Strawberry Banana Pancakes

Do you know what's frustrating? Being nostalgic for the present. Inadvertently anticipating the inevitable. A kind of pre-sentimental sentimentality. That's where I keep finding myself lately. I haven't even left yet, and somehow I already miss London.

 

It's like I'm acutely aware that these moments are fleeting and that when they are gone, I will miss them terribly. So I jump the gun and end up feeling all sentimental about the eventual absence of people and places and things that are still right in front of me.

 

It is perfectly fine to mourn the end of an era...but only at the end of that era. I'm still here. This is silly. This is no way to live. This calls for comfort food. Specifically, pancakes.

 

The amount of time it takes to make and eat pancakes is pretty much the perfect amount of time to allow myself to sit in this too-soon sentimentality. It's okay to be a little sad. But don't stay there. Make yourself some pancakes. Then eat up, man up, and move on.

 

Let's save the tears for the plane ride back, shall we? It's always more fun to cry in a cramped public space anyway, right? Riiiiiiight... 
 
Strawberry Banana Pancakes 

 
Ingredients:

3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

just over 1/2 cup milk

1/4 stick (28 g) melted butter

1 egg

A dash of vanilla
1 banana, thinly sliced
handful of strawberries, thinly sliced

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Whisk together milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a smaller bowl. Make sure the milk isn't cold or it will cause the butter to re-solidify (is that a word?) and make life and whisking very frustrating. I usually just melt the butter with the milk and let it cool a bit before adding the egg and vanilla.
 

 
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. 

Heat a pan over medium heat. Grease before spooning the batter into it. Add banana and strawberry slices as you see fit, making sure to press them down into the batter a bit so they stay tucked into the pancake when it's flipped. Once bubbles start to form and burst in the middle of the pancake, you'll know it's time to turn it. It'll only take about half as long to cook on the other side. 

Stack sky high and serve warm with plenty of butter and cinnamon. 
 

Simply perfect (and perfectly simple) brownies.

Sometimes situations go awry, and no amount of plan B's or C's or LMNOP's can make things work out the way you'd like. It's just part of life, I suppose. People will tell you not to let it get to you -- that there's something better coming and everything will be okay and just wait and see. 
 

Easier said than done, right?
 

Waiting and seeing is really hard. I’m more comfortable with movement, so sitting still in the tension of not knowing isn’t exactly my cup of tea. In fact, it stresses me out. 
 

In times like these, I fight back with butter and sugar. All this waiting and seeing may mean that I'm not able to make plans or move forward, but at least I can make brownies. And while that might not actually solve any of my problems, it certainly helps soothe them.
 

Bring it on, life. I've got chocolate chips, and I know how to use them.

  
Simply perfect (and perfectly simple) brownies

  

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cups (75g) butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp water

1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, separated

1 tsp vanilla  

2 eggs 

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Then grease and flour (I use cocoa instead) an 8x8 inch pan. If you want super easy removal and cleanup, line the pan with parchment paper. It's a wonderful invention.
 

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
  

In a large saucepan, melt butter with the sugar and water. Bring just to a boil and then remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Add vanilla extract and allow to cool till it's only just warm.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture, and then add the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and the nuts.

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan, and bake for 25-35 minutes. Check them at around 20 to make sure you don't overbake -- dry brownies are a tragedy. Then remove from oven and cool before serving.

 

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

It's officially fall. Time to bust out the coats, scarves, and pumpkin recipes. 

This is my favorite season for baking. And there's so much you can do with pumpkin. But despite the myriad of choices I faced when I pulled a dusty Libby's can from the depths of my cupboard, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are exceptional. They're full of flavor and so soft that they're almost more like the top of a muffin than your standard cookie. And they're super simple. 

So grab yourself a can of Libby's, and whip these up on a crisp fall evening. Your kitchen will smell amazing, and your taste buds will thank you.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(c/o Joy the Baker)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp (heaping) nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray. 

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until smooth. Then add the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla, and mix on a low speed until it's all blended together. 

Add the flour mixture, and stir until combined. Dough will be very similar to a muffin batter, but it should hold its shape when scooped.

Fold in the chocolate chips. 

 

Scoop out about 1/4 cup (or a large spoonful) of dough and place on prepared baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie, because they'll grow quite a bit in the oven. I think I only put 6 on my standard baking sheet. 

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and they pass the toothpick test. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Then, enjoy!

 

Note: I got about 18 cookies out of this recipe. I baked them last night, and currently there are only 3 left in my kitchen. So while these could hypothetically last about 4 days in an airtight container, expect them to be gone long before then.

