Joey's Banana Bread Trifle

 

 

 Here's a little showstopper of a dessert that I recently made for my family's Thanksgiving Dessert Party. It's basically a variation on a banana pudding, but as always, I can't leave well enough alone, and decided to PLUS it. 

 A banana pudding is usually layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding, and Nilla wafers. But then I thought, why not make it into a trifle? (Side note, my niece, Natalie, stated that a banana pudding is already a trifle, but one could argue that a trifle has cake in it, or in this case, banana bread.. but that's a debate for another time... )

 Anyway, I still wanted to include the Nilla Wafers, but then decided to guild the lily and push it over the top with crushed Heath Bars as well. BOOM.

 Everyone raved about it! I mean, nothing against all of the other homemade desserts, but this may or may not have been the talk of the dessert table. Just sayin! I'm pretty sure I've just added this to my growing list of "must make" holiday desserts for my family. My nephew, Will, told me I need to post this IMMEDIATELY.. Glad you liked it, William!

 So if you're a fan of banana pudding, you absolutely MUST try it. I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews from your family and friends. It's perfect for your next holiday gathering. Enjoy!

 

  

2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Crushed Nilla wafers

6-8 ripe bananas, sliced, (or more if needed)

1 homemade or store bought Banana Bread,  cut into cubes

Crushed Heath Bars or Heath Toffee Bits


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until the powder is dissolved and the pudding begins to thicken. 
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into whipped cream. 

Now gently fold the sweetened cream into the pudding. 

You’re ready to layer! 
In a tall sided glass bowl, create layers in this order:

pudding

banana bread cubes

banana slices

crushed Nilla wafers

toffee bits 

Finish by ending with pudding on top.

Garnish with more crushed Nilla wafers and Heath bits. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 



Tips:
When you’re whipping the cream, you want to go to soft peaks or just beyond, but you don’t want to over whip it. Otherwise it’ll break and turn into butter, which is great and all, but that’s not what we’re looking for here!
When layering, I like to make pretty layers around the edges by standing the banana slices up against the side of the bowl before adding the other ingredients. You'll use more bananas, but it makes for a nicer presentation! Plus, like I always say, more is more!

The best way to make sure you come out even when layering is to divide the pudding into thirds, and divide the other ingredients in half. 3 layers of pudding, two layers of everything else, got it?
If you don’t have a tall sided glass bowl, just use any pretty serving bowl. You can even make it in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

Joey's Hawaiian Banana Bread

 

 I recently found myself with a few extra bananas that were bordering on being over ripe. And what do you do with over ripe bananas? You make banana bread, of course! And since I can never leave well enough alone (as my Mom used to say), I decided to switch it up and have a little fun with the flavors. 

 So I began to think of which flavors I love to pair with bananas. Hm.. Chocolate? or maybe peanut butter?

 And then I remembered a cake I had made years ago called Dr Bird Cake which combined the flavors of banana and pineapple. (It's actually one of my all time favorite cakes, tbh). That sounds perfect! Actually, while I'm at it, why not go full Hawaiian and add coconut too? Boom. That's the answer. 

 I figured I could just use my go-to Banana Bread recipe and add pineapple and coconut to it, but it's always nice to try new recipes, dontcha think? This recipe is my version of a recipe I found on food.com. It's very light and sweet and definitely blurs the line between banana bread and banana cake, but either way it's absolutely delicious. It's perfect for a nice brunch, an afternoon tea, or just when you feel like a little sweet treat. 

Time to buy more bananas... I think I need to make this one again!

 

 

 

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 eggs
1 tsp rum extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Grease and flour just the bottom of a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Set aside.
Cream sugar and butter very well. Add bananas, eggs, and rum extract.
In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Blend flour mixture into banana mixture, making sure not to overmix.

