The Banana Cake that Stole the Show

So I made this on a whim because I had a ton of over ripe bananas and I needed something to take to our ward picnic. It made a ton and I am glad it did they were a big hit and I had over five different people ask for the recipe...the problem is that I changed the recipe. I was careful to write down the changes I made but then the paper got thrown away. Bummer. So this is what I think I did if I remember correctly, which I am pretty sure I am remembering this right. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 TB vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 generous cups mashed ripe bananas

Frosting

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
  
• 2 -4 TB sour cream
  
• 1/2 package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  
• powdered sugar to liking
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 10x15 inch jellyroll pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.(mine took 20 minutes)
4. While the cake is cooling mix the frosting. With a standing mixer cream the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter, when that is all smooth and getting whipped nicely add the sour cream and the vanilla sour cream. Whip until light and fluffy.
   
5. While the mixer is going slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding it until it is the the consistency you like best. I think I adjusted the frosting a little with a bit more sour cream to give it a bit more creamy taste and a bit more tang. I like my frosting fluffy but still thick enough to hold its shape.
   
6. When the cake has cooled completely frost it and then refrigerate them until you want to serve it...not necessary but something about a cold banana cake is just delightful on a hot summer day. This is a great recipe to feed a crowd. The cake is light and fluffy but has a rich taste and the frosting is a hybrid of butter cream and cream cheese frosting. Yum.
   

Magnolia bakery Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 9 ounces, weight Semisweet Chocolate, Melted And Cooled To Lukewarm (See Note)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2-¼ cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

Preparation Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add in the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency.

Yields enough frosting for a 9-inch 2-layer cake or about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Note: To melt the chocolate, place it in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely smooth and no pieces remain. Remove from heat and let cool 5-15 minutes or until lukewarm.

Root Beer Float Cookies

These were a big success. They are a really fun cookie that is really yummy. Great to bring to a summer BBQ. Everyone will want to try one for a taste adventure and then everyone will take another because they are so dang good.

Ingredients

• 1 cupUnsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
• 1 cupGranulated Sugar
• 1 cupPacked Light Brown Sugar
• 1 wholeLarge Egg
• ½ cupsVegetable Oil
• 2 TablespoonsMilk
• 1 teaspoonVanilla Extract
• 4 teaspoonsRoot Beer Extract
• 3-½ cupsFlour
• 1 teaspoonCream Of Tartar
• 1 teaspoonBaking Soda
• ⅛ teaspoonsSalt
• 2 cups White Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place butter and sugars in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, cream. Beat in egg. Continue to beat until mixture is fluffy. Beat in oil, milk, vanilla and root beer concentrate.

2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.

3. Drop about 2 tablespoonfuls of dough at a time onto ungreased cookies sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and them remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

My favorite BBQ Chicken Marinade

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (vinegar works too)
  
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring (optional if you are using a Charcoal BBQ)
  
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 TB sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 4 - 7 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• favorite grilling veggies chopped in large chunks to be skewered
  
• * I like to add herbs to match the flavors of my meal: Asian night I add a little ginger, Italian night I add basil and oregano, Mexican night I add a little cumin....
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. poor 1/5 of the marinade in large bowl, toss the veggies with it and sprinkle with tiny bit more salt cover and set aside. Place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow chicken to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator. I would shoot for at least 2 hours if the breast are large.
   
2. Preheat the grill for high heat. Skewer the veggies.
   
3. Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.Throw on the veggies and cook until desired done-ness.
   

Your chicken will look beautiful and taste great too! We have served this to five different dinner guests and everyone raves about it. Itis really super good!

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 3 quart casserole dish or 9x13 pan.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute cornflakes in 1/4 cup melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.
4. Bake covered in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Eclair Cake

Ingredients

• Pastry Shell:
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• Filling:
• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place a mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
2. Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (The dough will rise and make a boat shape, but should drop as it cools.) Cool completely on wire rack.
4. Remove the chilled mixing bowl from the freezer and pour in 2 cups of cold whipping cream. Whip until the cream thickens, about 1 minute; stir in the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream while you mix the pudding.
5. Pour the pudding mixes and the milk into a mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the filling over the cooled crust and refrigerate.
6. Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring 1 cup of cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften for 1 minute. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly to thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour the ganache over the cream filling, spreading to cover the entire surface. Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

