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!

Quick Zucchini Tart

The zucchini plants in my garden didn’t do as well this year as they have in the past. This year has been much more damp and a little more mild, as far as Houston summers go, and they just didn’t seem to be as happy. Almost everything else in my garden has had a record year though, so it ends up balancing out.

I did have a hankering for zucchini the other day and I needed an excuse to use the puff pastry in my freezer.  After rooting around in my refrigerator I came up with this delicious and super easy tart.

Quick Zucchini Tart
Serves 3 – 4

1 frozen puff pastry
Olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 medium zucchini sliced into ribbons
1 egg

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and have to puff pastry thawed and ready to go. Line a rimed baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the puff pastry in the middle of the pan.
• In a small sauce pan warm about a Tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant and slightly softened. Add the herbs, you can really add whatever kind of herbs you like, these are what I had fresh on hand. Cook the herbs for just a minute and then add the cheeses. Stir the cheeses constantly until they are well combined and soft enough to spread easily.
• Take the cheese and herb mixture and spread it over the puff pastry leaving an inch border around the pastry. On top of the cheese, layer the ribbons of zucchini overlapping slightly. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil.
• Take the egg and beat it in a small bowl, and then using a small brush, burst the inside edge of the pastry with the egg before folding the pastry up and over the edge of the tart by about half an inch. Then brush the outside of the pastry with some egg as well.
• Bake the tart in the over for about 20 minutes. The pastry should be lightly golden when done.  Let the tart sit for a few minutes before serving as it will be very hot.