Cinnamon Banana Bread (with Streusel Topping)

This is one of my first go-to recipes when I started really wanting to cook from scratch in college. I actually usually make these as muffins, but for some reason I felt like a thick slice of banana bread the day I baked these. This recipe is great to make with kids and I have fond memories of smashing up bananas with one of my friends daughters when I would make these in college.

The streusel topping is not a necessity for this bread, but it’s a fun addition if you’re in the mood to make it.

Cinnamon Banana Bread

Makes 1 nine inch loaf pan, or about 18 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your loaf pan, or line your muffin tins.
• In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• In a separate bowl cream your butter and sugar together with a hand mixer.
• Mix your eggs one at a time to your creamed butter and sugar until well incorporated, then mix in the vanilla and milk.
• With a spoon or spatula stir in your bananas, leaving a few small chunks of banana. It doesn’t need to be smooth.
• Now fold in the dry ingredients in just until everything looks incorporated. You don’t want to over mix.
• Pour your batter into your pan or tins and add the streusel topping now if you wish.
• For the loaf bake 35 minutes, the muffins only about 25 minutes. For best results rotate your pan halfway through baking.
• Let cool and enjoy!

Streusel Topping

With a two knifes, or a pastry cutter, cut 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon together in a bowl until your have pea-sized pieces of butter. If your butter is soft enough I have also been know to just use a fork, whatever is easier for you. Sprinkle this mixture over each muffin, or over the entire loaf. The extra cinnamon crumble on top is delicious!

Granola Goodness!

WARNING!!! If you make this granola and then eat it all that day it is not my fault. I will not be held liable.

Seriously folks, this granola is delicious and easy to put together. The hardest part is not eating it all right when it comes out of the oven.

Chocolate Crunch Granola

Makes approximately 4 cups of granola

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
3/4 cup unsweeted dried coconut
1/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate
1 tablespoon flax seed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl mix together the oats, almonds, coconut, dark chocolate and flax seeds.
• In a small sauce pan melt the coconut oil, brown sugar, and maple sugar together (This can also be done in the microwave). Then stir in the vanilla, cocoa power and salt into the mixture off the heat.
• Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture and mix together thoroughly.
• Pour everything onto the lined baking sheet and take a spatula and press down the mixture into one solid sheet of granola that’s less than half an inch thick.
• Bake for 40 minutes, then let cool for an hour before breaking up the granola into bite sized clusters. Then enjoy!

Ready for the week’s breakfast!

Baked Chocolate Donuts

If you know me well, you probably know I love donuts.  This past weekend Sean and I went to go see The 5 Year Engagement, which was entertaining and a good laugh, and part of the story has to do with people eating old donuts instead of waiting for new ones to arrive and what this says about their emotional well-being.  Anytime this plot point came up all I could think was I would probably eat both, especially if they were Dunkin Donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.  Just saying.

I try not to eat donuts too often,  being that they’re not the most healthy of foods, but a little while ago I got a donut baking pan and I came up with this baked chocolate donut recipe.  It’s still not the most healthy of foods, but they’re baked and not fried, so that’s a plus.  They are also easy to make and taste delicious, so give them a try.  I’m sure mom would like them for Mother’s Day!

Adapted from Camille Styles

Makes 12 Donuts

For the Donuts 

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup and 2 tablespoons milk ( I used almond milk)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips

For the Icing

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
½ cup coconut milk
sprinkles (optional)
 

To make the donuts, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and lightly grease your donut pans.

In a bowl whisk together the flours, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a separate bowl mix together the milk, olive oil, applesauce, vanilla and melted chocolate until well combined.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Spoon the batter into the donut pans.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before cooling on wire racks.

For the icing, place the chocolate chips and coconut milk in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for about 25 seconds and then stir.  Continue to heat the mixture in 10 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  You can also do this over a double boiler.  Dip each cooled donut into the icing and let set on a wire rack.  Add sprinkles while the icing is still wet if desired.

Enjoy!

 

Weekend Brunch: Cheesy Herb Waffles Florentine Style

Lazy Saturday mornings are one of my favorite things. Sean usually makes me coffee and eggs and we can both relax for a bit before starting our weekend to do lists. This morning breakfast was a combined effort and we made cheesy herb waffles with sautéed spinach and poached eggs. Delicious!

I have poached eggs before, but they have never turned out as pretty as they did on this day. I recently read an article about poaching eggs were they recommended putting some white vinegar in the tea cup with your egg and letting them sit for a few minutes before you cooked the egg. The vinegar helps the white of the egg stay together better. I also created a whirlpool in the pot of simmering water before I put the egg in the middle, which also helps to keep the egg together. After two minutes I had a beautiful egg, yumm!

Cheesy Herb Waffles with Sautéed Spinach and a Poached Egg

For the Waffles (Makes 4)

2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 scallions, whites and light green parts minced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy and then stir in the oil. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, herbs, scallions, and cheese. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just smooth and let sit for a while, or even overnight if you wish. When your ready preheat your waffle iron and make the waffles.

For the Spinach

1/2 tablespoon butter
A large container of fresh spinach
2 cloves of garlic minced

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add handfuls of spinach to the skillet and using tongs toss until the spinach starts to wilt and you can add more spinach. Keep doing this until almost all of the spinach in totally wilted. Add in the garlic and let cook for about a minute or two more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The Poached Egg

4 eggs
1 cup white vinegar

In four tea cups place 1/4 cup of vinegar each. Crack open one egg into each cup and let sit for about five minutes. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a simmer. When you’re ready stir the water to create a whirlpool and gently poor the vinegar and egg into the middle of the pot. Cook for two minutes and then scoop the egg out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Repeat for each of the other eggs.

Assemble the waffle, spinach and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Add extra cheese on top if you’d like and enjoy!

Orange Marmalade Muffins

Earlier in the year my uncle sent me two delicious jars of orange marmalade he made from the oranges that grow in his yard. It’s great on scones and toast but I was trying to think of some other ways I could use it when I found this recipe. I had never thought to put the marmalade in the muffins! It is a delicious combination and they are fast and easy to throw together. I’m pretty sure you could also swap out the marmalade for other preserves if you have a surplus sitting around this summer and they would taste great too.

Marmalade Muffins
(Makes 12)

Adopted from Poppytalk

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup marmalade or jam

Pre heat your oven to 375F and grease your muffin tins or line them. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl add the milk, oil, vanilla, apple sauce, and honey and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined, no more, so that the muffins stay tender. Gently swirl the marmalade into the batter and then fill your muffin tins. Bake until the muffins are just lightly golden on top, about 20 minutes. When the muffins have cool enough to handle take them out of the tins and let them cool the rest of the way on wire racks. Enjoy with a cup of tea and have a delicious breakfast!