Banana Cookies with Brown Sugar Glaze

It's just a few days before Halloween, I had overripe bananas so I made some delicious Banana Cookies with a brown sugar glaze.  I topped them with pecans and will be delivering them to some neighbors tonight for Family Night. If you have a young family or you're just young at heart, you may have heard of the "Boo Your Neighbor" tradition.  Here is one of many websites with free pintables for "booing" your neighbors!  It's fun to pass around the Halloween spirit and be neighborly at the same time! And most children love the "doorbell ditching" part of this activity!

I won't be being so anonymous this year because my neighbors might be suspicious of some random plate of cookies on their doorstep! I'm pretty certain they have never been "booed" before!

A note about the glaze: If you decide to sprinkle the pecans on top, be sure to do it before the glaze sets up.

BANANA COOKIES WITH BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

makes 2 1/2 dozen

 

 

Cookies:

1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 large bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg, mashed bananas and vanilla, and blend well with electric mixer. Gradually add the salt, baking soda and flour, mixing until fairly smooth.

Drop by cookie scoop onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. The bottoms should be a golden brown.

Remove cookies from baking sheets and place on a cooling rack. I place my cooling rack inside a large baking sheet to catch any glaze drips.

 

Glaze:

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)

1/4 cup milk

6 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (for garnish)

 

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a small saucepan. While stirring, (I use a whisk) bring mixture to boil on medium heat. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring (whisking) constantly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Gradually add the powdered sugar slowly, while whisking, until smooth, with no lumps.

You can adjust the desired thickness of the glaze by adding more powdered sugar or more milk.

Drizzle glaze by spoonful, over the cooling cookies. Immediately top with pecans, if desired.



When Dad hands me lemons, I make Lemon Cupcakes

 

 

Living in southern California, we get spoiled with our fabulous weather and wonderful citrus trees. My father has two lemon trees which are producing lots of juicy fruit right now! On each of my visits, he loads me up with these beauties.

I am bringing him a treat tomorrow. I have tried several lemon cupcake recipes and this one is my favorite so far. The flavor comes from fresh lemons and lemon zest - no artificial flavoring or extracts in this recipe!  I found it  here .

 They make 10 - 12 regular sized cupcakes. I have made them regular size and mini cupcake size. Be sure to adjust the baking time according to the size you make. You may only need to bake the minis about 9 minutes.  Don't over bake or they may be dry. 

 

 

A Favorite Cookie Recipe From Mary Engelbreit

This whimsical cookbook sits on my kitchen counter for much of the year so I can enjoy the delightful illustrations. Mary Engelbreit's Cookies Cookbook also has some yummy recipes; after all, they are "The Queen's Best Recipes"!
I have about 3 favorite chocolate chip recipes, depending on what type I'm in the mood for. This one makes the flat, crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle type.
The original recipe is provided below. I make some slight variations when I make up this recipe. I use dark brown sugar. Her recipe calls for light. I also use salted butter most of the time because it's what I usually have on hand. I don't adjust the salt amount but you could if you like. Sometimes I add the nuts and sometimes I don't.
Remember to use the best ingredients - butter, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate chips. It really does make a difference in the taste.
The recipe states in makes about 5 dozen cookies but with my cookie scoop it makes about 3 1/2 dozen. Be sure to watch the baking time. My cookies were ready to come out of the oven after 8 - 8 1/2 minutes.

Chocolate Chippers

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (3 1/2 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Using a large wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. 

4. Drop the cookie dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

5. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Clean Out The Cupboard Soup

So it's been awhile since the last post. No excuses. Just having fun living life!  Do you ever have one of those days you just don't want to go to the grocery store but you have nothing planned for dinner? That's me today. Soups are a great "go-to" meal as you can make them out of whatever you have on hand. This is the soup I mad today and I wish you could taste it because I have to say it's amazingly tasty! You'll notice that I don't put sizes for the canned items. You really can't go wrong. Remember, you're using what you have on hand! This soup could also be called Chili. My recipe has no meat but you could certainly add some browned ground turkey, chicken or beef. It is great served with tortilla chips or if you're feeling extra energetic - a crusty loaf of homemade bread!

Clean Out The Cupboard Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced or chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cloves crushed garlic (love Trader Joe's frozen garlic cubes)

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1  can black beans, don't drain

1 can mild Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn, drained

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbs. dried basil

1 Tbs dried Thyme

Saute' the onion and celery in about 2 Tbs olive oil, in a medium to large size sauce/soup pan. for about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and saute' for another 5 minutes. Add everything else and simmer for about 20 minutes. You can experiment with whatever spices you like or have on hand. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve or save in refrigerator and heat up slowly about a half hour before serving. 

