Chocolate Chip, Walnut, Caramel Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip, Walnut, Caramel Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Generous pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup caramel bits

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan with butter or cooking spray
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt
3. In a small bowl, mash the banana, yogurt, and vanilla together
4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until incorporated
5. Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time, beating until fully incorporated
6. Mix the banana mixture into the sugar/butter mixture
7. Add the dry ingredients into the wet.  Fold with a rubber spatula until combined
8. Fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, and caramel buts
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1hr 15min or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
10. Cool on rack in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on rack to cool completely

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
Red food coloring
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Cream the butter and sugars until combined.  The batter will be a little crumbly
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder on low speed.  Batter will become sticky
5. Add in the food coloring until you reach your desired color
6. Fold in the chocolate chips
7. Drop 1 inch balls onto your cookie sheet.  I used my hands to shape the dough, but you can use a tablespoon or cookie dough scoop
8. Bake cookies until crisp around the edges, about 8-12 minutes
9. Cool on sheet for 10 minutes.  Remove to rack to cool completely

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake with Candied Pecans

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake with Candied Pecans

Ingredients
For the candied pecans:
1 lb pecans (I used .75lb/12 oz)
1 egg white
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cheesecake:
1 9 inch prepared graham cracker crust (or you can make your own, I'm just lazy)
16 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Generous pinch cloves
Generous pinch ginger
Generous pinch nutmeg

Directions
Make the pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Beat the egg white until frothy
3. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon
4. Fold in pecans until completely coated
5. Spread pecans onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes
6. Cool completely on rack.  Can be stored in a ziplock bag for 1-2 weeks

Make the cheesecake
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth
3. Blend in eggs, one at a time
4. Spread about 1 cup of batter into the bottom of the crust
5. Sprinkle pecans on top of batter (~1 cup of pecans)
6. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg to remaining batter.  Stir until well combined
7. Pour batter on top of pecan layer
8. Bake for ~40 minutes until top is lightly browned and center is just set
9. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight

Cheddar Beer Bread

A perfect easy and delicious snack for March Madness!

Cheddar Beer Bread

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
Generous pinch of salt
1 cup of beer
1/4 cup (scant) honey
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Melted butter for brushing

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt
3. Stir in the beer, honey, and 1 cup of the cheese
4. Pour the sticky batter into the greased pan
5. Top with the remaining cheese and lightly brush with melted butter
6. Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove bread and lightly brush top again with butter
7. Continue to bake for 10 more minutes or until tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf and cheese on top has browned
8. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.  Remove to rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Update: I used whole wheat flour the second time around - made all the difference.  Also used enough beer to just make the bread wet enough and used blue moon - much more delicious than bud light

Cheddar Gougéres

Cheddar Gougéres (or as I like to call them, Cheddar Googies)
makes about 12 googies

Ingredients
1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, diced

3/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, chilled
1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese (you can also use the traditional gruyere)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper
2. Simmer the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until the butter has melted
3. Add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed and the dough forms a ball, pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Keep stirring until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and the dough is no longer sticky
4. Remove the pan from heat and let the dough cool for 1-2 minutes
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Make sure the first egg is incorporated before adding the second one; the dough will come back together after mixing in each egg
6. Fold in the grated cheese and black pepper 
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheet.  Space puffs about 3 inches apart
8. Using damp fingers, press down any peaks on the batter (this step isn't really necessary, it just makes a prettier puff)
9. Bake puffs for 30 minutes, rotating the pan once after 15 minutes
10. Eat puffs warm or let cool completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container at room temp

Caramelized Banana Brownies

Caramelized Banana Brownies

Ingredients 
4 large bananas
1 stick unsalted butter 
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 oz semisweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 inch pan with tin foil
2. Melt the butter and both kinds of chocolate over low heat stirring frequently until smooth
3. While heating the button and chocolate, mash 2 bananas in a medium bowl
4. Pour the melted chocolate over the banana mash. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until combined
5. Whisk in the eggs and salt.  Stir in the flour
6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan
7. Slice the remaining two bananas thinly (about 1/8 inch thick slices).  Arrange the banana slices on top of the batter
8. Warm the honey in the microwave until runny (about 15-20 seconds)
9. Spoon honey over banana slices.  Sprinkle with cinnamon 
10. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached
11. Cool in pan.  Chill in the fridge overnight
12. Using the foil as aid, remove the brownies from the pan and slice into bars