Banana Bread

I have an .... ambivalent/hate relationship with banana bread. If you give it to me, I will sometimes like it, often feel very meh about it, often hate it, very rarely find it blissful. I've never met a banana bread recipe I loved, but then I haven't gone looking. But the Robber has gone sick on me this week, and his sick state he keeps calling out for "a pastry, I just want a pastry." When pushed and prodded, it turns out a "pastry" is better known as "a banana walnut muffin" or "French bread." So today I scrolled through my recent favorite food blogs, made a list of "pastries"-- ie banana containing bread products, bought a bunch of bananas, and let the Robber who had stayed home sick pick which recipe he wanted made, and this one is the one that won out.

So, banana bread. This banana bread was good-- meaning it was moist, and sweet but not too sweet (I hate dry, bland banana bread and also uber too sweet banana bread) so in those ways it was a winner. And what I loved was the carmelized bananas and the top crust-- I could just eat that and be happy. But I was still on the whole underwhelmed. Perhaps that will always be true of banana bread for me. Although I do have memories of a coconut banana bread my mom made a few times that was amazing-- at least in my nostalgic memory. Anyway. The Robber didn't like the crust but did like the cake so if we make this again we should cut a horizontal slice 1/3rd of the way down and I'll eat the top and he can have the bottom.

Notes: I tried the whole microwave the banana thing and no liquid came out. Hrmmm. Oh well. Oh and I added walnuts for the Robber's sake. He loved them.

From Cook's Illustrated by way of Annie:

http://annies-eats.com/2010/08/30/banana-bread/

Ingredients:

1¾ C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

6 large, very ripe bananas (about 2¼ lbs.), peeled

8 T.. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

¾ C. packed light brown sugar (I used dark)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. granulated sugar

Optional: 1 C. chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly spray a loaf pan (about 9 x 5 inches) with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; whisk together and set aside.

2. Place 5 bananas in a microwave safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and make several slits in the wrap to act as steam vents. Microwave on high until the bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes (you should have ½-¾ cup liquid).

3. Transfer the reserved banana liquid to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about ¼ cup, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the bananas and the reduced banana liquid. Mash with a potato masher or whisk until fairly smooth.

4. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the banana mixture. Fold together gently, just until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.

5. Slice the remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices. Layer the banana slices along both sides of the top of the batter, leaving a couple of inches in the center to allow an even rise. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the assembled loaf.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing. Continue to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Turkey Pot Pie With Cheddar Biscuit Crust

We have had leftover turkey sitting around in the freezer since Thanksgiving and it was high time that we got around to using it. I love a good pot pie, so when I ran across this recipe I was a happy girl. The Robber was less enthusiastic... but you know how he is. He comes around when confronted with the actuality of the delicious dish. I wasn't as in to the cheesy biscuit crust, but the Robber chomped on it and peeled off and ate the extra cheese, so it looks like we're stuck with it. Although if I make this again I think I'll go unhealthy and use white flour, the wheat is just too ponderous. This isn't interesting from a spice perspective, but it is warm and hearty and feels comforting, just like a pot pie should.

I made this in my geranium pot, which did just fine in the oven.

From Gourmet Magazine via a Hint of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/11/turkey-pot-pie-with-cheddar-biscuit.html

Ingredients:

For the filling:

4 C. roasted turkey meat, cut into small pieces

3 1/2 C. turkey stock (I just used chicken stock)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1-2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (omitted these)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

10 oz. frozen baby peas, thawed (used the whole 16 oz. bag)

For the crust:

2 C. whole wheat pastry flour (white whole wheat or all-purpose can be used)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1- 1 1/2 C. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

1/2 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 C. well-shaken buttermilk

Directions:

1. To make the filling, cook onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (Maybe I didn't chop the potatoes small enough? But I had to cook everything, covered, for much longer before they softened enough.)

2. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock, scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. At this point it can be refrigerated and reheated over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust. (Because my vegetables took longer, I mixed up the crust while they were cooking and was ready to go to the oven as soon as the veggies were done.)

3. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

4. To make the biscuits, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Drop biscuit dough onto filling in large mounds, leaving spaces between biscuits.

5. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. (You can sprinkle extra Cheddar cheese on top for the last few minutes of baking.) Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 8.

Creamy Potato Soup

So I actually "blogged" this recipe before-- but was corrected in the actual soup made by a comment from my sister R. (I had not made the soup, just eaten it at a family dinner). Now a few months later the Robber has purchased a big bag of red potatoes, languishing on the counter. Having time off, I took it upon myself to turn some of the potatoes into soup, with excellent results and minimal effort. We ate this soup with half whole-wheat biscuits and the Robber declared it a success, which for soup, is saying something.

Adapted from Potage Parmentier, a recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Ingredients:

1 lbs peeled potatoes, sliced or drained (I used six smallish red potatoes)

1 lbs thinly sliced leeks including the tender green (I used two leeks, some of the green)

5 C. water

1 T. salt

2/3 C. light whipping cream

Pepper to taste

Additional salt to taste

Directions:

1) Place chopped potatoes and leeks in large pot. Add in water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered 40-50 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

2) Remove 1 C. (or more, as desired for texture) of water/broth.

3) Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it has the desired consistency (I like to leave a few chunks of potato hanging around in my soup rather than make it uniformly blended.)