You could cook this in a slow cooker after you saute' the vegetables. The consistency won't be the same but would still taste delicious. 

So Far My Best Brownie Recipe

Trust me, I've tried hundreds of brownie recipes and finally I have one that has it all ~ the "just right" texture and the perfect frosting for my taste. I don't care for the cream cheese type frosting on a brownie. They're great for carrot cake or pumpkin cookies but I like my brownies with a good chocolate buttercream frosting. The recipe I have come up with is a variation of one given to me by my friend Alese. The frosting recipe is probably your basic chocolate buttercream frosting. I have been making it for too many years and don't have an original source.  I have tried several different brands of cocoa but for this particular recipe I think Hershey's Cocoa works best. It's not too dark and not too bitter. 

DeAnn’s Decadent Brownies

1 cup (2 sticks butter)

2 cups granulated sugar

5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1½ cup flour

Pinch of salt

Melt butter in large saucepan. Whisk in sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in flour until mixed well.

Pour into greased, (I spray with nonstick baking spray) 9x13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

Cool completely before frosting (if desired) and cutting.

DeAnn’s Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

½ cup butter (1 stick), softened

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Tiny pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa together. With electric mixer, mix in the butter, vanilla. Add the milk a Tablespoon at a time, adding more if needed until frosting has reached a spreading consistency.

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Overripe Bananas are Good For Something!

For me, there is a fine line between a "just right" banana and a "too ripe" one! In my book, in order to eat a raw banana it has to be slightly green. I would post a photo but you probably don't really care! Besides, the whole reason I made my banana bread today on a very hot muggy day is due to the fact that my bananas were too ripe!  I am just as picky about my banana bread. It can't be too firm or rubbery in texture...yuck! It has to be moist, sort of cake-like and the crust cannot be too dark or it tastes burnt to me.  The reason I make small loaves is because when I make a large loaf, it tends to have to bake too long to get the middle done. This makes the crust way too dark. 

The small loaves are perfect for slicing and serving to family or lucky friends! 

My Favorite Banana Bread

(makes 5 small loaves)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cups chopped pecans, if desired

Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs and beat until blended in. In a separate small bowl (I use a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup) mix the buttermilk with the baking soda. Add buttermilk mixture alternately with flour and mix well. Add mashed bananas and vanilla and mix well again. Add pecans if desired.  

Divide batter into 5 small loaf pans which have been coated with nonstick spray, like Pam. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes. Loaves should be  golden in color and when a toothpick is inserted, comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove loaves from baking pans and cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Pound Cake Bundt

My own version of the famous Nothing Bundt Cakes cake!

For my dad, there is no other flavor than chocolate for dessert! Naturally, for his 92nd birthday this month I made him a chocolate cake! I love the cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Blaine gave me one for my birthday. My favorite flavor is the White Chocolate Raspberry, yummy! They are very moist and delicious! We used to buy them in Nevada so I'm  thrilled that we have a couple of stores now, here in Orange County!

They frost them with a delicious cream cheese icing but my dad likes chocolate butter-cream. Sooooo, I decided to bake him a chocolate pound cake. I love this recipe. The trick is to slightly under-bake it so the center is fudgy. I normally don't frost it but for his birthday, I went "all out"! I like to store the cake
in the fridge and serve it chilled, but that's just my preference. I love cold cake!

Chocolate Pound Bundt Cake

My variation of a recipe I received from a friend, Gail K.

1 ½ cups salted butter, softened

3 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup good quality unsweetened cocoa

1 cup milk (whole or 2%)

1 Tb pure vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture and milk alternately to creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix in vanilla extract.

Bake in prepared bundt pan at 325°F, for approximated 1 hour. I test mine by tapping lightly on the top (actually it will be the bottom!) of the cake. When it springs back and doesn’t jiggle around, then it’s done enough. You’ll just have to experiment to get the cake done to your likeness.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 5-10 minutes before transferring it to a cake plate.  Let cool completely before frosting it. Frost cooled cake with your favorite frosting or glaze. I only do homemade frosting and used a chocolate butter-cream for the cake pictured above.  I put the frosting into a decorator bag with about ¾ “ opening. I frosted the “petals” from the outside of the cake to the middle, using a little more pressure at first and less at the top. I topped the cake with a homemade tissue flower. Voila!