  

Peach pie.

Summer is over. I think we had about two weeks of it here in London. On one of those rare summery days, I wandered past a fruit stand that was absolutely overflowing with peaches.

So I decided to make a pie.

Peach pie

(recipe c/o smitten kitchen)

Ingredients: 
Crust

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp granulated
1 tsp salt
1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup cold water

Filling

6 large peaches
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar (or up to 1/3 cup, if you prefer sweeter pies)

1/4 cup brown sugar (same as above)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp sugar

 

Directions:

Dough

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Work cold butter into mixture (using your hands is the easiest way). You'll want small pieces of butter -- I'd suggest freezing it and then using a cheese grater. It'll give you a flakier crust.  

Stir in the ice water and mix until the dough begins to pull together. Knead a couple times and form into a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour (but you can leave it in there up to two days, or freeze for up to 2 months). 

Filling

You'll need to peel the peaches. But before you grab that paring knife, check this out! Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and also prepare an ice bath. Then, using a sharp knife, make a small X on the bottom of each peach. Place peaches into boiling water, and poach for 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and put immediately into ice bath to cool for one minute. When you take them out of the ice water, the skin should slip right off. It's amazing, I tell you.

Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Then slice into 1/3 inch slices and measure out about 6 cups. Feel free to snack on the leftovers as you bake. 

In a large bowl, toss peach slices with lemon juice. Combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to bowl of peaches and toss to coat.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). 

Generously flour your work surface. Put one disc of pie dough in the middle and flour it too. Roll your dough out from the center. Go slowly, or it will crack. Every few rolls, lift dough up and rotate a little. Repeat until you've got a 12-13 inch circle. Add more flour as needed (you shouldn't have any dough sticking to the counter or your rolling pin, and if it gets too soft, pop it back in the freezer for a minute before resuming the rolling). 

Transfer your dough by folding into quarters (without creasing!). Place the folded quarter in your pie dish and gently unfold it out over the base. Trim away excess dough (you need about an inch overhang). 

Spoon filling pie-lined dish, making sure to get all the juices. 

Roll out the other disc of dough. For a lattice top, cut into 1/2 - 1 inch strips. Place strips across pie filling in one direction. Fold back every other strip and add a strip going in the other direction. Fold strips back down across the filling. Then fold the others back and place another strip across them. Repeat until you've got a full lattice top. Trim the strips till they're even with the dish (no overhang). Fold the overhang of the bottom crust up over the lattice strips and crimp. 

Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake for about 20 minutes until crust is beginning to brown. Then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 C) and bake for another 30 - 40 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, cover it with foil until the pie is completely done baking. 

Cool for three hours. Yes, this is a long time. But it's mandatory, if you don't want your pie filling to flood out of the crust when you cut into it. It must be fully cool before it's fully thickened. 

Then top with ice cream, and serve!

 

Nectarine muffins.

You know that bit in The Notebook, where Allie says, "Most of the time I have all these thoughts bouncing around in my head, but with a brush in my hand, the world just gets kinda quiet"? That's how I am with baking. I don't care if my world seems like it's falling apart. Give me some dough to tend to, and I'll be okay. 

On the flip side, if I go a couple weeks without baking, I get a little antsy. Which is why I made muffins the other day. Well, that and the fact that the nectarines were about to go bad.

These are the perfect breakfast muffins. Not overly sweet, but still full of flavor. (Confession: I initially typed flavour...oops! These Brits are just too darn influential.) Anywho, let's bake.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (heaping) diced nectarine (about 2 nectarines)

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (for topping)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 200°C). Grease or line muffin tin.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, making sure to get the lumps out. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In another bowl, combine butter and milk. Add the eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Mixture will be lumpy (as all good muffin batter should be).

Gently fold in the diced nectarines.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with brown sugar for extra goodness. 

Bake for about 15 minutes (mine were done around 13), or until golden brown. Watch them fairly closely after about 12 minutes -- after all the love and care you've put into these babies, it'd be a shame if they came out too dry! If you're not sure, do the toothpick test.  

Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes: I made a half batch, and got 8 muffins (though I did fill the tins up quite a bit), so you can expect to get anywhere from 16-18 from the full recipe. Also, if and when I make these again, I'll add some strawberries. I think that'd take em to the next level of amazingness. 

  

Stress baking (& chocolate chip cookies).

I had a minor emotional breakdown this evening.

Our lease ends in September. It's almost August. So my flatmate and I were discussing our plans, when we realized something: we don't really have any.

