Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

And so, my summer of organic chemistry is done! 

Por fin!

I made this bread to munch on while I shamelessly lounge around, watching reruns of House, TLC, and old Lifetime movies.  This bread was so, so moist and dense and delectable.  After two days in the fridge, it really peaked in yumminess--I wish I made TWO!  

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/3 c. butter, softened

1 c. AP flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

pinch of salt (omit if salted butter was used)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 cup smashed bananas, over-ripe

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8-1/2x4-1/2" loaf pan. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until light and fluffy.  Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.  Add in bananas and vanilla; continue mixing for another minute.  Mix in egg until mixture is well combined.  

Set electric mixer to low speed, and gradually add in flour mixture.

Mix in yogurt by hand until there are a few remaining white streaks.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Cool completely, then store in refrigerator. 

Healthier Peanut Butter Fudge Cups

These peanut butter fudge cups are ridiculously easy to make and store in the freezer, and they can definitely satisfy a sweet craving.  What's even better?  They are a notch healthier than your run-of-the-mill peanut butter cups, so you don't feel as guilty about eating 2 or 3!  I'm sure these would also be great with crunchy peanut butter or even almond butter.
Mmmmmm.....  

Peanut Butter Fudge Cups

makes 20 mini cups, as photographed

1/2 c. coconut oil

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 c. powdered sugar (if you prefer sweeter, increase to 1/2 c.)

1 t. vanilla extract

Combine ingredients until smooth and well incorporated using electric mixer. Pour into lined cupcake or muffin tins.  Freeze until solidified.  Ready to serve in about 20 minutes. 

Creamy Coconut Cake

 Ever since I came to Richmond in May, I have heard tons of Tyler's family members just begging his mom to make a Coconut Cake.

I guess I'm not a big coconut person, so I've never really taken much interest in the talk about her yummy coconut cake.  But, this weekend, the remnants of her famous cake were brought home from the river house....I'm shocked that there even were leftovers!  She must have purposefully set aside a quarter of the cake so Tyler, his brother, and I could enjoy a slice. Or two. Or three. 

I wasted no time when I cracked open the fridge yesterday morning, at 5:45am, and saw it glistening on the top shelf, in that artificial light.

I had a piece right away for breakfast.

What can I say?

It was calling my name!  And I needed something yummy and sweet to kickstart my brain before my impending organic chemistry exam. 

And, to think...I was so health-conscious the night before--with my 3 mile jog and fresh juice.

Wasted efforts.

(:::shakes head:::)

Anyway, now I'm sharing Christine's recipe for a coconut cake with whoever-you-are.

Savor it--because it will take you 4 days to prepare.

Christine's Creamy Coconut Cake

4 days before serving:

Mix up the Filling

16 oz. sour cream

2 c. granulated sugar

12 oz. frozen fresh coconut (plus 6 additional oz. to sprinkle on the top)

***obviously the coconut will need to be thawed until viable, then everything combined and chilled overnight (or for at least a few hours).

3 days before serving:

For the Cake

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

4 eggs

Substitute milk for water

Prepare cake according to package directions, using 4 eggs and milk instead of water.  Bake 2 round cake layers.  After cooling, split each layer in half (for 4 layers total).

Assembling the Cake

Reserve 1 cup of filling (to be used in frosting)

Evenly split up the filling and spread it out on top of each layer.  Stack.

Frosting

1 c. filling

8 oz. thawed Cool Whip

Combine and spread out over cake.  

6 oz. frozen fresh coconut, thawed

Press coconut onto top/sides of frosted cake.

Chill for 3 days in the fridge and serve.

Despite being sick and feverish, he still wanted some cake!

I think its a beautiful looking cake

Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting

People love cupcakes.

They're just the right size for a single serving, they don't need to be cut up to share, they're pretty, and they don't require a plate or any utensils.  There's just something appealing about an adorable little cake, wrapped in paper, and topped with a big ol' dollop of frosting!

And so, this is my favorite Cupcake recipe!

The frosting is super yummy and looks gorgeous

It makes exactly 24 cupcakes--so two even batches of 12

Kids like them

They're easier than they look

For the Cupcakes

Makes exactly 24 cupcakes

Mix up a box of cake mix, following the directions on the package.

After preparing cake mix, add the following: 

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 t. baking soda

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. oil

1 egg

Bake according to package directions--be sure to fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way so you don't get saggy or flat, dinky cupcakes.  Test for done-ness using a toothpick. Cool before frosting.

For the Frosting

Makes enough for exactly 24 cupcakes

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (1 pckg.)

8 T. butter, softened (1 stick)

1 T. vanilla extract

3 c. powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar at 1/2 c. intervals until it reaches desired consistency. (may need an additional 1/2 c. if its too soft) To make fancy looking cupcakes, frost using a cake tip.
  

I like to use this for decorating my cupcakes:

***I've also found the cake mix extender to work well with Red Velvet and Devil's Food cake mixes--I usually just add about a teaspoon of cocoa.

