Banana Bread

Happy Tuesday everyone! WOW! 2 posts in a row. . . I must be on a roll.

I made this bread several weeks ago - pre oven break-down. I wasn't sure if I was going to post this recipe, but I decided I needed to, because our weekend heat ripened my bananas incredibly quick (I always forget about the disadvantages to summer heat) and since I am heading to a beautiful beach house with a working oven. . . I need my recipe readily available and that would be here, on my blog.

I found this recipe several years ago over at the food network website (it's by Emeril Lagasse) and it has since been my go to recipe. . . it is so moist and delicious!

Here's the recipe:

10 tbsp. + 1 tsp butter

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour (I just use all-purpose)

3/4 cup + 2 tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (I don't always put these in)

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease your loaf pan (or pans if you are making mini loaves).

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in food processor (when I am lazy. . . i just mix them really well in my stand mixer).

Sift cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tbs butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in nuts.

Pour into loaf pan(s) and bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour & 10 minutes (less if using mini-loaf pans). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Dig in. . . you might have to fight for it. . . it sure doesn't last long in our house!

I made mini loaves and gave a few to some appreciated people! I wrapped them in clear, plastic wrap, tied a ribbon and stamped a butterfly (Flight of the Butterfly, SU) and a thank you (it came from a word collection that was probably hero arts or something from JoAnns). The paper and ink were eggplant envy (I think?, which is also stampin' up). I like to sometimes tear the bottoms of my paper, which gives it a nice textured effect.

Another Starbucks copycat

Several weeks ago, was one of those weeks where I felt like I baked something everyday. On this particular week, it was my Bible Study's turn to provide snacks for all the other Tuesday morning Bible Studies. I was on a search to make something crumb-like. . . it just sounded yummy. I found this recipe here and as soon as I read the reviews, I knew I was going to make it!

Doesn't it just look good? I have to admit, that I took it to Bible Study and took a picture once getting there. Some of the ladies thought it was funny that I took a picture of food, but I just had to. This was a recipe I would definitely be blogging about this one. . . it's been the best way for me to keep track of favorite recipes lately.

So, a little about this recipe:

:: it uses graham crackers. I wasn't sure about that ingredient, but the crumbles made it so very tasty when mixed with all the cinnamon and sugar! I might even use this crumble recipe in other things, too!

:: I made it in a tube pan - this baked nicely, giving it a great swirl inside (above picture). I did crack a bit in the taking out process because it falls out upside down and then has to be flipped again. I don't think anybody noticed though!

Here's the recipe:

Streusel:

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamon (I didn't have this, so I just added nutmeg instead)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a tube pan, springform pan, or 8 inch square pan.

Combine ingredients for streusel and set aside.

Make cake: By sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Beat vigorously until mixed and quite thick. . . about 1 minute.

Spread half the batter into your prepared pan. Top with half the streusel mixture. Repeat.

Bake about 50 minutes.

Cool about 20 minutes and remove cake from pan.

I almost forgot . . .

I can't believe that I have had this pictures sitting in a file (very ready to post) and I completely forgot! I think it's even more sad that I was so excited to share this incredible recipe with you . . . 2 weeks ago! So, here I am, my second post of the day. . . just so you can join me in the deliciousness of this recipe.

Okay, so this is a bad picture (sorry).
I have recently became an self proclaimed addict of Panera Bread's Cobblestone muffin. . . it is so stinkin' delicious. Since, I just don't have the finances to eat there every day (does anybody?), I went on a quest to find a similar recipe. My search ended here with this yummy version of Panera's famous yeasted muffin. I don't think I had ever made a yeasted muffin. . . I've made cinnamon rolls, but no muffin. So, I had to try this and quick. Let me just say that these were easy. . . a little time consuming, but super easy. They also don't last very long. . . and you may just have to give up your diet to eat these. (There's no dieting in our home. . . just healthy food and daily exercising. . . so that we can indulge in these lovely muffins every now and then).

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Muffins

(adapted from Joy the Baker)

3 cups flour

2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
handful of golden raisins (optional)
more flour, granulated sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Step #1: I totally cheated. . . the original recipe calls for you do sit and do all the kneading and bread making yourself. Call me lazy, but I perfer to try out my bread maker for this. . . and it worked! So, combine warm water, flour, olive oil, salt and yeast into your bread maker. Set the machine to dough setting and let it do the work! (trust me it's great!). Oh yeah, I also through in a few sprinkles of cinnamon into the dough for extra flavor.

Step #2: In a bowl, combine butter, sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and raisins. Using a fork, work it together until you have a crumbly mixture.

Step #3: Roll out finished dough and cut little pieces and throw them into a bowl with cinnamon and sugar. . . toss until evenly coated with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Step #4: Use liners. . . (or not. . . but call me lazy. . . it saves on the mess and makes the much easier to pull out with out destroying the masterpiece).

Step #5: Put 3 to 4 dough pieces in bottom of each liner. Squish them together and sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Repeat with more dough and again with crumb mixture. You should have a total of 4 layers.

Step #6: Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before taking them out of the pan. . . unless you want to indulge yourself right away. . . which was me the day I made these.

Step #7: Pour yourself a glass of cold milk and sit and enjoy these yummy yeasted muffins. . . you worked hard. . . enjoy them. . . then go and run a couple of miles (or not!).

Enjoy these. . . please. . . they are delicious! If you want to make them without the bread maker and see the original recipe go visit Joy, the Baker.

Happy Baking!

mmmm. . . fresh bread

I guess yesterday I was in the baking mood. I found this recipe for Foccacia bread on a random website. I had all the ingredients (well close to. . I will explain later) and decided to make this to accompany our dinner (browned butter and Mizithra cheese pasta) and to suprise Jon. I am posting it because it was just that good!

A few months ago, I borrowed my mom's bread maker and I am having so much fun with it, and after discovering this recipe it is going to be even harder to give it back. As I mentioned earlier I had all the ingredients except italian seasoning. I did, however, have all the ingredients to make Italian seasoning and used freshly chopped garlic. I also used finely ground sea salt for my salt choice.

Basic Foccacia Recipe

1 cup water, warm
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons Italian seasoning, heaping
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine. Program for Dough or Manual, and press Start.
At the end of the cycle, remove the dough from the machine and punch it down. Roll it out to form a rectangle, and transfer it to a cookie sheet, 10 x 15-inch to 12 x 18-inch. Pat the dough into the pan. Make indentations in the dough with your fingertips, about an inch apart, and drizzle sparingly with olive oil.
Plain focaccia can be topped with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Other toppings may include browned onions, fresh minced garlic, goat cheese, pesto, fresh sage and bacon, potatoes and rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, olives, or any combination of those or other ingredients of your choice.
Allow the focaccia rise for 30 minutes to an hour. Bake the focaccia in the preheated 450*F (230*C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.
Makes 6 to 10 servings.
Source: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/bread/basic-focaccia-bread-machine-recipe.html

Breadstick Tutorial

One of my favorite things about eating at The Olive Garden is the breadsticks. They are so yummy and delicious that I tend to fill up on those and the salad before my meal comes and am too full to eat. Unfortunately, the recipes for those delicious breadsticks are under lock and key. But, thankfully, The team at Food Network magazine worked really hard to come up with a recipe that was similar. Last week, I decided to give it a try. Usually when I make bread, I just use the bread machine and go do something else because using yeast tends to overwhelm me. This recipe was so very easy, that I decided to take pictures to show that it is really easy. You can find the actual recipe in this months Food Network magazine in the "Copy That" section. Jon was very impressed with how they turned out.