Gently fold in diced pineapples and coconut.
Turn batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

 

 

 

Tips:

 People have asked why I specifically say to grease and flour the bottom of the loaf pans, but not the sides. The truth is you can grease the whole pan if you want to. But I find that your bread bakes up with a cleaner edge if you just do the bottom. If you're worried about it sticking to the sides, just run a knife around the side edges of the pan before you turn it out onto a wire rack for cooling. 

 You can serve it plain as it is, but if you want to get creative, trying toasting a slice then topping it with a pat of butter. HEAVEN. For a little more wow factor, drizzle it with a cream cheese glaze. 

 This recipe can easily be doubled. Bake two and freeze one!

 

 

No Bake Banana Split Dessert

 

 I was looking for something that SCREAMED summer dessert. You know, something to bring to a BBQ, something that would feed a crowd, something that you know everyone would love.
 Then I remembered seeing something similar to this about a million years ago, and immediately knew that this was what I wanted.  “….now…if I could just remember who had that recipe… was it my sister in law Terri? hmm… I can’t remember.” Then I figured there MUST be one online somewhere, and of course there was. Actually, there are a million versions. I just picked this one (from Browneyed Baker) because it most closely resembled what I was picturing in my memory.
 It’s the perfect thing to bring to your 4th of July BBQ, or frankly any summer event. And it’s the perfect thing to make the day before. Have fun and customize it with your favorite banana split toppings! No matter how you do it, I’m sure it’ll be a hit! I mean, come on… who doesn’t love a banana split??

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs


1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbs sugar


For the filling:
12 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)


1/4 cup granulated sugar


8 oz Cool Whip


For the fruit and toppings:
3 to 4 bananas (sliced)


20 oz canned crushed pineapple, drained well


16 oz strawberries (hulled and sliced)


8 oz Cool Whip


1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)


Chocolate syrup


Maraschino cherries

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside. 
In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter with a fork, stirring until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened. Dump the crumbs into the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the next layer.
 In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the Cool Whip until thoroughly combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker crust.
Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on top of the cream cheese filling, top with an even layer of the crushed pineapple, and then an even layer of the sliced strawberries.
 Cover with the Cool Whip, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, then drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with maraschino cherries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.


Tips:
Instead of refrigerating my crust, I baked it at 350ºF for about 10 minutes. I know, I know, it’s supposed to be ‘no bake” right? Well, what can I say? I like a baked crust!
Also I used pineapple ice cream topping instead of crushed. A, because I had it on hand, B, because I worried that the juice from the crushed pineapple would make it too runny. Hindsight, I think I would have liked the crushed pineapple better. Turns out that the pineapple topping made everything VERY sweet, and I think the crushed pineapple would have tasted a little bit more fresh. So now we know! I’ll just be sure to really drain the pineapple very well!
Btw, I used WAY more bananas than the recipe says. I just sliced enough to make a solid layer!

Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread

  As the end of summer rapidly approaches, many home gardeners are faced with the same question: "what are we gonna do with all of this extra zucchini?" Well, my friends, here's the answer!
 Yes, I know that zucchini bread isn't exactly the most ground breaking idea to ever come into the kitchen, but when you add blueberries and bananas to the party, well now, THAT is something new!
 I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Averie Cooks. It hits all of my recipe criteria (quick to throw together, ingredients that are readily available, easy enough for the baking novice) and it tastes absolutely delicious! It's not overly sweet, but it lets all the flavors shine through. Oh, and can we talk about how moist it is? Usually when you're baking breads, you have just one ingredient headliner that contributes a lot of moisture, such as blueberries, or zucchini, or bananas. Well, in this case, we have ALL THREE! So believe me when I tell you that this might be the most moist bread you've ever baked. I'm not even kidding!
 Ok, so, as I often do, I asked a few of my friends to try it, just to let me know if they think it's good enough to share on my blog. When they tasted this one, they ALL said "yes, absolutely, 100%!" (Actually, I think they were my friend Mack's actual words! lol) In fact, it was almost gone before I even had a chance to take a picture! So here we are. Sharing is caring!
 Oh, and one other thing. When I share recipes, I always post my own little hints or tips at the bottom, just in case there is anything extra that is noteworthy, but Averie has already done that for me too! So, thank you again, Averie, for another great recipe and also for the great tips. I'll definitely be making this one again!




