Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Trying to decide the best way to describe this banana bread, and my husband says that YUM pretty much sums it up. As if perfectly moist, sweet, banana bread wasn’t yummy enough, adding peanut butter and chocolate chips takes it to a whole new level. Serve it slightly warm and enjoy every gooey, peanut buttery, chocolatey, banana bite!

Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/3 cup melted butter
4 ripe mashed bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
3/4 cup Reese’s peanut butter chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a  9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray (Pam).

In a large mixing bowl, use a heavy duty spoon or spatula to combine butter with the mashed bananas. Fold in sugar, egg and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt and mix in. Add the flour, mix until it is just incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts, peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spread evenly in loaf pan,  Bake for 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove and move to a wire rack. Slice while still slightly warm and enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 2

Easy Banana Cream Tart

Banana Creme Pie

Use store bought cookie dough and instant pudding mix for a dessert that’s fast, easy and super delicious!

Easy Banana Cream Tart

1 roll Pillsbury sugar cookie dough

1 3.4 oz box instant Jello French Vanilla or Banana Cream pudding mix

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/4 cup skim, 1 or 2% milk

2 medium bananas

1- 8 oz container heavy whipping cream (*see note)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup toasted almond slivers (optional)

Whipping cream stabilizer (optional)

8 or 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom

Form cookie dough into a ball, then press into a disc. Roll out into an 11 inch circle, carefully line tart pan with cookie dough. Press dough up the side of the pan, trim excess and discard. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet and move to refrigerator to keep cold while oven preheats. Tip- dough is easiest to work with if kept cold. Roll out on a sheet of wax paper. Put tart pan upside down on center of dough circle, pick up wax paper by edges, then flip over.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, add half and half, milk and pudding mix. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed about 5 minutes or until set. Cover and refrigerate.

Move tart pan on cookie sheet to oven. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven and prick with a fork to let steam escape dough. Return to oven and bake 4 minutes, dough will be puffy. Prick again and use bottom of a small measuring cup to press down center of dough. Return to oven and bake 4-6 minutes until edges are very lightly brown. Remove from oven, press center down again, if needed. Move tart pan to wire rack to cool.

When cookie dough is completely cooled, it is ready to fill. Cover bottom of crust with 2 sliced bananas. Top with pudding and spread evenly to cover. Return to refrigerator while you make the whipped cream.

For the whipped cream:

Pour 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (for best results, chill the bowl and the beater before using). Add 1 tablespoon sugar. I also like to use a whipping cream stabilizer, which helps keep the whip cream stiff with out separating. I use a product called “Whip it” by Dr. Oetker, but this is totally optional. Start on low and gradually increase speed to medium high. (8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) The cream will start to thicken and soft peaks will form. Continue until the cream stands in stiff, sharp peaks. This only takes a few minutes; watch the cream closely and do not over whip or you might end up with butter.   Add whipped cream to a piping bag with decorative tip and pipe decorative swirls onto the tart as you wish. I used Wilton large tip 6B. *Note: If you don’t want to pipe the cream and prefer just to cover the top of the tart with it, increase the amount of cream to 1 and 1/2 cups and add another tablespoon of sugar.

For the almonds, warm a small non-stick pan over low heat. Add almonds and toast for about 4 minutes stirring often. Watch closely so not to burn. Remove from heat and cool.

Remove tart from refrigerator and top with whipped cream and almond slivers, if desired. Cut and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Banana creme pie 2

Zucchini Banana-Nut Bread

Zucchini Banana Bread

It’s the last hurrah for zucchini from my garden so I’ve paired it up with sweet, ripe bananas for another fabulous variation on this moist and delicious snack bread.

Zucchini Banana-Nut Bread

adapted from recipe by Averie Cooks

You will need:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup  sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2  teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 large or 2 small)
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium-large bananas)
  • 1/2  cup chopped toasted walnut

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan or two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans with Pam for baking; set aside.

Toast walnuts in a dry sauté pan over low heat. Stir often 4-5 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Grate zucchini, place in colander and squeeze out most of the liquid.

Add first 6 ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Next, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt. Carefully fold or stir just until combined.

Fold in mashed bananas, zucchini and toasted walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40- 50 minutes for 8×4 pans; 50-60 minutes for 9×5 pan. Baking times always vary due to differences in moisture content of the zucchini and bananas and accuracy of oven temperature so watch your bread and check for doneness.

Cool in pans for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Bread is best if eaten in a couple of days. Save a loaf for later by wrapping in cellophane, then foil and freeze. Thaw and warm slices in the microwave.

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