Cake of the Week: Banana Rum Bars

Drop everything and make these now!!!

For reals guys, I’m picturing a Venn diagram of all the banana things I’ve made, all the bars things I’ve made, and all the really really really good things I’ve made, and these Banana Rum Bars are smack-dab in the middle.

These are in the top-whatever of bars I have ever made ever. They’re like lemon bars (i.e. have a graham cracker crust and fruity topping), but with browned butter and rum and banana. They are also pretty dense – there’s nothing banana pudding or jello-y about these. (Luckily! Blegghh I hate banana pudding.)

I made a batch (9x13 pan) for our party on Saturday and they were gone super-fast and for good reason. There’s kind of a lot of salt involved, which I think is what made them SO awesome – everyone loves salty and sweet (especially boys, why is that?). They also came out of the pan really easily (every time something doesn’t stick I high-five myself, heave a sigh of relief, and dance a happy dance of joy in my kitchen), and cut very neatly.

Banana Rum Bars

Printable recipe. 

For the crust

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 whole graham crackers, or 2 sleeves)
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 mashed, ripe, bananas 
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum (or vanilla)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

For the glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum (you may need more or less rum, or more or less sugar depending on humidity/consistency)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and/or line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper or foil. (I used oil to grease the pan, then used the paper wrappers from the butter to line the bottom…aka I never have parchment paper). 
2. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl (or in a food processer), combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs (put the graham crackers in a bag and crush away! Or food process them if you’re feeling less aggressive than my good self), brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse or stir until the mixture resembles heavy, wet, sand. 
3. Press the sandy mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan. If it's too sticky, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust down into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan onto a cooling rack.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. 
5. Prepare the filling: In a small saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, cook the butter, stirring/swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Depending on the stove's heat, it can take 5-8 minutes for the butter to brown properly. Once is smells like AMAZING, remove the pan from the heat and let the butter cool to room temperature. 
6. In a separate large mixing bowl, mash the bananas (so many opportunities to smash things in this recipe!) and then mix in the eggs, brown sugar, and rum. Add the cool brown butter and whisk until well combined. Using a spatula or large spoon, fold in the flour and salt. 
7. Scrape the batter over the partially-baked crust and spread the batter into an even layer. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes up with only a few moist crumbs. (Start checking it at 35 minutes)
8. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before adding the glaze.
9. Prepare the glaze: In a large mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, rum, and salt. Whisk until smooth. If it's too thick to drizzle, add about 1 teaspoon of rum at a time until it’s thin enough.  Use a spoon or fork to drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars. Let them cool in the fridge completely, then cut and serve at room temperature. 

Printable recipe.

Cake of the Week: Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

I spend a lot of time baking for other people, but sometimes I get lucky and others bake for me! As you may remember from the Butter Tarts amazingness, LLC is quite the skilled kitchen craftswoman, and this weekend she got adventurous and tested a very intriguing recipe for our friends' enjoyment.

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes = totally normal. Avocado Frosting = somewhere on the far side of crazy! 



We gave these cupcakes mixed reviews. Everyone agreed that the Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes were delicious. They're very muffin-y, and actually kinda healthy. 

But the Avocado Frosting is where things get tricky. LLC couldn't get over the fact that the smooth green goop was not guacamole (and may or may not have tested it with chips and salsa). I didn't love it plain, but combined with the cupcakes it fulfilled that creamy sweet frosting need.


And you must admit, they're striking to look at!

So basically, the avocado frosting wasn't bad, but I don't think it added anything particularly amazing to the cupcake consumption experience. I say save the avocados for some guac and next time frost these babies with buttercream! But if you're looking for something a little off the wall that'll make your friends go, Wow, hmm, weird but good! then maybe the Avocado Frosting is the thing for you.

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes (from How Sweet It Is)

makes 12-20 cupcakes, depending on your scoop
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/2 cup butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.


Combine dry flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a bowl, whisk egg and add brown sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Add sour cream or yogurt and melted butter and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until batter comes together. The batter will be thick. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter in liners.


Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely.


Avocado Buttercream
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Cream avocado and butter together until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and add vanilla. More sugar can be added if you’d like the frosting thicker. Frosting can be store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend refrigerating the cupcakes.