1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour + 1/4 cup for tossing with blueberries
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 medium/large bananas)
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini, laid loosely in cup and not packed (don’t wring out)
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh blueberries



Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
To a large bowl, add the the first six ingredients, through vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Add the bananas, zucchini, and stir to combine; set aside. To a medium bowl, add the blueberries, 1/4 cup flour (helps prevent them from sinking while baking), and toss to coat. Add the blueberries and all flour bits to the large bowl with the batter and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.  Place loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 90 minutes (start checking at about 75 minutes), or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.





Averie's Tips:
 Before baking, evenly sprinkle the surface with 1 to 2 tablespoons blueberries for a visual pop of color.
At the 45 minute mark, tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it to prevent the top and sides from browning too quickly while giving the interior a chance to cook through.
I encourage rotating the pan a couple times during baking to ensure even baking because many ovens don’t bake evenly. Baking times will vary based on the moisture content of the bananas, zucchini, blueberries, climate, and oven variances.
Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes more or less time to bake than the baking time estimate provided.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

 Lately I've been in the mood for something banana. In cakes, breads, cupcakes, or even ice cream, I've always loved bananas, especially when they get to that perfectly delicious sweet spot where their peels are covered with little brown freckles. Before that, they're not as sweet, and after that, they go south rather quickly.
  I recently had a bunch of bananas that were just on the verge of going south, and I happened to find this recipe on a blog called Wellplated.com.  I figured, "ok, looks pretty simple, lets go for it!" They took no time at all, and boom, here I am with some deliciously moist banana muffins! Perfect! You just blitz everything together in a blender, pour it into your muffin tins, and then pop 'em in the oven. SO EASY! And they're pretty darn healthy too! (If you're one who has gluten restrictions in his diet, then this one is for you!) And the honey adds just the perfect amount of sweetness. I added mini chocolate chips, but add whatever mix-ins you like. Dried fruit, chopped nuts, it will all work!
 Better keep this one handy. I'm sure you'll be coming back to it again and again!


2 cups oats (quick cooking or old fashioned)
2 large very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 to 3 tbs honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Up to 1/2 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips (mini or regular), chopped dark chocolate, nuts, dried cranberries, or blueberries (fresh or frozen and rinsed)


 Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin or line with paper liners. If using liners, lightly grease them as well. Set aside.
 Place the all ingredients but the mix-ins in a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade: oats, bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend or process on high, stopping to scrape down and stir the ingredients once or twice as needed, until the batter is smooth and the oats have broken down almost completely, about 3 minutes. By hand, stir in the mix-ins. If the batter is warm from the appliance’s motor, the chocolate chips may melt and swirl as they are stirred. If this bothers you, let the batter cool for 10 minutes before adding them.
 Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than three-quarters of the way to the top. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips or nuts as desired. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. They will deflate but still taste delicious. 

Tips:
Next time I make this, instead of throwing everything in at once, I think I'll blend the bananas, eggs, honey, yogurt, and vanilla first,  and then I'll add everything else. It might make the blending process a little easier for the blender!
This recipe says that it makes 12 muffins, but for some reason, my batch made 18, leaving me with 6 empty muffin wells in a second muffin tin. (I suppose I'll fill them a little more next time!) If it should ever happen that you're baking an incomplete muffin tin, always be sure to fill the rest of the muffin wells with water. This keeps the pan at an even heat so that everything bakes evenly, plus it keeps your pan from burning. Clever, huh?
 Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months!