"sex in a pan" dessert

I want to try this the name bugs but I think it would be really good since I have had desserts like it before and loved them...I think I might make it for Stew's grad party. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®), thawed
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 12 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Place margarine, flour, and white sugar into a bowl, and cut with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press the mixture into a 10x10-inch square baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven until the crust is lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Let the crust cool.
3. Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the whipped topping until well combined, and spread the mixture over the crust in an even layer.
4. Place milk in a mixing bowl, and beat the chocolate and vanilla pudding mixes into the milk with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Spread the pudding layer over the cream cheese layer.
5. Pour the cream into a mixing bowl, and whip to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Lightly spread the whipped cream over the pudding layer, and sprinkle top with chocolate wafer crumbs. Refrigerate the dessert for at least 1 hour before serving.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

From: America's Test Kitchen Live!
by Cook's Illustrated

* Note that fettuccine Alfredo must be served immediately it does not hold or reheat well.
Ingredients
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt - didn't add
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper - didn't add
• 9 ounces fresh fettuccine
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 3/4 cup) - I usually add more :)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg - didn't add

Directions
1. Bring 1 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the butter to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the mixture reduces down a bit about 8 minutes minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream and pepper.

2. While the cream is reducing, bring 4 1/2 quarts water to a rolling boil, covered, in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

3. Meanwhile, return the cream mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low and add the Parmesan, and nutmeg to the cream mixture. Cook over low heat until well incorporated then toss in pasta and reserved pasta water just before you want to serve it.

Creamsicle Cookies

Creamsicle Cookies

These are a fun summer/springtime cookie. They are pretty too.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Easy and Crazy Good Marinaria

I used Italian style stewed tomatoes, threw in a few leaves of fresh basil and substituted the wine with chicken broth. Was a huge success at Genevieve's baby blessing family dinner I hosted. Making it a couple days in advance only improves the flavors. :)

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup finely diced onion 1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

1.	In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2.	In a large skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.

Cake Mix + Fat Free Greek Yogurt

This is a low fat way of making a really yummy fast cake that is dairy and egg free too! Perfect for me and my egg allergies! It is really good. I used it with devils food cake and layered it with German chocolate cake filling and it was so lovely! Big hit.

Ingredients:
one 18.25 oz box moist style cake mix
1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 cup water

Directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees.

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (refer to cake mix box for pan sizes approximate baking time)

Makes 12 servings at 180 calories, 3.25 grams of fat, 306 mg sodium, 34.5 grams of carbs, <.5grams fiber, 20 grams sugar, and 3.5 grams protein

*best with Devil food cake mix.
* texture very moist and yum...think brownie cake hybrid
*Deliciousness!

Cake Mix +Canned Pure Pumpkin

This is a low fat way of making a really yummy fast cake that is dairy and egg free too! Perfect for me and my egg allergies! It is really good. I used a spice cake mix and sprinkled in some Cinnamon and made then muffin style. The kids had them for breakfast and it was big hit.

Ingredients:
1 18.25 oz box moist style cake mix
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin

Directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees.

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly. The batter will be very thick. Then transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (refer to cake mix box for pan sizes approximate baking time)

Makes 12 servings at 183 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 301 mg sodium, 37grams of carbs, 1.25 grams fiber, 20.5 grams sugar, and 2 grams protein

*best with spice cake mix and devil's food cake mix. - not recommended with white and yellow cake mixes
* texture very moist, thick, and fudge like.
*tastes rich and decadent!

Cake Mix + Diet Soda

This is a low fat way of making a really yummy fast cake that is dairy and egg free too! Perfect for me and my egg allergies! It is really good.

Ingredients:
one 18.25 oz box moist style cake mix
1 12 oz. can diet soda

Directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees.

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (refer to cake mix box for pan sizes approximate baking time)

Makes 12 servings at 171 calories, 3.25 grams of fat, 299 mg sodium, 36grams of carbs, <.5grams fiber, 21.5 grams sugar, and 1.5 grams protein

*best combos: yellow cake mix + diet cream soda, lemon cake mix + diet lemon-lime, devils food cake mix + diet cherry cola
* texture moist and light
*impressive but if you are sensitive to to the sweetener in diet soda you might not like this version as much

Cake Mix + No-sugar Added Applesauce

This is a low fat way of making a really yummy fast cake that is dairy and egg free too! Perfect for me and my egg allergies! It is really good. I didn't have no sugar added applesauce and the applesauce was strawberry flavor. I sprinkled in some Cinnamon and made then muffin style. The kids had them for breakfast and it was big hit.

Ingredients:
one 18.25 oz box moist style cake mix
1 cup no sugar added applesauce
1 cup water

Directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees.

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly and transfer to a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (refer to cake mix box for pan sizes approximate baking time)

Makes 12 servings at 179 calories, 3.25 grams of fat, 299 mg sodium, 36grams of carbs, .5grams fiber, 21.5 grams sugar, and 1.5 grams protein

*best with yellow cake mix
* texture very moist and fluffy. A+
*sweet and slightly apple-y, yummy!