4) Remove from heat. Add in whipping cream and stir thoroughly. Add in additional salt and pepper to your taste. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Roll Scones

Just when I was going to close the door on new scone recipes, this one had to come along! Actually, it's not a new recipe at all, but rather an alteration of the lemon blueberry scone recipe I already have. The wheat flour makes the scone less sweet overall, but the texture is just as perfect here as with the lemon version. I didn't have cinnamon chips so I chopped up some white chocolate instead, which makes for a more subtle scone as I imagine the cinnamon chips would have been more overpowering. The toasted pecans in it were delicious, and as the Robber is currently on a huge toasted pecans kick (he always is, actually) he has been eating these non-stop.

I skipped the "finish" part because why would you put butter and sugar on top of a scone you are going to glaze? It seemed too much for me.

From Annie:

http://annies-eats.com/2012/02/13/cinnamon-roll-scones/

Ingredients:

For the dough:

8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole

½ C. milk

½ C. low-fat greek yogurt

1 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

1 C. whole wheat flour

½ C. sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

For the filling:

Milk or cream, for brushing

3 T. sugar

¾ - 2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used more because I lacked cinnamon chips)

2/3 C. chopped pecans, toasted

¼ -1/2 C. cinnamon chips (white chocolate, strawberries, whatever)

To finish:

2 T. melted butter

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

For the glaze:

1 C. confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. milk

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater.

2. Whisk together the milk and yogurt in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed.

3. Combine the flours, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated

4. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dry ingredients have been mostly incorporated.

5. Roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

6. Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 10-inch square. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with milk or cream. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Layer with the toasted pecans and cinnamon chips.

7. Roll the dough up into a tight log. Lay the log seam side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into 8 round discs. Place the shaped scones on the prepared baking sheet (I patted my slices down flat a bit on the baking sheet). Lightly brush the top of each scone with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.)

8. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 16-20 minutes (about 20-22 if baking from the freezer). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes.

9. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Whisk together until smooth, adding additional milk or sugar to reach your preferred consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the scones. Serve warm.

Toffee Mocha Cream Torte

What Sister F. made us for dessert. I liked the cake part of this and the Robber loved the whipped cream and the toffee part of this. It is unlikely that I will make this cake in all of its parts again but I liked the chocolate cake from scratch part enough to want to keep the recipe. I couldn't taste the coffee flavor at all, Sister F. says it just enhances the chocolate flavor, which maybe is true as this did taste quite chocolately in a satisfactory way.

This is from the Taste of Home Blue Ribbon Desserts.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 C. butter, softened

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 2/3 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. buttermilk

2 tsp. instant coffee granules

1 C. boiling water

For the topping:

1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules

1 tsp. hot water

2 C. heavy whipping cream

3 T. light brown sugar

6 1.4 oz. Heath candy bars, crushed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; add to cream mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Dissolve coffee in water and stir into batter.

3. Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350F for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

4. For topping, dissolve coffee in water in a large bowl, cool. Add cream and brown sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Place bottom layer cake on a serving platter, top with 1 1/3 C. of topping. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. of crushed candy bars. Repeat twice. Store in the refrigerator.

African Peanut Stew

What Sister F. served us for Sunday dinner over rice and with some form of deliciously grilled strips of chicken. She served this with whole unsalted peanuts on the side and with herbed flatbread. What a hearty, delicious Sunday meal! I ate some leftovers the next morning for breakfast.

From Sister F., original source unknown.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 C. finely chopped red onion (about 2 medium)

1 1/4 C. finely chopped green bell pepper (1 large)

1/2 C. chopped carrot (1 medium)

1/2 C. chopped celery (2 stalks)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. minced, peeled fresh ginger

1 T. curry powder

1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

4 C. reduced sodium vegetable broth

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/2 C. shelled edamame

1/4 C. creamy or crunchy peanut or almond butter

1/4 - 3/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 6 oz. bag baby spinach, torn

1/2 tsp. salt

Blank pepper and additional salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 4 qt. saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and peppers, carrot and celery. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not brown garlic.)

3. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

4. Add broth and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 minutes.

5. Add edamame and peanut butter, stir to combine. Add cilantro and spinach, cook until thoroughly heated and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and desired.

Pumpkin Waffles and Magical Buttermilk Syrup

This last weekend the Robber and I went down to Claremont so that I could see where the Humbob used to humbobble around as he turned from a wee Bob to a young Bob. We stayed with his friends, the F.s, who were in the bishopric of his singles' ward at the time. The F.s are generous, enthusiastic cooks who love to eat and were constantly serving us the most delicious foods. At one point I was surrounded by fresh hummus, organic peanut butter, ricotta cheese dip, bagel chips, pita chips, apple slices, and pretzels. Oh my! For Sunday breakfast Sister F. made us fresh blueberry waffles with this syrup and the Robber just about died of happiness. He gushed about the syrup so much that I asked Sister F. for the recipe (along with several others.) Apparently she brings waffles and syrup to the high school she teaches at too and the kids there are much like the Robber in their response.

We didn't have the pumpkin waffles, but why not set the recipe down here just in case we run into a waffle maker some day?

From Sister F., no link available.

Ingredients and directions for the waffles:

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 T. baking powder

1 T. cinnamon

1 T. sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites (beat until stiff peaks and then fold into batter at the end)

1 C. pumpkin

1 T. vanilla

1 1/2 C. milk

3/4 C. butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together. Best if you use a Belgium (Belgian?) waffle maker.

Ingredients and directions for the syrup:

In large frying pain, boil:

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. milk and 1 tsp. lemon juice (or 1/2 C. buttermilk)

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. light corn syrup

Remove from heat and then add:

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Syrup will be very frothy once you add the baking soda.