Banana Cupcakes

 Not too long ago, I was asked to bake banana cupcakes for a 60th birthday party. TBH, I didn't have a go-to recipe for banana cupcakes, but I figured, "how hard can they be?" So I did a little googling, and quickly happened upon this recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. They seemed easy and quick and they looked like everything I wanted in a banana cupcake recipe. (To be clear, these are banana cakes, not banana muffins!). My next decision was which icing to use. Martha used a honey cinnamon recipe, but I figured I'd go with a fabulous chocolate swiss meringue icing instead. A few banana chips and some mini chocolate chips for garnish, and they looked amazing!! Dontcha think??
 They were a HUGE hit at the party, so this is clearly the new go-to recipe for banana cupcakes. Perhaps next time I'll try it with the honey cinnamon icing, but for now, I think I'll stick with chocolate. One thing is for sure. I'll definitely be making them again and again.
You should definitely give them a try!


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Dried banana chips and mini chocolate chips for garnish, (optional)


 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread or pipe each cupcake with your favorite chocolate icing. Sprinkle tops with mini chips, then place one banana chip in the center, if desired.

Tips:
I doubled the entire recipe because I needed to do a tray of 2 dozen. Not all recipes turn out as well when you double them, but this one was perfect!
Instead of doing chocolate icing, you could also use cream cheese icing or even whipped cream on top. Or how about some shredded coconut? Try whichever combination you like!
If you'd prefer to use fresh banana slices instead of dried ones, peel and slice the bananas then top each cupcake just before serving. If you slice the bananas too far in advance, they'll turn brown.
You really don't even need to garnish with the banana slices, but it shows your guest what kind of cupcakes they are! Clever, huh?

Banana Bread Cake

 I always love when people send me recipes, and when I received this one, I couldn't wait to try it. It comes to me from Missouri,  specifically from Beck Zimmer's daughter's friend, Rita. (Did I get that right?? ah well, my apologies if I got it wrong!) Anyway, isn't it fun how recipes make the rounds and get passed from friend to friend to friend? I love that! And this one is so easy, you just throw everything into a bowl and mix it up. Simple!
 I made this cake for one of my Sunday dinners with Chris and Claire, and Chris said that this was the best cake I've made in a long time. It's now one of his all time favorites! I'll definitely be making it again soon. You should too!  Oh, and don't forget to send me your favorite recipes. I love hearing from you!! Thanx guys!

1 plain yellow or white cake mix
1/2 c brown sugar
2 very ripe bananas (1 cup)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 c. canola oil
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon

Add all together, mix well.
I use either 2 loaf pans or a typical cake pan, but bet it would be good in a bundt pan.
I spray the pan with Pam, then coat it with sugar and cinnamon
Usually, I add mini chocolate chips and pecans just because I love both!
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes
Enjoy!

Tip:
To make buttermilk, add a tbs of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of regular milk, and microwave for 30 seconds. The milk will curdle, which is exactly what you want!
For a little extra flavor, try adding a teaspoon of rum extract.
For the photo, I drizzled the cake with a brown sugar glaze, but you can frost the cake any way you like, or just simply dust with powdered sugar. Chocolate or peanut butter glaze would be yummy too!

Banoffee Pie

 I first heard of Banoffee Pie on a cooking show that highlighted decadent desserts from different restaurants. Of course, it looked so good that I needed to get the recipe. Little did I know how popular the dish has been for decades! I had no idea that this was a classic British "pudding"!
I looked up the pie's origin and this is what wikipedia has to say about it:

  Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Ian Dowding (chef) and Nigel Mackenzie (owner) at The Hungry Monk restaurant (now closed) in Jevington, East Sussex. They developed the dessert in 1972, having been inspired by an American dish known as "Blum's Coffee Toffee Pie", which consisted of smooth toffee topped with coffee-flavoured whipped cream. Dowding adapted the recipe to instead use the type of soft caramel toffee created by boiling a can of condensed milk and worked with Mackenzie to add a layer of bananas. They called the dish "Banoffi" and it was an immediate success, proving so popular with their customers that they "couldn't take it off" the menu.