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I use the term “breakfast cookies” liberally. I mean, who says breakfast has to be healthy? Why are cookies shunned as inappropriate breakfast food, while cinnamon rolls and muffins are embraced? What’s really the health difference between a cookie and a pancake?  They’re both round…I might even argue that cookies are better. They’re smaller, and denser, and give you that satisfying something extra when your yogurt just doesn’t quite cut it.  

I feel no guilt eating a cookie for breakfast (I was trained by the best). Sometimes a brownie-filled chocolate chip cookie qualifies, but in the case of these chunks of banana-y awesomeness, the more traditional healthy breakfast cookie implication applies.

They have fruit. They have oatmeal and whole wheat flour. They have nuts (aka protein - work with me here!). They go well with coffee. And most importantly, they are delicious!

I found this recipe on For the Love of Cooking, and I’m a huge fan. It tastes like banana bread, but in cookie form. Mine don’t have chocolate chips (I didn’t have any), but I think you should add them. I won’t judge, who doesn’t need some chocolate chunks in their breakfast?

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

1 very ripe banana

3/4 white sugar (brown sugar if you have it)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

3/4 toasted walnut or pecan pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet.

Combine the banana, sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until mixed thoroughly.

Mix the salt, baking soda, flour and oats together. Add the oat mixture, chocolate chips, and pecan pieces to the banana mixture and mix well with a spoon.

Drop cookie dough on the baking sheet covered with a silpat mat 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks then serve. Enjoy.

Cake of the Week: Banana Nut Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

Haraka haraka ha i na baraka!

On our first day learning Swahili, our teacher taught 6x6 and I this Kenyan saying. It means (loosely translated): If you rush there will be no blessings.

What? Don’t hurry? Blasphemy! In DC we’re always rushing, always in a hurry, always working, always with somewhere to go, someone to see, something to do. At least I am – I pride myself on my ability to work quickly, to cram an insane number of things into each day, week, and month.

I will probably always be that kind of person…but I’m trying to relax, trying to take more time living in the moment and really appreciating my blessings.

For example, these cinnamon rolls. Banana Nut Nutella Cinnamon Rolls. They’re not meant to be tossed into a Tupperware to eat at my desk after a morning workout and between emails. They’re meant to be enjoyed with a leisurely cup of coffee and a good book. 

They’re meant to be meticulously peeled, each banana-flavored piece revealing a sticky sweet cinnamony nutty chocolatey filling, and dripping with Nutella. That is what I call a baraka (blessing)!

This was my second foray into yeasty sweets (remember the Overnight Cinnamon Rolls?) They came out deliciously, but I think I let them rise too long (so follow the recipe on that point!). If you don’t have a warm sunny place, put the dough under a desk lamp.

They’re just the right amount of banana flavored – you can taste it, but it’s not overpowering.

Banana Nut Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

(adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)

Dough:

1 + 1/4 cup banana puree

2 eggs

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lukewarm water*

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose, not whole wheat)

3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)

Filling (I doubled this):

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Topping:

a heaping 1/2 cup Nutella

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons milk – add until it makes a thin spreadable glaze

1. Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients together by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, fairly smooth dough.

2. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until it's almost doubled in bulk.

3. In a small bowl whisk sugars, cocoa, cinnamon and nuts to make the filling. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 16" x 22" rectangle. Drizzle butter over top and spread evenly with a pastry brush, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top leaving about a half an inch of a short edge free on the end.

4. Starting with the short end that's covered with filling, carefully roll the dough into a log.

5. Cut the log into ten 1 ½"-thick rolls. I rolled them out very thin (about ¼ inch), which meant more filling and more swirls to peel away, and a lot more smaller cinnamon rolls (I ended up with about 18). But if you’d prefer a more bread-y and bigger/thicker cinnamon roll, roll the dough out thicker.

6. Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan that's at least 2" deep (if you make more smaller rolls, you will need 2 pans). Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until the rolls look puffy.

7. Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're lightly browned and feel set. Remove them from the oven.

8. Combine all of the topping ingredients with a wisk or hand mixer and drizzle over cinnamon rolls. 

*Adjust the amount of water by the time of year or your climate. For summer, or in a humid environment, use the lesser amount of water. In winter, or in a dry climate, use the greater amount. It's always best to start with the lesser amount; you can add more as needed.

