Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My family has always loved banana bread but I do get flack when I change the recipe even a little. There are purists among us and they think it should have only bananas, nothing more. But I really love chocolate in mine so this recipe is perfect. It makes a nice high loaf with a moist tasty center. Plus the walnuts add a little crunch. So good!

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas, peeled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp (3 oz) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (toasted if you prefer)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9x5" loaf pan. Line the bottom and long sides of the pan with parchment paper.Butter the top of the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Using a fork, mash the bananas in a bowl; you should have about 1 cup. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer on high speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light in colour and texture, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs and then the mashed bananas. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed, beating until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and half the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Turn out onto the wire rack and remove paper. Invert again, and let cool completely. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. We like a smudge of butter on ours!

Makes 1 loaf

Upside-Down Peach Cake

Such a popular cake from days gone by. I made this one today because my dear old dad asked me to. Plus peaches are now in season and that makes it the right thing to do!

Ingredients
3/4 cups butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Melt 1/4 cup butter; pour into an ungreased 9" round baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange peach slices in single layer over sugar.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
3. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings

Ginger-Apricot Muffins

I must say these turned out to be a new favourite for everyone, guests and family as well. The ginger adds a delightful kick to the muffin, while the preserves are a nice surprise under the sugary-crisp tops. We especially love these with a tiny smear of fresh butter on them. I used orange juice instead of apricot nectar and they still turned out lovely. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup apricot nectar
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4- 1/2 cup apricot preserves/jam
2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups or line with paper liners. Butter the top of the muffin pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, and apricot nectar. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix together just until combined. Fold in the crystallized ginger.
3. Spoon half the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Spoon 1-2 tsps of the apricot preserves into each cup, taking care not to let it touch the sides of the cup. Top with the remaining batter, covering the preserves. Sprinkle the tops with the Turbinado sugar, dividing evenly.
4. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly with your fingertips, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto the rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 muffins
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Breakfast Comforts

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 large egg
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
shortening
2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients in another bowl. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Toss 1 1/4 cups blueberries in 1 Tbsp flour, fold into batter. Pour into a lightly greased (with shortening) 9" spring-form pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup blueberries.
4. Stir together 2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar, sliced almonds, and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.
5. Bake at 400 F for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove sides from pan.

Makes 10 servings

My Changes
I used 2% milk & 0% Greek yogurt, and baked it a little longer than 30 minutes, until it bounced back when touched.

Quick Tip
Combine the dry ingredients the night before for a quick morning start. Serve this cake warm or at room temperature.

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

 

This is our favourite meat and vegetable sauce for pasta, especially spaghetti. It is rich and delicious and doesn’t end up being a heavy, thick tomato based sauce. The meat and the richness of the wine come through.

 

Meat Sauce

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 Tsp chopped garlic (from a jar)

4 strips bacon, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

500 gm/1 lb lean ground beef

150 ml/1/4 pint red wine

125 ml/4 oz milk

grated nutmeg

28 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

salt and pepper

 

500 gm/ 1 lb spaghetti

1 tsp olive oil

freshly ground pepper

parmesan cheese, grated

 

Make the sauce: heat oil in a saucepan and saute the onion, garlic, bacon, celery, and carrot until soft and golden. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.

 

Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook over medium heat until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Add the milk, and a little grated nutmeg, stirring well. Continue cooking until the milk has been absorbed by the meat mixture. Add the tomatoes, sugar and oregano. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook, uncovered for 2-2 1/2 hours until the sauce is reduced and richly coloured.

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and olive oil and cook until tender but firm to the bite (al dente). Drain well and season with pepper. Pour over the meat sauce and serve the Parmesan separately.

 

Serves 4

Delicious Dutch Boterkoek

2 C Flour

1 C Butter (cold)

1 1/3 C Sugar

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Almond extract

Dash of Salt

1 Egg (reserve a bit of the white)

Combine all ingredients reserving a small bit of egg white and knead together with hands,

 being careful to incorporate all the butter

Put in a round cake pan and pat down. 

Brush with reserved egg white. 

Mark edges with a fork.

Bake at 385 for 15-20 minutes. The middle should still be slightly wet and not over-baked.

Let cool and thinly slice. 

This is a rich filling cookie/cake and you truly only need a small piece with a cup of tea

Recipe can be doubled & frozen.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

This is one of the old recipes that I used to make when my family was young (and I had lots of help eating it!). Now I'd have to say that it makes an awful lot and we just don't eat like we used to!

14 oz (400 gm) or about 64 individually wrapped caramels
1 cup (250 ml) evaporated milk
2 cups (500 ml) all purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) oats
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups or 1 pkg (300 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) walnuts, chopped

Melt caramels and evaporated milk  on low heat, stirring until smooth.
Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in large mixing bowl.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Press half of mixture into 15" x 10" pan or 2 9" square pans.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts evenly over baked crust.
Pour caramel mixture on top.
Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake 15- 20 minutes longer or until golden.
cool and cut into bars