banana streusel coffee cake

I always buy too many bananas. I'll get the prettiest bunch at the grocery store (always tinged green... I like mine considerably unripe), but inevitably end up with more than necessary.

This past week was no exception. So what is the only acceptable thing to do with brown bananas? (I'm obviously not going to eat them, and throwing them away is wasteful.) Make banana bread. Or you know, something similar.

My search for the perfect banana bread (specifications being that they are low fat, only include ingredients that I actually own,  and have a high taste ranking) led me not to a bread recipe, but one for a banana coffee cake.

Recipe as follows:

Banana Streusel Coffee Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 c butter, chilled and cut

1/2 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1 cup mashed bananas, ripe

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Kahlua (optional)

Combine flours and oats. Measure out 3/4 cup into separate bowl. Add sugar. Cut in the butter and mix.  Set aside 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture to use for topping.  Add remaining crumbs to flour mix, powder, soda, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Beat togther eggs, bananas, and Kahlua.  Combine wet mixture to flour.  Beat well. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish (or 12-count muffin pan).  Sprinkle reserved butter crumbs and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon on top of cake.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (20 for muffins).

Best enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk or some piping hot coffee. Hence the name "coffee cake."

you knew it was coming... more nutella!

I'm too predictable.

Oatcakes + Nutella = Mmmmm.

Blondie Cheesecake Pie

Now I know it sounds a bit much, but this three-in-one bit of deliciousness is just enough. It started as a Birthday Pie for my boyfriend Drew (the Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie from More From Magnolia). Once I made the crust and started mixing the filling, I realized the only strawberries we had in the house were molded beyond repair, and a contingency plan had to be enacted. A little bit of brainstorming and recipe-tweaking allowed me to combine the two contenders for Drew's birthday dessert (the boy hates customary cake). And thus the Blondie Cheesecake Pie was born.

I lightened up the pie recipe by whipping up a cup of cream in lieu of one of the cups of cream cheese, added some cocoa to the graham cracker crust to make it a chocolate cookie crust, halved the butterscotch blondie batter and added half of THAT to the cream batter, topping the finished pie with the remainder.

Here's the finished product:

Crust

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp cocoa
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/4 cup unpacked light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ingredients. Press firmly into a lightly buttered 9-inch glass pie dish.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Butterscotch Blondies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg or 3 tbsp egg whites
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
6 oz chocolate chips

Put butter and sugar in a bowl and blend together until smooth using an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Whisk together flour, soda, salt. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low speed until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape batter into greased pan.  Bake 17 minutes.

Pie Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together the cream cheese, whipped cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add the sour cream and vanilla, and continue to beat until well combined.

Cut baked blondies into small squares, roughing them up but keeping some larger chunks. Stir half of chopped blondies into cream cheese mixture (careful not to overbeat).  Pour mixture into chocolate pie crust. Top with remaining crumbles.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve and enjoy!!!!

Nutella Crepes

So, I did take a hiatus from crepes for the majority of the summer, but birthdays are special occasions, and boyfriend Drew's 22nd was no exception.

The variation du jour was, of course, Nutella and whipped cream.

In case you need a refresher, here's my base crepe recipe again.

For 2-3 crepes:


1 egg white
a little over 1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 scant teaspoon sugar


Mix ingredients, whisk with a fork until smooth (no flour lumps!), and sizzle to your heart's content on a nonstick skillet. Flip.
 
Best done in a crepe pan.
 
Nutella variation:  Spread Nutella on crepe, fold over or roll. Garnish with freshly whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of cocoa. Mmm.

blueberry oatcakes

As a way to distinguish between regular recipe pancakes and heather's oatmeal pancakes, I have made the executive decision to refer to the latter as oatcakes. It's cute and slightly 1930ish sounding, I think.

Anyhoo, my obsession with oatcakes has resulted in the latest of variations:

Blueberry Oatcakes!

Stir in 1 teaspoon of brown sugar into the original recipe (oats, egg whites, vanilla, baking powder) and drop a handful of blueberries into each oatcake.

MMMMM.

update on heather's oatmeal pancakes!

Confession:  Despite the recommendation to add half a banana to Heather's Oatmeal Pancakes recipe, I had never done this before. Until now. And what a grand mistake it was to not try it!!!!

GO! Go forth now, and make yourself a heaping banana oatmeal pancake. If you add it to the full recipe with 1/2 cups of oats and egg whites (as opposed to 1/4 a cup of each), it makes two whopping cakes of heaven and joy.

Other potential variations:

Like banana nut bread? MIX IN WALNUTS!

Like bananas foster? Smoke your bananas and drizzle pancakes with caramel sauce. Eat next to a fireplace or candle for the customary flame.

Like banana pudding?! Crush in some Nilla wafers and scoop a dollop of meringue on top.

Like bananas and chocolate?! Toss in some chips or chunks. Or swirl on chocolate syrup.

Like strawberry-banana?! Ok, this one might get gross if you try to mix in strawberries. But you could try it!

