Banana Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest and am borrowing it from A cup of Jo. (And I suppose you can skip the bourbon - if you so desire.) 

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add bananas, lemon juice and bourbon. Beat until well incorporated. 

Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the last of the ingredients with a spatula. 

Batter will be thick. Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and allow loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Serve with milky coffee and enjoy!

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

These are so good! Not overly sweet except maybe the topping and I would dare to say they would be just as good with wheat flour.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raisins

TOPPING:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg, pumpkin, milk and oil; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in oats and raisins.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and pie spice; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle 1 rounded teaspoonful over each muffin. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yields: 1 dozen.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This blueberry coffee cake rocked my world a few moths ago... and I got the recipe!! It's so good! We've been nibbling on it all day! 2 cups whole blueberries
1/2 cup water
1 T lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 cup butter
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a saucepan combine fruit and the water.  Simmer, covered, about 5 minutes or till fruit is tender.  Stir in lemon juice.  Mix the 1 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit mixture.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cool.
In a mixing bowl stir together the 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and mace.  Cut in the 1 cup butter till mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add to flour mixture, mixing till blended.  Spread half of the batter in a greased 13x9 pan.
Spread the cooled fruit mixture over the batter.  Spoon the remaining batter in small mounds over the fruit mixture, spreading out as much as possible. Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour; cut in the 1/4 cup butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in nuts.(optional) Sprinkle nut mixture over batter in pan.  Bake in a 350 F oven 45-50 minutes.  Cool. 

Crème Brûlée French toast

Oh, this was so good and easy!

3 eggs
1 tbsp of milk
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
9-10 pieces of bread (number varies on bread size)
butter
caramel syrup
regular syrup

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in milk, cinnamon and vanilla.
Over medium-low heat, heat griddle/skillet coated with a thin layer of butter.
Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side. Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.
Transfer bread slices to griddle/skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Serve with butter and a drizzle of Caramel syrup and regular syrup.

Fluffy Biscuits

ok, so everyone panics at some point right? I did with this recipe. I stirred in all the ingredients and it looked really wet for all the biscuit dough I've seen. I added flour. Don't do it!

There are many quirks to this recipe and they will be featured below the recipe!

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead a few times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

So I used butter instead of shortening (because I don't have shortening) but the best way is to use half shortening half butter!
Also, don't knead them too much. Gently pat down and gently roll out.
Brush the top with butter, apparently it helps them rise!

Fluffy Pancakes

These were super yum! My husband recommends them with peanut butter and large amounts of syrup like all the other variations of pancakes I make...

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Stir in milk and egg yolk until smooth.
In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

Pancakes

Just so you know, this feeds a hungry man and normal woman. That's it. Double, triple, whatever as you need. I've also done this in a brunch setting. Two batches of this recipe served with eggs, bacon, coffee, juice will feed 5-6 normal size people. Good luck!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Beat until smooth.
Pour or scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

A Farmer's Casserole

Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
1 cup diced cooked ham, cooked breakfast sausage or Canadian-style bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
4 beaten eggs or 1 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
1-1/2 cups milk or one 12-ounce can evaporated milk or evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onions.
2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
4. Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 2. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

5.Farmer's Casserole for 12: Prepare as above, except double all ingredients and use a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I couldn't remember the last thing I took a picture of, so I knew it was time to get on here... I got this recipe from Betty Crocker, but I mixed a little bit of a recipe from Barefoot Contessa. So here is the concocted version!

3 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
3/4 tsp of salt
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup of sour cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an angel food pan.
Mix first 4 ingredients, set aside.
Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. (the longer you beat them the fluffier they get).
Add flour mixture and sour cream alternating small amounts of both to blend them well.

Streusel:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of salt
3 tbsp of butter

You can double this for a thicker swirl in your cake. Just blend this together til the butter is small chunks. I did 2 layers of steusel in the cake and a layer on top as well. It is entirely up to you!
Layer the cake mixture and streusel. Bake for 1 hour.

Glaze:
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of powder sugar
2-3 tsp of milk

Combined ingredients. Add enough milk that it thickly drizzles over the cake. Bon Appétit!