Good luck with your cupcakes!

Wannabe Amish Friendship Bread

I pinned this recipe a while back from Red Fly Creations because it seemed easy and uncomplicated.  I've had Amish Friendship Bread a time or two, and while it is a yummy treat, it's not worth the hassle to me.  I don't want to wait 10 days and pass along starter bags and...you get the idea.  So, when I saw this recipe, with no kneading or rising or waiting, I was intrigued.  And so this morning, I decided to make it with breakfast.  Totally unhealthy? Yeah. But oh well!  Every once in a while its okay to start the day with a slice of sugary bread!

Cinnamon Bread

makes 1 loaf 

(can easily be doubled to make 2 loaves)

For the Batter:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar (I used 1/2 brown, 1/2 granulated)

1 egg
1 t. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk (or 1 c. milk +1 T. white vinegar OR lemon juice)

1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

For the Cinnamon Swirl:

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg.  Add in buttermilk, flour, and baking soda.  Pour half of the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cinnamon sugar mixture.  Pour remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.  Swirl using a butter knife or wooden skewer.  Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the center doesn't jiggle.  

(OPTIONAL: Reduce butter to 1/4 c. and add in 1/2 c. of apple sauce, 1/2 c. pureed pumpkin, or 1 ripened, smashed banana.)

Try spreading with whipped butter. Enjoy!

For another scrumptious dessert bread, click HERE!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Soft Chocochip Cookies

 In search of a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I could throw together quickly for my boyfriend and some of his friends, I found this recipe on the blog A Chick Who Can Cook.

The corn starch is the secret ingredient that makes these so soft. This recipe yielded about 2 dozen medium-sized cookies.  Really quick and easy recipe, and didn't leave me with a ton of extra cookies!

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. cornstarch

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 t. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.  Slowly mix in flour mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by the spoonful on a cookie tray.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are barely just turning golden brown.

Delectable Cheesecake Brownies

I'm a firm believer that the more sweets you eat, the more sweets you want.

Being around people who have dessert after dinner and cookies lying around, is giving me a real sweet tooth.  As much as I try to resist, I often cave into my desires.  Chocolate is becoming a real weakness for me!  Anyway,  I made these brownies last night, just to be sweet to my boyfriend and his brother :)

Hahaha, who am I kidding?!? I made these brownies because they are soooo yummy and I was craving some chocolatey goodness.   This is a super simple recipe--don't be setback because it includes boxed brownie mix!  Enjoy :D

Cheesecake Brownies

1 box Brownie Mix (make sure the back specifies that it can fit into a 9x13")

Prepare brownie mix according to box directions.

1-8oz. package Cream Cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Handful semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13" pan.  Pour prepared brownie mix into pan.  Mix cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla together.  Spoon over brownie mix.  Using a butter knife, swirl cheesecake and brownie layers as desired.  Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the top.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until cooked through. 

Try not to eat these for every meal--they are really high in sugar and really low in beneficial nutrients!!!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake to bring to an Easter Dinner. 

Unfortunately, I made it at about midnight the night before Easter....so, of course, the stores were all sold out of crushed pineapple and coconut flakes.

I had to use the real deal, which was a hassle.  Well, the pineapple wasn't bad, but the coconut was a disaster.  I finally gave up and triple bagged the sucker, then whacked it against the concrete....maybe a tad too hard....bags all shredded instantly and coconut water went EVERYwhere.  Then, I got to struggle with getting the "meat" to come off of the bark. 

I just put everything through my juicer.

The recipe called for really dry carrots and pineapple, so my juicer worked perfect--I just used the pulp.  And it gave me pineapple juice for the icing.

Glad I could use my expensive investment for something other than juicing!

One last thing, I couldn't taste the pineapple in the frosting AT ALL.  In fact, I'm convinced that the only point of the frosting is to make the cake look prettier.

Anyway, here's the recipe I used.

I found it on the blog, Sifting Focus.

http://www.siftingfocus.com/2012/03/carrot-cake-cheese-cake-cheesecake-factory/

My photography isn't nearly as stunning as the original poster's.

Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Cheesecake:

16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Carrot Cake:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 generous pinch of salt
1 (8 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved (I used a little over 1 C fresh)
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup flaked coconut (I used about 1/4 of a fresh coconut)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecan bits)

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
Dash of salt

Directions:

Grease a 9 or 9 1/2 inch springform pan.  Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together 2 packages cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth.  Beat in 1 tablespoon flour, 3 eggs and 1 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.  Set aside.

For the carrot cake:  in a large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly.  Stir in 1 cup flour, baking soda, cinnamon and pinch of salt, mixing well.  Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of prepared pan.  Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter.  Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter.  Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife.  (Do not marble with the knife.)

Bake in preheated 350˚F oven 60 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.  Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

When cake is cold, prepare the frosting.  In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 ounce cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice and a dash of salt.  Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.  Frost top of cheesecake.

Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.