The possibilities are endless.

Just go stick your Jack Johnson CD in and get to the kitchen!

hot hot heat

Summer is halfway over, so I felt it necessary to review my list of things to do, in case I forgot some. And Lord knows I like crossing things off my lists!

- Make a crepe cake! (number one on the list!)
- Work at J. Alexander's (my new job!)

- Celebrate Julianna & Katie B's birthdays

- Host my own birthday get-together

- Attend Katie R & Joy's weddings!!!!!

- Organize my room (it's still a disaster from movefest 2010)

- Get rid of things I haven't used since high school and never will again (I already cleaned out the hs details from my resume... goodbye Valedictorian status/4.0 GPA!)

- Work more wedding coordinating!

- Try something new at Pancake Pantry

- Go to Cantina Laredo (what exactly IS gourmet mexican?)

- READ!

- RUN!

- Do pilates/yoga.

(katie's wedding)

REVIEW: Hmmm. So, I've crossed out about half of those. Not too shabby!

things one MUST eat during the months of june through august, no exceptions:

- granny's homemade peach ice cream (THE best).
- strawberry pie
- at least one ice cream sandwich
- corn on the cob
- blackberry cobbler
- homegrown tomatoes (mmmmm)
- garden green beans
- baked beans (what is the fourth of july without it?)

REVIEW:  Ok, so I've been slackin' on the summer food front. HOWEVER, I HAVE enjoyed the following.

- blueberry cheesecake pie
- frozen mocha chocolate pie (my FAVORITE pie EVER)
- homemade rolls
- Chipotle's vegetarian burritos (my favorite "fast" food meal:  tortilla filled with black beans, cilantro rice, tomato and corn salsa, guacamole, and lettuce. mmmm!)
- McDonald's vanilla ice cream cones

(chipotle)

I should really stop with the food-on-the-go. Why must I live in my car so often?

amazing flea market finds!

I'd just like to say a huge thank you to whomever told Daddy about the flea market in Guthrie, Kentucky. What a gold mine! Mom and I spent hours upon hours browsing the enormous indoor market, and walked away with two packed-full boxes of treasure.

Precious items we saw:

We saw several canister sets in different booths. These simple white canisters with silver accents appealed to me. (As did their $10 for 3 pricetag. No wonder things turn over so fast there!)

Oh, how I love milk glass! This cake plate and matching dishes were delightful.

I'm huge on chandelier-style things, and these sparkly lamps with suspended crystals were to die for.

This set of gold flatware was too cute. I'm obsessed with teeny dishes + utensils, so these definitely pulled at my heartstrings. I think they were Japanese.

Cute cute cute retro His & Hers towels! If these were only a little fluffier and more functional, I would totally get these for one of my engaged friends. Maybe I can screen-print a pair..?

Another item I'm debating getting for one of my bride-to-be (sorority) sisters. How pretty is this harbor blue cake stand? (Not to mention, I think every coming-of-age young woman needs at LEAST one nice glass or silver cake stand.) I think I'd gift it with a silver pie server tied onto the outside of the box. And slip in a handwritten copy of the Magnolia Vanilla Cake recipe.

Lovelies I walked away with...

A cut-crystal cake plate! My first cake plate! $6!

Amazing $10 seven-piece crystal and silver serving tray. WITH LAZY SUSAN!

Pale yellow Independence plate with little printed glasses.

(I have a large part of the Independence collection.)

Pink glass Depression-era divided plates. Six for $6.50! Such fine quality. :)

And the set that would have haunted me for the rest of my life... the orange juice decanter and six teeny juice glasses! I was immediately drawn to it and found the $13.57 price to be really reasonable. One of the glasses had really faded painting, so I walked away for about two minutes (not being able to get my mind off the set the entire time!). I HAD to come back to at least take a picture of them to remember, and when I overheard another customer pointing out the booth's 50% off sale, I immediately grabbed them and ran to stock our shopping cart. I could not live without them.

heather's oatmeal pancakes!

Tried a lovely oatmeal pancake recipe this morning, courtesy of dear friend Heather!

Mix before bed to wake up to perfect batter:

1/2 c oatmeal

1/2 c egg whites

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

optional:  1/2 banana, mashed OR cinnamon (I used Vietnamese cinnamon!)

(batter mixed and refrigerated last night. note:  it grows after you mix it.)

Cook in frying pan as you would pancakes.

Enjoy with a brushing of peanut butter, low-fat maple syrup, whipped cream, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Tastes best with some sort of sweet garnish.

Maybe even drop in a few dark chocolate chips? ;)

peach crepes

What's a lovely summertime crepe accompaniment? A succulent summer peach!

Dice and serve with peach preserves or homemade whipped cream with original crepes.

PS:  I attempted to freeze some extra crepes several weeks ago and reheated today, and they worked great! Any time you make too much, save yourself a stomachache or jip the dog by sticking them in some aluminum foil in the freezer (laid flat, but you can stack!) for later.