 And there you have it. Actually, I do remember seeing this method on a cooking show many years ago called Two Hot Tamales, and they did the same thing with the cans of sweetened condensed milk. I never thought of making a pie with it, though. I just used it as a caramel sauce for ice cream (which is FABULOUS, btw).
So, I've listed two versions of the pie. The first is from Nigella Lawson, and is the classic British version (as least, as far as I can tell). It uses Digestive Biscuits, which are kind of like graham crackers. The second is from Paula Deen. It's slightly different, but it's still the same idea. Paula's method of caramelizing the milk is different, but is ready in half the time, and it also eliminates the worry of exploding cans!
 Give it a try!
 


Nigella's Version:
 2 cups crushed Digestive Biscuits
6 tbs melted butter
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
4 or 5 ripe bananas
whipped cream
mini chocolate chips, if desired

 Melt butter and add crushed biscuits, spread on bottom of tin & chill. boil the tins of condensed milk for 2-2.5 hours. BE SURE THAT THE TINS ARE SUBMERGED IN WATER AT ALL TIMES - OR ELSE YOU WILL BE CLEANING THE CEILING!!!
When cool spread the toffee over the biscuit base. slice up a couple of ripe bananas on top of toffee whip up the cream and spread over the banana. Grate some chocolate or even chocolate curls, or drizzle melted chocolate over the top chill (or serve straight away) and serve to very happy people!

-BIG TIP- one can boil up a load of tins of condensed milk. Once they are cooked they will keep very safely for months in the larder or cupboard. Just keep an eye on water levels. This makes it the fastest dessert in town if one has the toffee already. Also the biscuit base mix freezes very well.

Paula's Version:
2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 tablespoons butter, softened
 3 large bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

 Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9" pie plate. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 350.
 To create toffee filling, caramelize the sweetened condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk into a 9x12x2 glass-baking dish. Cover with foil and place dish inside a larger poaching pan. Add water to poaching pan until half way up sides of baking dish. Bake at 300 for an hour and a half.
 Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled, spread half of evenly inside crust. Slice the bananas and layer on top of filling. Pour remaining half of filling over bananas, spreading evenly. Whip the cream with the confectioners sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas.

Joey's Tips:
*You clearly don't have to remove the label from the cans before you boil them, but if you don't, the glue will melt and get all over the inside of your pot, which is kind of a pain to clean. It's easier just to remove the label in the first place. Then again, if you use Paula's method, you don't have to worry about that at all!
-For the crust, I used 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (2/3 of a box) + 8 tbs melted butter. I found Paula's crust recipe to be a little too much butter and not enough crumbs.
-I prefer the graham crackers over the digestives because I find them to have a slightly different, more crispy texture. Just sayin!
-Use a second pie plate to press the crumbs into the first pie plate for an even crust.
-Digestive Biscuits are so named because of the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed.

Bananas Foster French Toast

Have you ever had Bananas Foster? If you're not familiar with it, it's a FABULOUS dessert consisting of bananas cooked with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then spiked with a little rum and ignited until the alcohol burns off. Then you serve it over vanilla ice cream. Sounds like heaven on a plate, doesn't it? (Actually, it's been on my list of recipes for a while now, soon to be posted!)
 So, what if you took all of that awesomeness and made a French toast version of it? When my sister, Cathy, showed me Betty Crocker's version, it CLEARLY fell into the "How can this not be good?" category. Of course, I tweaked the recipe ever so slightly, and then I decided to make it for Chris and Claire. It was an immediate hit and it was SUPER easy! It's also a time saver because you throw it together the night before you wanna serve it, then just pop it in the oven in the morning. Simple!! I think I might need to make this for Easter Brunch.
I think you should too!!!