Sure, we'd both like to stay in London. But as of right now, neither of us have jobs or a place to live. And both of those are pretty much non negotiable. The thing is, until we've got jobs lined up, we can't be sure we can afford rent. But regardless of whether or not we've made other housing arrangements, we're out in just over a month. It's kid of terrifying.

As we talked through it, I could hear the panic begin to creep into my voice. I took a deep breath. It was 9:00 at night, which meant there was nothing we could do about our situation right then, but it felt like if we didn't answer all the questions right then, our worlds would crumble.

Have you ever been there? That place between feeling this desperate need to do something -- anything -- but also being kind of helpless? I'm a pretty action oriented person. I don't like to sit around and worry. I like to do. But sometimes that's just not an option.

It's times like these that I typically do one of two things: cry or bake.

I didn't want to cry, so I made these instead.

Chocolate chip cookies

[Disclaimer: Those of you who've known me for a while are probably familiar with the fact that my dad is the undisputed king of chocolate chip cookies. I'm sorry to tell you that this is not his recipe. But it's still pretty darn good.]

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 g) butter, softened

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

chocolate chips (amount varies according to how chocolatey you like your cookies)

chopped pecans (optional - I think these are essential accents, though I've been told they're "interruptions")

Directions:

First off, apologies for the lack of pictures. Just imagine some really lovely chocolate chip cookies (like these). Then imagine how amazing your kitchen would smell like if you made them. The smell alone should be enough to make you want to try this recipe. If it's not, I'm not sure there's anything I can do or say to persuade you otherwise. 

This is really difficult. Are you ready?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Make sure your butter is softened. 

Combine all ingredients (sans chocolate chips and pecans) and mix. 

Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Form into balls (of whatever size you prefer) and bake for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Place on a cooling rack and stare longingly at them till your need to eat one is greater than your fear of being burned by molten chocolate chips. Or until they're just warm enough. Then, enjoy.

That's all, folks.

  

Chocolate chip cookie pie.

I woke up this morning to rain. More rain. And I decided I've had enough. I wanted sunshine. But since I can't just part the clouds or conjure up some blue skies, I did the next best thing. 

I made a pie. 

If you've never made a pie, they might seem a little intimidating. But this one? Not in the least. There's no lattice crust, no blind baking, no worrying that it won't set up and you'll be stuck with a runny, sticky mess. None of that. This is probably the simplest pie I've made (well, except for the chocolate pies that just require pudding and Cool Whip). 

You can totally do this. And you should.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

(thanks to this site)

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 9 sheets, or one wrapped package)

1/3 cup sugar (I used just under that)

6 tbsp (85 grams) butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, but why not?)

Filling:

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, or 170 grams) butter, softened

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Crust:

Crush graham crackers into crumbs. A food processor works great, but since they don't exactly travel well, I left mine back home in New Mexico. But the good news is that you can definitely make due with a zip lock bag and a rolling pin. Awesome.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Mix until well combined. Press into a pie pan. Refrigerate for an hour. (You can also use this crust for berry pies and cheesecakes, but you should bake it for about 10 minutes for those types of desserts. For this pie, we want one that's unbaked, so just chill it.)

Filling:

Preheat oven to 325 (160ish C) degrees. 

Beat eggs until well blended and fluffy. Add flour, sugar and brown sugar. Beat well. Add butter (it helps if you cut it into cubes), and beat until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Spoon into unbaked pie crust. Use a knife or spoon to even out the top.

Place pie on a cookie sheet (it's easier to handle), and bake for 35 minutes. The original recipe calls for 55 minutes, but mine was done long before that. So I'd say check it after half an hour or so. It should be golden brown, and a knife should come out clean after inserted into the center. 

And that's it! See what I mean? Super simple.

This pie is best served warm, and preferably with ice cream. Chocolate syrup is also a great addition.

Enjoy!

  

Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars.

Most people I've met in England have never had a s'more. Actually, most haven't even known what one is. I'm guessing it's because (1) There are no graham crackers here, and (2) No one here has seen The Sandlot. It's tragic, really.

So I made a point to bring some graham crackers back with me after Christmas. Up until recently, they'd just been chilling in my room, patiently waiting for the day they'd be made into something delectable.

That day came about a week ago. I had a refrigerator full of blueberries. This is what I did with them.

Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars

(courtesy of this wonderful site)

 

Ingredients:

Crust:
9 graham crackers, crushed
2 tbsp sugar
dash of cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 lemons (juice and zest)
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. The extra paper can hang over the edges -- that just makes it easier to remove the bars after baking.

