Category: Breads

Best Ever Banana Bread

One bowl, one whisk, and the best banana bread ever, the name of this recipe says it all! Another super quick breakfast or snack idea, and perfect for a friend in need or to take to a new neighbor, this is the one banana bread recipe that I come back to, over and over. It is found in Barbara Fairchild’s brilliant cookbook, The Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook.

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts, delicious with or without the nuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 T. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3 inch metal loaf pan (mine is ceramic and it seems to work fine, plus I just spray it with Baker’s Joy for greasing the pan.)

After mashing the bananas in a large bowl, whisk banana and eggs to blend in the same bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake bread until top is golden brown and splits slightly and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (Be sure and check it earlier though, ovens vary and you don’t want to overcook it.)

Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ONE AT A TIME – Barbara says this recipe doesn’t double well. To make two loaves, you’ll need to make two separate batches of batter.

Cinnamon Breakfast Puffs

Now that school’s out for the summer, that means that I can no longer rely on the lovely school cafeteria ladies to feed my kids twice a day…. Soooo, I am going to be finding quick and yummy ways to feed these growing love bunnies of mine, so they stay full and happy all summer! Cinnamon Breakfast Puffs from Roxie Kelley are first up and these little swirly whirls are delicious! Grab the milk!

1 (11 oz.) package refrigerated soft breadstick dough
4 T. butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with a vegetable oil spray. Melt butter in a shallow bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in another shallow bowl. Open breadstick dough. The dough should separate into 8 “pinwheels”. Unroll each pinwheel, dip into melted butter, and then into cinnamon sugar mixture. Wind back up into pinwheel again. Place into greased muffin tin. Repeat with all eight pieces. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve while warm. (My breadstick dough made exactly one dozen.)

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Olive Cheese Bread

Some of you…. you know who you are, I know who you are, need to hide your eyes for this one. Ha! I will not comment on how this bread might just make you into an olive lover. I will refuse to say that it is really unreal that you all will miss out on this wonderful olivey, pleasure in this adventure called life. I will not expand upon the fact that olives are just nature’s wonderful way of naturally adding salt to your gooey, cheesey bread. Are you all hiding your eyes and ears now??….. One of my favorite ways to fix up a loaf of french bread is with this yummy recipe from Ree Drummond!! There, it’s over. It’s all ok now…. Now gather these ingredients.

1 loaf French bread
8 ounces pimento stuffed green olives, chopped
8 ounces pitted, black olives, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 pound Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto a loaf of French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to turn brown.

Ree says the mixture can be refrigerated up to two days and used as a dip with crackers as well!

I say, make it to go alongside Italian food, a steak dinner, cut into squares as an appetizer, or cut into thick strips as lunch or supper!

Chocolate-Banana Bread Puddings

The last time I made this recipe, my son Creed was 4 and he is now 12. That has been waaaay too long! My, how the time slips away. This is from a 2011 December issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. These would make a great breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee, and the caramelized bananas baked in the rich vanilla-E, eggy, bread-E, custard, with melty bits of Hershey bars are just…..mmmmm, mmmm, yumm-E. What’s not to love?! My mom was an English teacher. I’m sorry mom, my English is getting all jacked up! And Lucky, if you’re out there, I still need help with my commas…. Love ya’ll!

1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 T. brown sugar
3 bananas, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
10 slices of white bread, lightly toasted
6 (1.55 oz.) Hershey milk chocolate bars, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. (I used Baker’s Joy to spray my pan and didn’t use liners.)

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter with the brown sugar over moderately high heat. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. the banana should be softened and sticky. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.

Stack the toasted bread, slice off the crusts and cut the bread into 4 triangles.

Add the bread to the custard and let soak until the custard is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooled caramelized bananas and the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the puddings until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.

I garnished mine with a bit of powdered sugar mixed with milk to make a thick glaze to make them pretty. But they certainly don’t need it.

Caution Flag Chili with Flat-Tire Corn and Black Bean Toppers

Now ya’ll know right off hand, that I did not name this recipe! This is Rachael Ray strait out! And this chili IS spicy! So, she had good reason to start with a caution flag. With that being said, the corn and blackbean “pancake” toppers really help to tone down the heat and the combination really ends up being magical! Creed and Fally girl really enjoy this one too. It feels so fresh and healthy, to me, which is a good thing considering all of my Southern food addictions! I think Rachee wrote this for Nascar fans. But whether you are into cars or not, this one is a keeper.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 lbs. ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 T. adobo sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce, such as Peter Luger or A1 (I’m not a huge fan of A1, but that’s what I usually have on hand, and I don’t add as much. It can be strong in flavor to me.)
1 cup beer
1 cup beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 pkg. corn muffin mix, preferably Jiffy, batter made according to package directions for corn pancakes
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and patted dry with paper towels. I leave out that last paper towel part. ha
1/2 T. ground cumin
2 scallions, finely chopped
Softened butter, for greasing a skillet or griddle

Heat the evoo in a medium soup pot over medium-high to high heat. When the oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them for a couple of minutes, then scoot them off to the side of the pan and add the meat. Break up the beef and brown it for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and garlic. Season the meat with the grill seasoning, Worcestershire, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Cook until the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in the steak sauce and beer. Cook the beer off for 1 minute, then add the stock and tomatoes and reduce the heat to low.

Prepare the corn pancake batter according to the package directions. Heads up….I skip this next part because I prefer the look of the black beans whole for picture taking lol, plus it’s just plain easier!…Finely chop the beans in a food processor and stir them into the corn batter. Season the batter with the cumin, and stir in the scallions.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Butter the skillet or griddle, then pour 3 to 4 inch corn pancakes. Flip the cakes when the bottoms are deeply golden and cook them for another minute or two on the second side. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 cakes. Top each bowlful of the chili with a corn and black bean pancake; these are your flat tire toppers, according to Rach! Fun stuff!

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is out of Katie Lee’s first cookbook, The Comfort Table. I have been making these simple muffins for years and they are a definite family favorite especially of my son, Creed. When fall arrives, this is the first recipe that comes out of hiding after the hot Texas summers! As Katie suggests, the leftovers are best enjoyed split (I use a quick spritz of cooking spray here), toasted under the broiler, and spread with cream cheese. Oh wow!

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (a must, I think!)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12- cup muffin pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour the batter into the muffin pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the Muffin pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before removing the muffins.

I get about 18 of them with my muffin pan.


What to use for fresh grated nutmeg


Cooking the books, y’all!