Caramelized Banana Bread with Browned Butter Glaze

I made this today and it is so good. The kids love it and will be gone before the day is over.


This recipe was adapted from Our Best Bites. 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 medium ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablepsoons rum (optional; can be replaced with 1-2 teaspoons rum extract or 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
2 large eggs
9 ounces (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk or half and half

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Slice the bananas. Set aside.
Over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the bananas and brown sugar and saute for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Place the banana mixture in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
Combine the buttermilk, oil, rum or extracts, and eggs in a large liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add it to the banana mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown on top and a pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare the glaze, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to get brown and fragrant (careful…things can go south REALLY quickly. Be sure to remove from heat as soon as it starts to get brown.) Whisk in the powdered sugar and milk or half and half and drizzle over the cooled banana bread and allow the glaze to set before slicing. 

Menu Plan 10/8/12 - 10/13/12

Monday 

Unstuffed Peppers http://lovetocookagain.blogspot.com/2011/03/unstuffed-peppers-rachel-ray.html

Tuesday

out

Wednesday

Lasagna Soup/bread http://lovetocookagain.blogspot.com/2011/02/lasagna-soup.html

Thursday

Rice and Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

Friday

Homemade Pizza

Saturday

leftovers

Sunday

Crock pot Italian Chicken http://lovetocookagain.blogspot.com/2012/04/crockpot-italian-chicken.html

Hobo Meatball Stew

This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home. 

Ingredients

• 1 package of meatballs, 12 oz
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups ketchup
• 3  teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 can of peas

Directions

• Place the potatoes, carrots and onion in a 3-qt. slow cooker; top with meatballs. Combine the water, ketchup, vinegar, basil, and salt and pepper; pour over meatballs.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender. During the last 15 minutes add the peas.
• We served this over rice. Very yummy. 
• Yield: 4 servings.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Recipe is from Ina Garten (Food Network)

A nice fall soup recipe. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins

Recipe is from Our Best Bites. 

This was a hit at our house. So good! I love them warm, right out of the oven. 

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix (I didn't have yellow cake mix I only had white and it turned out fine)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (I used cinnamon)
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lin 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat on low for 30 seconds to incorporate the ingredients and then beat on high for 3 minutes.

Toss the chopped apples in the lemon juice and then add the flour and toss to coat evenly. Fold the apples into the cake batter and then divide evenly in the lined muffin tin.

Whisk together all the streusel topping ingredients except the butter. Add the butter and cut it in with two  knives or a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.

Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes (this really will depend on your oven) or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Makes 24 muffins.

Apples and Ice Cream (Rachel Ray)

We made this tonight and it was so good! The best part is it is quick and easy. We think it is better than apple pie. :)

Ingredients

• 4 large green apples
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• A pinch ground cloves or 1 whole clove (I didn't have any so I did not add this to the recipe)
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 1 spray container whipped cream
• Caramel topping
• Chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Peel and quarter the apples. Core each quarter. Slice the apples up. Add butter to the skillet, then apples. Saute 7 or 8 minutes, add sugar, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg and cook 2 minutes more. Spoon the sauteed apples into dessert dishes and top with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel topping and pecans.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from How Sweet It Is

makes 15-20 cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cups rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon with the mixer on medium speed. Beat in oats. Mix until dough comes together. Add in 1 tablespoon milk if the dough is crumbly. If dough is still crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls. Set on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Lightly press down on dough to flatten it. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes.