Another Peanut Butter Recipe

Besides peanut butter and chocolate, my next favorite combination is peanut butter and bananas.  You really cannot go wrong with a slice of toast, a schmear of peanut butter, topped off with a thinly sliced banana.  It's one of my favorite things to have at breakfast.

Last week I noticed my large bag of ripe banana in the freezer and decided it was time to make some banana bread.  However, this time I was not interested in making my mom's traditional banana bread recipe.  I thought why not use more of the peanut butter I have on hand.  I pulled this recipe from Joy the Baker who adapted it from Cooking Light.  My fellow blogger and friend, Sara Chidester of The Chidester's blog, recently made this same recipe last fall and was a big fan of it so I knew I had to try it out.  I followed Joy the Baker's recipe, eliminating the peanut butter glaze and increasing the amount of roasted peanuts.  The end result was delicious and it did not last long.  Next time I will have to double the recipe and make a second loaf.  To all of my fellow peanut butter lovers, the next time you have some very ripe bananas or like me have a supply in your freezer I beg you to try this recipe out. You will surely be impressed and find it hard to stop at just one slice.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Makes: one 9×5-inch loaf
Recipe taken from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I used almost 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup plain fat free yogurt
• 1/3 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground allspice.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together  mashed bananas, yogurt, peanut butter and melted butter.  Whisk in eggs and sugars.  Blend mixture until no sugar lumps remain.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients.  Fold together with a spatula until no more flour bits remain.  Fold in the chopped nuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a butter knife along the edges of the pan and inverting the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. This bread lasts, well wrapped at room temperature,for up to 4 days.  It is also great to store, well wrapped, in the freezer.

It's That Time of Year Again...

I am referring to summer, time for jeans and boots to be hidden in the back of my closet and my summer dresses, shorts, and sleeveless tops to be dusted off.  What is also so great about this time of year you may ask?!  Fresh fruits and vegetables grown from nearby farms ready for picking.  Yes, I know, I am a food dork and I cannot help it. :)

I was in the mood for a fruity dessert and decided to whip up a strawberry rhubarb pie.  With all of the fresh strawberries lately I thought I should take advantage while I could.  In my family this is a favorite of mine as well as my mom's.  My Aunt Susie actually makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie I have ever tasted.  Well, the more I thought about it I realized it's also swimsuit season, which means a heavy buttery crust would not go well with my two piece at the pool.  Never fear, I decided to go with a healthier twist on an old favorite and make Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  The result, a sweet and slightly tart dessert covered with a crunchy granola like topping.  For those of you also trying to eat a little healthier this season I believe this is the perfect answer for your summer time dessert cravings.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Adapted from this recipe from Joy the Baker
makes 6 1/2-cup size ramekin cobblers

Ingredients:

For the fruit:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb (I could not find any fresh rhubarb so I used frozen this time.  Make sure they are defrosted before mixing with the fresh fruit.)
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• a dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not instant oats)
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the fruit with flour, spices and maple syrup.  Set aside while you assemble the topping.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt and spices.  In a small bowl whisk together the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and water.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a fork.  Make sure all of the dry ingredients are moistened by the oil and maple syrup mixture.
4. Add half a cup of the topping mixture to the fruit mixture and toss together.  Scoop fruit into ramekins, being sure to fill each cup to the top.  Spoon and pat topping onto each cup.  Sprinkle with an additional dose of ground cinnamon if you’d like.
5. Place the six ramekins on a clean baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and delicious.
6. Serve warm.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate...Two of My Favorite Foods

Who does not love peanut butter and chocolate?!  Who does not love these two things combined?!  If you are one of the few non-lovers than feel free to stop here but if not please continue reading. :)

Lately, I have been eating peanut butter everyday in some form or another.  I seem to be going through my jar of peanut butter much too quickly.  I buy the organic natural peanut butter so the stuff is not cheap my friend!  My breakfast of choice lately is scrambled egg whites with a toasted whole wheat english muffin and a good schmear of peanut butter on each half.  It fills me up and always sets my day out on the right foot even though I know minutes later my long list of work emails may bring me down again, I at least know I started my day out on a happy note.

Just the other day I was in the mood for some peanut butter (surprise!) and chocolate.  I came across this recipe from one of the blogs I follow and I just had to try it out.  In less than a hour I had a sweet and salty treat that fulfilled my craving and put me in a very good mood.  These are great for an afternoon snack, dessert, or even late at night with a glass of milk...or wine...whatever you have on hand.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pretzels Bites

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites Dipped in Chocolate
Taken from 17 and baking
Makes around 45-60 bite sizes sandwiches


Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic natural peanut butter)
• 2 tsp butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Pretzels (I used Snyder's Snaps)
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract until well mixed – you may need to add more to get the filling thick and stiff enough to hold its shape.
2. Roll teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture between your palms to form balls. Sandwich between two pretzels and put on a plate or cookie sheet. Freeze the pretzel sandwiches for half an hour.
3. Melt the chocolate chips, using the microwave (30 second intervals) or a double boiler. Dip half of each pretzel sandwich in chocolate. Return the tray to the freezer and chill until the chocolate sets.
4. Store the Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites in the refrigerator until serving time.

Two months too long...

It's been over two months since my last post and I apologize for my long absence.  For the past few months my work life was getting in the way of my social life and I was not doing much baking or cooking.  Fortunately, things have slowed back down and I have time for the things I love and one of my great loves is baking.  Not only has work slowing down helped lower my stress but ever since I got back in the kitchen I am feeling much happier.  These past few months have also made me realize life is too short to be unhappy and let stress, especially work stress, take over your life.  To quote Oprah from her last show...."Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to find it."  I know that my current job is not my true calling and I hope one day I will be able to do more of what I love on a daily basis.

Me, Laura, Sara, MK, and Nina

Now let's get down to what this blog is all about...food!  My dear friend Mary Katherine Byrd (aka MK, Katherine, Kacky, etc.) now Mrs. Mary Katherine Baker recently married her boyfriend/best friend since high school, Nick Baker.  Before the wedding, two of the bridesmaids, Laura & Sara, threw MK a bridal shower and I was lucky enough to bake the cupcakes for the special day.  Laura & Sara did an amazing job decorating and preparing the food but I have to say my favorite thing were the favors they created for the guests.  A bird cookie cutter attached to a recipe for sugar cookies along with an original poem by Laura.  The best line being, "A symbol of our sweet Byrd becoming a Baker!".  The shower was a success and just over two weeks ago Ms. Byrd became Mrs. Baker.  Congrats MK and Nick! :)

 

 

The amazing spread Laura and Sara prepared.

 

The Cupcake Tower

My attempt at creating Magnolia Flowers

I chose to make two kinds of cupcakes for the shower.  White cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache and chocolate cupcakes filled with raspberry jam, both decorated with vanilla cream cheese icing.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we did. 


Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24-27 standard sized cupcakes (I divided this recipe in half)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• Raspberry Filling

Directions:

1. Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for one minute.
4. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin).
5. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter.  (Use a large measuring cup with a pour spout then pour the batter into the liners.)
6. Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.
7. Cool completely on wire rack.
8. While the cupcakes are cooling prepare the raspberry filling.  Over low heat on the stove heat about 2/3 cup of raspberry jam.
9. Using tip 230, fill a piping bag with the raspberry filling, and slowly fill each cupcake.  If you don't have that tip you can use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake.  Fill each hole with raspberry.  Discard (eat) the scraps.

Basic White Cake
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes or 2 9-inch cakes (I divided this recipe in half)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Ganache

Directions:

1. Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
4. Beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
6. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
7. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is smooth, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
8. Finally, beat the batter for another 2 minutes to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
9. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter.  (Use a large measuring cup with a pour spout then pour the batter into the liners.)
10. Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.
11. Cool completely on wire rack.
12. To prepare the ganache:
1. Place a 1/4 pound of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate in a medium bowl.  Slowly heat a 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring just to a boil then remove from heat and pour over the chocolate.  Let sit for a minute then stir until chocolate has melted and you have a smooth creamy ganache.  Allow it to cool slightly.  This recipe will yield 1 cup of ganache, which should be plenty for 12 cupcakes.
13. Once the ganache is cooled you will use the same method above for filling the white cupcakes.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
This recipe will frost about 24 cupcakes or a two layer 9" cake.

• ½ cup (1 stick/8 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
• 4 cups powdered confectioners’ sugar
• 1 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream, heavy whipping cram (or milk)

Directions:

1. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
3. Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
4. Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
5. Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

Recipes taken from my collection of recipes I have printed out without the baker's name and/or website so unfortunately I cannot give credit to whose recipes these are but please know I am very grateful for the recipes. :)