Ni na penda kula breakfast! (I love to eat breakfast!)

Cake of the Week: Cakey Banana Bread

On Friday I gloated a wee bit about my fabulous breakfast of banana bread and Nutella (and it was totally gloat-worthy).

I ate that same “meal” for breakfast, snack, and dessert for a few days until I had to exile my Nutella to the icy cold prison of my freezer. Clearly this extreme act did not completely stop my consumption, but it definitely made it more difficult (I’m not above chipping off chunks of frozen awesomeness…).

But anywho (focus!), back to the Cakey Banana Bread! 

One afternoon last week, 6x6 asked me if I would make some banana bread. Of course I said yes, assuming that she was experiencing some slightly odd (but totally justifiable) banana bread-y craving. I was about to warn her that she would have to wait a couple weeks for me to ripen bananas to the necessary state of blackness, but then she informed me that she had some black bananas at work. Done. I walked the 5 minutes to her office and picked up a bag of brownish black bananas.

The next day I returned the same bag, this time full of a loaf of Cakey Banana Bread. With chocolate chips. (Duh!) Her co-workers must think I’m crazy…but I’m assuming it's in a good way...

I slightly modified my standard banana bread recipe. The original makes a very good dense banana bread. This version is much lighter and cakier. I made 2 loaves and a couple muffins (for taste-testing purposes). The muffins actually came out better than the loaves, so I suggest you make muffins, but I’ll provide directions for both.

CAKEY BANANA BREAD

350 F oven

- 1 cup softened butter

- 1 ¾ cups brown sugar

- 3 egg yolks and 2 eggs (room temperature)

 - 3 tsp vanilla extract

 grated rind of 1 orange (or grapefruit)

Beat in a large bowl, beginning with sugar and butter, add eggs one at a time. Add remaining ingredients, and beat until light in color.

- 2 cups whole wheat flour

- 2 cups white flour

- 1 tsp salt

- ½ tsp baking soda

- 3 tsp baking powder

- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR 1 teaspoon nutmeg

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 2 cups well-mashed ripe bananas soaked in 1 cup strong black coffee

- Optional: ¾ cup walnuts

-Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips tossed in 1 tablespoon flour (I didn't do this, which is why my chocolate chips sunk to the bottom.)

Beat the bananas and coffee for 1 minute.

Add flour mixture and banana mush alternatively to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour (flour - banana - flour - banana - flour). After each addition mix to combine. Add nuts and/or chocolate chips last.

Generously grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Divide batter and bake.

If making loaves, bake at 350* for 30 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 325* and bake for another 30 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a knife or cake tester into the loaf – if it comes out clean you’re good to go!

If making muffins, scoop batter into greased (or lined) muffin tins. Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes. Test doneness.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to finish cooling.

Distribute to friends, family, co-workers, and the homeless man on your corner. Spread that banana-licious love! 

Best of the Week #9 and an Ode to Nutella

Happy Nutella Day! (Well, it’s tomorrow, but close enough.) I hope you celebrate this most auspicious day by slathering a slice of homemade banana bread with the nutty stuff, astound your friends and co-workers with your knowledge of obscure "holidays," and check back on Tuesday for that banana bread story (it’s slightly different from my original – lighter and more delicious!).

This was my breakfast – are you jealous? 

Breakfast is my favorite meal, and one of the best things about America. Unfortunately, when I was in Niger breakfast was a pretty sad affair. Every morning on my way back from running at Le Stade I stopped by our local egg sandwich vendor's stall to buy 5 loaves of crusty French bread for the house. 

Back at the house, I laid them on the table – bread, spreads, and instant coffee (blegh!). Condiment options were the same every day: local peanut butter, fresh-ground at the marché and tasting somehow peanuttier than even the most natural American peanut butter; butter and jam (both imported from Europe), and finally, Nutella.

Oh man, a house of 11 college girls can consume a lot of Nutella! Especially when it’s the only chocolate around. I haven’t really eaten it since (4 months of too much Nutella is too much even for me), but I just bought a jar and I have to say – good decision!