1 loaf Pepperidge Farms Cinnamon bread
10 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup maple syrup

Topping:
2 cups maple syrup
1 tsp rum extract
6-8 ripe bananas
1 cup chopped pecans, (optional)

Spray bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread cubes in baking dish in an even layer. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk and 3/4 cup of the maple syrup with wire whisk. Pour over bread in baking dish. Using the back of a big spoon, press bread cubes down so that they get coated with the custard liquid. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
 Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover; bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown along edges. Let stand 7 to 10 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 2 cups maple syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until warm. Stir in rum extract. Sprinkle banana slices and pecans (if using) evenly over bread; drizzle with warmed syrup mixture. Serve immediately.

Tips:
This goes PERFECTLY with your favorite crisped bacon or sausage. Just sayin!
The French toast part of this recipe serves as a blank canvas for any kind of topping you like. If bananas are not your thing, try any kind of fresh fruit! Sliced ripe peaches or apples sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar would be amazing. Also strawberries or blueberries. Oh, and make sure you heat the maple syrup. It's just SO much better that way!!!
Actually, come to think of it, the next time I make this, I think I might put the bananas and syrup together in a small pan over medium heat, just until the bananas are heated through (instead of just heating the syrup and pouring it over cold bananas). Mmmm......

Banana Upside Down Cake

 What do you do when you have several bananas that are perfectly ripe and on the verge becoming too brown? Obviously, you bake something!!!
  Yes, of course, you can bake banana bread (which I absolutely LOVE). But how about something slightly different? Everyone loves a delicious pineapple upside down cake, so why not do it with bananas instead? It's so simple to do and I PROMISE you that the banana lovers in your life will love you for it. If Cathy's family hadn't rescued me, I probably would have eaten the entire thing. It's so yummy and moist and sticky and gooey! Oh, and it's also perfect if you don't need to feed a huge mob. It makes a little one layer cake that is perfect for a small group. Hmm...I wonder if you can double it and bake it in a 9x13 pan....who knows???  Maybe I'll try that soon. In the meantime, give it a try. If you like banana bread, you'll LOVE it!



1 cup brown sugar
6 tbs butter
1 tbs dark corn syrup

tiny pinch salt
3-4 large bananas

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp brandy or rum extract (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside bottom of the pan well with foil (this will prevent caramel from leaking later).
In a small sauce pot or microwave-safe bowl, melt together 6 tbs butter and corn syrup. Stir in brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Slice peeled bananas on the diagonal, making each slice approx. 1/4-inch thick. Arrange in a single layer in the brown sugar mixture on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and cinnamon. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add in the flour mixture in two or three additions, alternating with additions of milk.
Pour batter into pan and spread evenly, ensuring that all banana slices are covered.
Bake for 80-90 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Once the cake is out of the oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen and turn cake out onto a serving platter while still hot. Cool to warm or room temperature before serving. Store any leftovers covered in plastic wrap.

Tips:
If you don't have a springform pan, you can easily use a regular 9" layer pan. Just grease it well with baking spray or butter and flour. Then, just to be sure your bananas and caramel don't stick, line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper which has been cut to fit the pan. Then grease the parchment. I PROMISE you it will come right out of the pan.

The best time to enjoy bananas is when the peel is yellow with tiny brown specks. If the peel is still a little green, it's not quite ripe yet. If the peel has huge brown spots all over it, it's goin' downhill fast. You can still bake with the bananas that are over ripe, but it's probably best to choose a recipe that calls for mashed bananas instead of a recipe where you want the bananas to hold their shape.

Btw, When I made it, I only had two bananas, so I wasn't really able to completely cover the bottom of the pan. The next time I make it, though, I'll absolutely use 3-4 bananas. More is More!!