Crust: Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. (Real talk: whenever a recipe calls for a "dash," I can't do it. I usually go with a hearty sprinkle. I've found that's not a good idea with cloves or nutmeg, but it's perfectly okay with cinnamon. Just FYI.) Add melted butter and mix till it's fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the lined pan. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool completely. 

 

Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour over the cooled crust. Sprinkle blueberries over the top (or, if you're a mild control freak like me, place the berries in a manner that's both strategic and aesthetically pleasing).

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center is mostly set -- only slightly jiggly. Remove and cool to room temperature. Then pop it into the refrigerator (still in the pan) for at least 3 hours before serving. Once it's set and chilled, remove from the pan, slice and serve. 

Yum.

Blueberry boy bait.

When I first saw the name of this recipe, I was sold. Blueberries? Yum. Boy bait? What does that even mean? I had to try it out. That was over a year ago, and I finally got around to making it. Now, let me be real with you -- there's a lot of butter in this recipe. A whole lot. But butter = deliciousness.
So don't let that deter you. If anything, let it motivate you.

Here goes.

Blueberry boy bait.

adapted (very slightly) from here

Ingredients:

Cake

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk 

vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175ish C). Grease and flour 13x9 inch baking pan (or two smaller pans if you're like me and forgot you don't actually have a bigger one...) I'd also suggest lining the bottom with parchment paper, just to be safe.

Mix two cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, beat butter and sugars on until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing till just combined. After each egg, make sure to scrape the bowl. 

Butter and sugar: the stuff happiness is made of.

Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour, and beating well between additions. Add a splash of vanilla, just because that's always a good idea. 

Coat blueberries in remaining 1 tsp of flour, and gently fold into batter. Then spread batter into prepared pan (or evenly between two pans).

Scatter another 1/2 cup blueberries over top of batter. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake until it passes the toothpick test -- about 45 to 50 minutes for 13x9 inch pan. My two smaller pans were done in just over half an hour.  Cool in pan before turning out. Seriously though. Don't be overeager like me and lose a third of your cake because it was too warm and stuck to the pan. (But if you do, just cut it up into bite-sized pieces, and no one will ever know.)

This tastes excellent warm, but it's great at room temperature too. 

Enjoy!

 

Vanilla cupcakes.

It's birthday season in my building. Three birthdays in three days. I've had a lot of baking to do...which I totally love. But with baking comes dishes...which I don't so totally love. That's why I adore this recipe for vanilla cupcakes. Only one bowl needed. Glory, hallelujah. Let's do this.

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes

slightly adapted from here

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter (softened but not melty)

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla 

2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175ish C). Line a muffin tin with paper cups. Preferably pretty ones. I recommend polka dots...even if they're going to boys. Because, why not?

Cast of characters.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Add the butter (it's best if you cut it up into smaller pieces first), milk, vanilla and eggs. I ran out of vanilla --tragedy!-- at like 3/4 tbsp, so I topped it up with almond extract and it worked great. Beat on medium speed until blended. The batter was a little too thick for my liking, so I added a little more milk. But you don't want it so thin that it's easily pourable.

Nerd moment: Isn't it amazing what a little heat can do?
There's probably a good metaphor for life in there somewhere...

Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Do a toothpick test (or dry spaghetti, if that's all you've got) a little beforehand. You don't want to over bake these babies, or they'll turn out pretty dry. 

Remove from pans to cool completely before frosting. 

I used a stiff buttercream recipe that holds up well when piped. But these little darlings work well with pretty much any kind of frosting out there, so just pick your favorite and get decorating!

And there you have it! A simple vanilla cupcake recipe that tastes great and leaves you with only one bowl (plus measuring cups, spoons, and other utensils, but whatever) to clean up afterward. Lovely.

Enjoy!

  

Lazy cherry tomato pasta.

I'm a big fan of pasta. I'm also a big fan of easy, which meant that until recently, I'd rather buy a jar of already-made pasta sauce than even think about attempting to make my own. It's just so much easier. But that was before I found this gem of a recipe.

It's simple and tasty. What more could you want? 

Lazy cherry tomato pasta

Ingredients:

pasta (I'm a fan of whole wheat spaghetti)
2 tbsps (ish) butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced

1/2 cup (ish) sliced mushrooms

1 quart cherry tomatoes
basil, salt and pepper to taste

white wine

Directions:

The first thing you'll notice is that I put "ish" a lot when it comes to ingredients. That's because I tend to make things up as I go. The best part about cooking (as opposed to baking) is that you can get away with not using exact measurements. Just keep adding a little at a time until it tastes good.