So here I am, back to Nutella and back with a vengeance. So grab a jar and spread some on your banana bread, your baguette, your spoon, your finger. It is delicious.

Anywho, back to regularly scheduled programming – Best of the Week!

The most popular Eat Run Read post this week was Oreo Cupcakes with Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting. (No duh!)

Everyone is following the protests in Egypt – things looked pretty good at the beginning of the week, but unfortunately have gotten progressively worse. AidWatch offers an interesting perspective on VP Biden’s comments about Mubarak: 

I never would have thought that a cringingly catchy slogan like “Democracy is for Rich People, Not for Egypt People” would have so many takers” And he criticizes the notion that “Rich nations need to respect the rights of their citizens to avoid the “dictator” label, but in poor nations all you need is to be a US ally.”

On the lighter side, did you know that Martha Stewart used to be a model? (More pictures at Happiness Is...)

I had a brief mental breakdown this week, questioned my life, and wondered if I should go to grad school…and this video serves to support my decision of not yet! (Click here if you can't see the video.)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The BBC offered some interesting pictures Inside the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.

This made me giggle and reminded me of my Halloween costume: “Firefox has encountered an unexpected problem with windows." (If you can't see the video click here.)

And who knew that eggplants were so adorable? (source)

If you're in DC and are interested in French film, check out the Short Film Festival starting next week! The one at the National Portrait Gallery on Sunday is free! (Aka I'll be there.)


Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Cake of the Week: Banana Bread and Muffins

I don't like bananas. 

It all started when I was a little Mini-Mollie. I used to eat fruit while watching TV, sitting in my little rocking chair about 2 feet from the set. But my mama didn't appreciate when I peeled those weird strings off the banana and left them on the carpet...so I immediately concluded that bananas were nothing but trouble and promptly stopped eating them. I really don't think I've eaten one since...(I've always been more of an apple person anyways, though apple seeds and cores are a whole other story).

It's rather unfortunate, I mean runners, bananas, peanut butter...I feel like these things stereotypically go together. Oh well. 

It's not that I haven't tried bananas since my unfortunate childhood encounters. Sometimes food is unavoidable. But it's a texture thing - they're mushy, and just ugh (shudder), weird. I like banana flavored candy though, and I tolerate them blended into a smoothie (as long as the banana to everything else ratio doesn't exceed 1:3). 

BUT there has always been one exception to my rule. Soak those 'nanners in coffee, mix them with nuts, and bake them into a muffin? Done done and done. Yes please!

My mama's been making this banana bread/banana muffin recipe since I can remember. As you know, she usually bakes in large quantities. I have memories of her huge bowl filled to the brim with banana-y batter, and a kitchen counter covered in cooling loves studded with walnuts, ready to be sealed up and stored in the freezer. 

I started making banana bread myself in college. I used to go to my friends' apartment between classes, just for somewhere to hang out when it wasn't quite worth it to make a trip all the way back to my own place. During these breaks I "did homework," or more likely, baked something. After I made this banana bread once, they started saving bananas for me. I would see on their fruit-hanger thingie some black bananas, protected by a post-it "DO NOT THROW AWAY - BANANA BREAD." Haha, hint taken. 

The recipe is from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook, and it is the best banana bread ever. 

Banana Bread

350 F oven, 40 - 50 minutes to bake, 2 loaves

• 1 ½ cups melted butter
• 1 ¾ cups brown sugar (or 1 ½ cups honey)
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tsp vanilla extract plus ½ tsp almond extract
• grated rind of 1 orange (semi-optional...aka I never have it so I never add it)

Beat in a large bowl, beginning with sugar or honey and butter, add eggs one at a time. Add remaining ingredients, and beat until light in color.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups well-mashed ripe bananas soaked in 1 cup strong black coffee
• Optional: ¾ cup nuts
• Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

Add flour mixture and banana mush alternatively to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour (flour - banana - flour - banana - flour). After each addition mix gently to combine, but do not beat or otherwise overmix - this toughens and dries a cake. Add nuts last. Generously butter 2 loaf pans and sprinkle with sesame seeds (they'll stick to the butter) (I skip the seeds and just grease and flour the pans). Divide batter and bake.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to finish cooling.