Banana Bread Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

 

These are Awesome... My Aunt Sandy made these for my 61st birthday when we were on vacation in Cali.... The browned butter frosting is just perfect for this banana bread!!! This is a definite keeper!! 

1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375F. Grease and flour
15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in
a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour
cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.
Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add
flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1
minute. Stir in walnuts.

2. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20
to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in
a large saucepan over medium heat until
boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate
brown and remove from heat

4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract
and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it
should be thicker than a glaze but thinner
than frosting). Using a spatula, spread
the brown butter frosting over the warm
bars (the frosting will be easier to spread
while the bars are still warm)

Easy Rustic Apple Pie

This pie is soooo yummy and soooo easy. You can whip this up and have it out of the oven in less than 45 minutes!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar (DO NOT PACK)
2 refrigerated rolled pie crusts, such as Pillsbury
One 21-ounce can apple pie filling
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; set aside 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for the top crust. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and melt them together on medium heat, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and line the skillet with one of the pie crusts. Pour the apple pie filling over the crust and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar. Use the second pie crust to cover the filling. Brush the top with the reserved melted butter, then evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar on top. Cut some slits in the middle of the pie. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot, topped with a scoop of Ice Cream

Breakfast Danish

I got this recipe from a friend back in the 80's it is soooo good and easy you will never buy danish again...

part 1
preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup flour (sifted)
1/2 cup cold butter (margarine or shortening can be used)
2 Tblsp. water
----------------------------------------------------------------
Put flour into bowl and cut in butter . sprinkle with 2 tblsp of water and mix with a fork . form into a ball and divide in half. On a cookie sheet pat dough with hands into two long strips 12"x3" should be 3 inches apart
-----------------------------------------------------------------

part 2

1/2 cup butter (margarine or shortening can be used)
1 cut water
1 teasp almond flavoring
1 cup flour (sifted)
3 eggs
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In a saucepan, combine butter, water, and bring to a rolling boil, remove from heat and  stir in almond flavoring. Add flour a little at a time to prevent lumping. Add eggs one at a time beat each until smooth.
Divide in half and spread evenly over the strips.

Bake for about 60 minutes until top is crisp and lightly brown.
remove from oven and let cool.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tblsp milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (enough to reach a spread consistency

Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Spread on top of cooled danish top with nuts.
you can also top with canned pie filling

Photo to come....

Cupcake Shop Cupcakes!!

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (any flavor) )I used Red Velvet)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil)
1 package instant pudding mix ( chocolate for devil's food/chocolate cake mix vanilla for white/yellow cake mix,)
4 eggs, room temp. (lightly beaten)
2 teasp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, beat together ALL ingredients for 2 minutes scraping down the sides.
With an ice cream scoop, scoop out cupcake batter into cupcake liners so that they are 3/4 full or a little less.
Check doneness at 15 mins. (Mine took 25 minutes) check with toothpick, if it comes out clean, they are done)
Yield 24-30 Cupcakes (depending how full you filled the liners)

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup of salted butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. almond extract
4+ cups powdered sugar
food coloring (optional)
Instructions

Beat the shortening and butter on high for 3-4 minutes or until it is creamy/fluffy.
Turn the mixer off and SLOWLY add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time
Mix on low until combined, then beat on high for a minute.

*Be sure to taste the frosting in between adding the sugar/creamer to get it the way you want it to taste.
Turn off of the mixer and add the milk.
Mix on high and beat until fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
Add the Almond extract and beat 1 more minute. Add food coloring if desired
enjoy!

Cake Mix Biscotti

This has got to be the best biscotti recipe I have ever tried!! Great texture, not break your tooth hard like some recipes I've tried. I used a spice cake to make mine and dipped in Wiltons Pumpkin spice candy melts. I think they are seasonal because I can't find them now so you can just use any kind of candy melts or none at all... you can make these out of any flavor of cake mix just make sure it doesn't have pudding in the mix. The variations are endless. Give them a try, you won't be sorry!

Ingredients
1 (18 ounce) box cake mix, your choice of flavor... avoid those with pudding in the mix
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour, add until not too sticky to handle
4 large eggs room temperature 
¹⁄₂ cup margarine or butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, substitute with whatever suits the cake mix flavor 
³⁄₄ cup nuts (optional)
³⁄₄ cup chocolate chips or cinnamon chips or any other flavor chips you might want to use.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. Pour the cake mix into a mixing bowl. Stir in 1& 1/2 cups flour.
3. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, margarine and vanilla extract.
4. With an electric beater mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough does not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. It will look and feel like play dough! this is where you add more flour if you need it.
5. On a lightly floured board, divide dough into two halves.
6. Pat and form each half into a log about 1" thick.
7. Put onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet or on parchment paper on cookie sheet
8. Flatten the top of each cookie log until it is about 3" wide.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove baking sheet from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
11. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and do not turn off.
12. Gently slide one cookie log onto the counter or piece of parchment paper.
13. Using a serrated knife or better still an electric carving knife, slice each log across the width into 3/4" slices.
14. Place cookies cut side down back onto the baking sheet and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes turn over and bake another 10 minutes
15. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
16. Melt Wilton candy melts and dip bottom of biscotti put on rack to harden
17. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or freeze.
18. Variations include:.
19. PECAN BISCOTTI: butter pecan cake mix - chopped pecans - maple extract.
20. APRICOT BISCOTTI: golden cake mix - chopped dried apricots - toasted slivered almonds - almond extract.
21. CRANBERRY BISCOTTI: vanilla cake mix - chopped dried cranberries - toasted slivered almonds - almond extract.
22. ORANGE SPICE BISCOTTI: spice cake mix - walnuts - grated orange zest.
23. GINGER BISCOTTI: spice cake mix - walnuts - chopped crystalized ginger pieces.
24. CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI: chocolate cake mix - chocolate piece or chips, freeze first so they retain their shape during baking.
25. LEMON ALMOND BISCOTTI: lemon cake mix - toasted slivered almonds.

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 MY OH MY this looks YUMMMMMY
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New York Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

 I made this for CHRISTmas 2013... it is AWESOME!!! it's a keeper!!

New York Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

CRUST

2 cups  finely ground graham crackers crumbs (about 30 squares) ( I buy the crumbs)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

FILLING

4- (8) oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

top with Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Directions

1. To prepare crust: 

In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan, use your finger or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling

2. To prepare filling: 

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and the lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed, but not over beaten. (Over beating incorporates to much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling.) Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

3. To prepare water bath: 

Set the pan on a double piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides. This will prevent water from seeping into the seams of the spring form pan. Carefully set the cake pan in the large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

4. Preheat oven 325, decrease oven to 300 bake for 1 hour 20 min. The cheesecake should jiggle, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cakes center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the insides of rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. De-mold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheese cake with a thin non-stick knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut. Or with a piece of dental floss

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, without stirring. If necessary, use a wet pastry brush to wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil until the syrup is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the butter, and salt and simmer at a low boil an additional 5-7 minutes until thickened to the consistency to of your liking. Transfer the caramel sauce to a dish or canning  jar to cool.

*Cook's Note: The salted caramel sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Reheat before serving