)

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add buttermilk, eggs, 2 1/2 cups of flour, the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend 30 seconds on low speed (or by hand for one minute) scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour to make dough easy to handle (dough should remain soft and slightly sticky).

Turn dough onto well-floured surface; knead 5 minutes or about 200 turns.

Shape dough immediately (no need to let rise at this point) into desired rolls and coffee cakes.

Cover and let rise in warm place until double; about 1 hour. (dough is ready if impression remains when touched)

Heat oven to 375 f. Bake until slightly golden.

For Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet dough recipe

4 Tablespoons softened butter

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

~Divide dough into two balls. Roll each ball out into about a 15"x9" rectangle. Spread with butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up beginning at wide side (the long edge). Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch to make roll even. Cut rolls into 15 slices each, place slightly apart in 2 greased 9"x13" baking pans or in greased muffin cups. Let rise until double. Bake 25-30 minutes. While warm, frost rolls with icing.

For Sweet Icing

Mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

until smooth.

Now go wipe the drool off your chin and make yourself a batch of these for breakfast!

Best served warm with a cup of coffee:-)