That being said, here's what you do!

First, melt some butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add garlic, onion and mushrooms, and cook over medium heat. 

Once the onions are translucent, add the cherry tomatoes. Just toss them in...unless they're on the vine, in which case you should probably remove the stems. Just sayin.

Right about now, your kitchen will be smelling awesome. Give everything a good stir, and leave it on medium heat until the tomatoes begin to burst. I recommend checking them every so often and giving them a good stir, just so the onions won't stick to the pan, but no need to be overly attentive.

Now's a good time to start boiling the water for your pasta.

Once the tomatoes are tender (after about 10 minutes), you can mash them up a bit with a fork. Turn the heat down to medium-low for another few minutes till it cooks together into a fairly thick paste.

Add salt, pepper and basil to taste. Then pour in some white wine (a couple of tablespoons to 1/4 cup, a little at a time). This will give your sauce some flavor. Let it reduce down on low heat. By now, you should probably have added your pasta to that boiling water...

Keep the sauce on a low heat until the pasta is ready. If it gets too thick, you can add a little water from your pasta to thin it out...but don't add too much too quickly! We want to keep it fairly thick. This sauce isn't supposed to be the drippy, pourable kind.

Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat, and serve! Add some Parmesan if you want to take it to the next level. Which you totally do. (Trust me.)

And that's it! Easy enough, right?

 

So many bananas, so little time.

Sheila bought bananas. Then she completely forgot about them, apparently, because all of the sudden we had a whole bunch of brown bananas chilling on our counter and just begging to be baked into something glorious. So I've been experimenting with different banana breads.

In addition to good old fashioned banana bread, which is always a winner, I also decided to give these two lovelies a try:

Browned butter strawberry banana bread. Heavenly.

And chocolate chocolate chip banana bread. Super yum.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I've got a confession. We dug into these babies well before I got to/thought to take a decent picture. But can you blame us? They'd been baking for almost an hour each, so our whole kitchen smelled awesome. Self control went out the window. I'm surprised I even got the chance to turn them out onto the cooling racks. 

Anywho, moral of the story: Try these recipes. They're delish.

 

German pancakes.

What's your favorite kind of food? Mexican? Italian? Ice cream? I'd say mine is breakfast...anything breakfast. Which is probably why I keep posting recipes for muffins and pancakes. Today is no exception. Here's another of my favorite breakfast recipes. I love it because it doesn't require any fancy ingredients or any hard work, but it still tastes awesome and looks pretty. Two very important qualities. It's German pancakes.

German pancakes are kind of like crepes, except fluffier and you bake them. While they're in the oven, they bubble up and form a little nest for whatever delicious toppings you like best. I chose strawberries, chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Yum.

Let's do this.

German pancakes

(As an aside, I really hate 3-pronged forks. They do nothing for me.)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup milk

1 tbsp butter, softened

dash of vanilla (optional, but why ever not?)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F (about 200 C). Grease a round cake pan, and set aside.

Using a hand mixer, blend eggs till they're a soft yellow color. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. 

Pour into pan and bake on a center rack for 15 minutes. (Don't be like me and put the pan too close to the heating element, or you'll end up with a little too much crispiness on top.) Then reduce heat to 350 F (175 C) and bake another 5-10 minutes till the sides have puffed up and it's golden brown.

Serve hot, right out of the oven, and topped with whatever goodness you like! This recipe is easily doubled, if you've got someone to share with.

 

One banana banana bread.

Sometimes, you forget you bought bananas. And the next thing you know, they're brown and squishy and headed for the trash can. But stop! Don't throw them away! You have a great opportunity here. 

You know that saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Well I say when life gives you overripe bananas, you should totally make banana bread. 

Most banana bread recipes require several bananas. That's always a problem for me, because I tend to eat most of my bananas before they get too ripe. And that's why I love this recipe. You only need one banana. 

Let's do this.

One banana banana bread

Ingredients:

Large very ripe banana

egg with enough milk to make one cup liquid

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in one large bowl. No need to sift or anything like that! Super easy. Mix until the lumps are mostly gone (if you use a hand mixer, use the medium setting -- if you over mix, the bread won't be soft and fluffy).

Grease bread pan (I used a muffin tin) and fill pan (or tins) 2/3 full. 

 

Bake for 50 minutes (or 10-15 minutes for muffins) at 350 F (175 C). It's done when it's golden brown and passes the toothpick test.