Dessert

Chocolate Banana Bread

| mrscheryllacy

Who doesn’t love a moist, flavorful slice of bread? This bread can be a dessert or a breakfast item. When it’s warm, you can eat it plain or add butter, your choice. As for me, this is one of my favorites, but I do not make it often as my husband is allergic to bananas. No kidding! Poor guy. My impetus for baking this usually because I bought a bunch of bananas and for one reason or another didn’t get to eat them all. As they are starting to get overripe, I know it’s time to make some bread. Most banana bread or muffin lovers can certainly understand this. So, enough with the introduction already, and on to the recipe.

Ingredients20150808_170601

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar (minus 2 T)
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed well (yielding ~1-1/2 cups)
  • 1-1/2 ounces  (1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate bits

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Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with non stick vegetable spray.

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Use 2 separate bowls, one for dry ingredients, one for wet.

  • Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, chocolate and salt together in one bowl.
  • Mix the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla in the second bowl.

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  • Gently fold the banana mix into the flour mix with a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined.
  • Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth.

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  • Give the loaf pan a firm shake to help the mix settle and smooth.
  • Bake about 55 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
  • Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from loaf pan and cool on a wire rack for at least one hour.

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Ideas

  • If you can find some banana yogurt, use it as a substitute for plain yogurt for an even more banana flavor.
  • Some recipes recommend shaving the chocolate instead of using chips. This gives more uniform chocolate coverage throughout the bread. I like the chips as I prefer to have more concentrated chocolate sections in my bread, but your choice.

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Mini Lemon Chiffons

| mrscheryllacy

If you live in Southern California (like I do) or anywhere else that has an abundance of citrus, this is the time of year when you need to figure out what to do with all the lemons that your tree is producing. Or in my case, my mom’s lemon tree. My friends and coworkers also have lemon trees or their neighbors do, so it’s difficult to give many away. I’ve been making lemonade, freezing lemon juice, and have even made lemon jam – which is super yummy and will be another post soon. Here is a simple, velvety smooth, and not too sweet way to use a couple more lemons.

Ingredients20151219_121601

  • 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 pkg (3 oz) lemon gelatin
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 egg whites
  • dash of salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp grated lemon rind

Instructions 

  • Combine egg yolks and one cup of water in saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 1 minute.
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar and stir until it dissolves.
  • Continue cooking over low heat and stir often until mixture slightly thickens and just comes to a boil.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add gelatin and stir until dissolved.

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  • Add 1/2 cup water, lemon juice and 2 tsp lemon rind. Stir thoroughly.
  • Pour into another container and place into refrigerator until slightly thickened. Atleast 45 minutes.

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  • In another mixing bowl, beat egg whites and salt until foamy.
  • Gradually add in 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating until mix has peaks.

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  • Remove lemon mix from refrigerator. Add egg whites to the lemon mix and blend well.

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  • Spoon into dessert dishes and chill until firm, atleast 2 hours.
  • Garnish with whipped cream and remaining lemon rind.

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Ideas

  • Make your own whipped cream. It’s super easy and tastes so much better than any that you can purchase in the store. Simply pour some cream into a bowl and mix at high speed. After about a minute, add some sugar (small amounts at a time) to the mix. Try 2 teaspoons to about 1/2 cup of cream. Once cream begins to whip nicely, taste a small amount and decide if it needs more sugar. Whip to desired consistency.
  • This goes great in small containers or slightly larger.

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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

| mrscheryllacy

This is one of my all time favorite cookies. While there are many varieties of chocolate chip cookies and an abundance of recipes, this one always yields a soft, moise, cake-like cookie. My mother made these when I was growing up. When we made for my great grandmother, we omitted nuts because she didn’t like them. Of course, when we made them just for ourselves, these cookies has 2/3 cup of walnuts added to the recipe below. My husband has the misfortune of being allergic to tree nuts, so I’m back to the no nut version of these. They are delicious either way. Try them, you won’t regret it. As always, happy eating!

Ingredients20151220_123524

  • 2-1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 package instant vanilla pudding
  • 2 eggs
  • 12 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Soften butter by leaving on counter for at least 30 minutes or by putting in a dish and cook in the microwave on high heat for 30 seconds.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, vanilla extract and pudding mix.
  • Beat until creamy.
  • Add the eggs and beat until mixed.

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  • Gradually add in flour and baking powder.
  • Once dry ingredients are fully integrated, add the chocolate chips (and nuts) and mix well.

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  • Place about 1 tablespoon of cookie batter at a time onto a cookie tray. Flatten the “balls” of dough a little with your fingers or back of spoon. This cookie doesn’t spread a lot like some other versions.

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  • Place in oven and cook 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool about 6 minutes on tray before moving to a rack until fully cooled.

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Ideas

  • Add nuts – walnuts, pecans, macadamia. Which ever type you prefer. I recommend 1/2 the volume of the chocolate chips. Therefore 12 oz of chocolate chips and 6 oz of nuts.
  • Parchment paper – I always use this when making cookies. Why? Cookies are super easy to remove from the cookie tray and cleaning up is a breeze.
  • Browning – unlike other chocolate chip cookies you may have made, these do not brown a lot on the top. That is NORMAL. You will see that the bottom of the cookie is nice and brown — then it’s time to remove from the oven. Waiting for the top to brown will give you a cookie that is dry and with a burnt bottom. 😦
  • Be prepared for cookie stealing. I had to take the image of the cookies on the wire rack before the last ones were out of the oven. 6+ cookies had already mysteriously disappeared when my back was turned.

 

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