Frosted Banana Bars

I recently performed the role of Roger in a production of The Producers, and my family came to see the show. We had quite a large group! Between friends and family, I think about 35 people came to see me in the show that night. I can't even put into words how much that means to me!
 Thanx again guys!
Since it was right around Carly's birthday, we all went back to my sister Cathy's house for coffee and cake after the show. Cathy made Gregg's Very Most Favorite Can't Resist Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake, and Casey made these delicious banana bars. I love anything banana, so I knew I'd LOVE them. Of course I couldn't stop eating them. SO DELISH!  Seriously, banana bars with cream cheese icing? What's not to love? Thanx to Casey for making them, and thanx to my Jeanie for giving Casey the recipe and then passing it on to me!
If you like bananas, then this one has your name all over it!

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups ripe mashed bananas

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 (or 4) cups 10x sugar

Heat oven to 350F.
Mix all ingredients together and spread in sheet pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly tapped.
Frost and refrigerate.

Tips:
I'd use a jelly roll pan for this one. Also, it's probably not a bad idea to grease and flour the pan, or spray it with baking spray (which is a nonstick spray with added flour, specifically for baking).
Be sure that it's well chilled before you slice into bars. A, I think it tastes better when the bars are chilled, and B, I think it makes the cutting easier if the cream cheese frosting has set up a bit.

Roz and Joe's Fruit Salad

 Roz and Joe are more than just dear close friends, they're part of my family. Of course this means they're included at every Quaile Family function. Roz and my Jeanie are total besties, and Joe actually gave me my first real job about a million years ago when I was just out of high school. They're always the first ones to help whenever anyone needs a hand, and they even host our huge Christmas Pollyanna party at their home. (And if you know the size of my family, you know how big of a deal that is!) They're just some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, that's all.
 Roz is a fabulous cook, so I'm always talking recipes with her. This fruit salad recipe is one of the signature dishes she brings to our Easter Brunch as well as other summer parties. Recently, though, I discovered that JOE is the one who has been making the fruit salad all this time, not Roz. Joe, have you been holding out on us???
 Well, regardless of who makes it, I love it, and I'm glad they allowed me to share it with you. It's very simple to make and it's SO refreshing. I know you'll love it too!
 Thanx guys!!

10 seedless navel oranges
5 pink grapefruit
2- 20 oz. cans of crushed pineapples
1 - 10 oz. jar of whole cherries
6 bananas ( on the firm side)

It is important to remove as much membrane as possible from both the orange & grapefruit. Break both orange & grapefruit by hand , over large bowl to collect all juices.
Mix crushed pineapple, and cherries and their natural syrup in bowl with orange & grapefruit.
Depending on sweetness of fruit, 10X sugar may be added to increase sweetness.
Add sliced bananas just before serving, to prevent bananas from becoming over ripe.
Serves 8-10.


Tip from Joey:
My favorite way to enjoy any fruit salad is when it's well chilled. Be sure to keep it nice and cold right up until you serve it!  PERFECT on a hot summer day!

Banana Bread

When you think of banana bread, you think of old-timey home-baked goodness. It's moist, sweet, and comforting, especially when it's hot out of the oven. This is a great way to use up your extra leftover bananas as they get really speckled and soft. That's when they're perfect for baking! Try this recipe the next time you want to make your whole house smell heavenly.
You'll love it!

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs, beaten
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure rum extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
1 c. pecans or walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350F.
Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and mashed bananas. Add extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk. Blend well. Stir in nuts or any extras (if using). Pour into greased 9x5x2 loaf pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Tips:
The rum extract is a really important ingredient here. Don't forget it! And if you can't find rum extract, brandy extract will work just as nicely.
This recipe doubles easily and the baked loaves freeze really well.
Why not make two and freeze one?
Also, feel free to add any extras you like, such as chocolate chips, chopped nuts, peanut butter chips, or fresh blueberries.
Delish!

Banana Nut Cookies

Here's another favorite recipe from my favorite Mrs. Fields Cookie Book. I know I've said this before, but seriously, there isn't a bad recipe in this book. Every single recipe that I've tried has been a huge success. This is one of the all time faves. LOVE it!

2 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon banana liqueur or extract
3/4 cup ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, chopped


Preheat oven to 300F.
In a medium bowl, combine four, soda and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add egg, liqueur and banana, and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture, 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the walnuts and blend at low speed until just combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle cookies with chocolate chips, 6 to 8 per cookie. Bake 25-27 minutes until cookie edges begin to brown. Transfer immediately to a cool surface.

Tip:
I always add a little extra banana liqueur to give it an added punch of banana flavor. I also like to use pecans instead of walnuts, just because I like them better! If you don't like nuts or chocolate chips, you can simply omit them from the recipe. You can do either one, or both, or neither. You could even add peanut butter chips instead of the nuts and chocolate chips.
They'll be delicious!

Banana Crunch Cake

Some of the best recipes are the oldies but goodies. This one was the winner of the 1973 Pillsbury Bake Off. It's a classic! If you've never tried it, you clearly must! It's one of Karen's signature cakes and my family loves it.
Your family will love it too!


1/2 cup flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sliced very ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 pkg Pillsbury Plus Yellow Cake mix


Heat oven to 350F.
Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, coconut, rolled oats, brown sugar and pecans; mix well. Using fork or pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; set aside. In large bowl, combine bananas, sour cream and eggs; blend until smooth. Add cake mix; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Spread 1/3 of the batter in greased and floured pan; sprinkle with 1/3 of coconut mixture. Repeat layers twice more using remaining batter and coconut mixture, ending with coconut mixture. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool upright in pan 15 minutes; remove from pan. Place on serving plate, coconut side up. Cool completely.

Tip:
Whenever you bake with bananas, it's best to use the ones that are really ripe. Did I say ripe? I mean REALLY ripe, like the ones with large brown specks all over the peel. If your bananas are still slightly green, you won't get the sweet banana flavor that you're looking for. Instead you'll get sort of a banana peel flavor, which is not very pleasant at all.

Will's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

I was recently at Reen's house and I noticed that she had some bananas that were rather ripe. Well, that's a little bit of an understatement. They were, to put it politely, on the brink! I said "Reen, you need to bake something with those bananas, they're perfect!" And without missing a beat she said "That's WILL's specialty!" She went on to tell me how her son, Will, bakes banana bread muffins and everyone goes crazy for them. Truly being his mother's son, he adds a twist to the original recipe and he puts his own personal spin on it. Sometimes he puts chocolate chips in them, (which is his favorite version). He also sometimes bakes them in mini muffin cups, breaks off squares of a Hershey Bar, and tops each one with a square of chocolate just as they come out of the oven. Can you stand it?!? The chocolate melts and becomes a sort of rich icing. How awesome is that!!! Thanx Will!




1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of melted margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 cup (2 or 3) mashed bananas
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of Hershey's chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs. Then add mashed bananas. Sift the dry ingredients together, then mix them in gradually.
Add vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into greased muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

Thought from Joey:
Clearly, you could make these without the chips, but why would you? I'm just sayin'!

Peanut Butter Banana Pie

 So here's on for my niece, Kristin, whose motto is "The peanut butterier, the better". It's CRAZY delicious and it's just as easy. You just throw everything in the pie shell and bake it! Simple, right? And I absolutely love the fresh bananas on top. Not a fan of bananas? Try topping it with some marshmallow creme, or maybe a drizzle of chocolate. OR BOTH! OMG somebody stop me...



1 unbaked pie crust
3 eggs
1 cups dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place pie crust in a pie plate. Pinch around the perimeter to make a decorative edge. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together next 5 ingredients until well combined. Stir in peanuts. Pour into prepared crust.
Carefully transfer to oven. Bake 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool completely. Top with sliced bananas and Whipped Cream.

Tip:
For a home made pie crust, make half the recipe for Easy Pie Crust.
I like to roughly chop the peanuts before adding them to the mixture, but it's not necessary.
You could omit the peanuts altogether and use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy, but I think you'd miss the salty roasted flavor of the peanuts.
I'm just sayin'.