Banana Recipe Round up

Did you get any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?    I don't remember too many with my first.   I did enjoy a few more things that I would have normally ate, like a few more poutines and nachos but otherwise I still ate quite healthy.

For baby #2 it is pretty much the same, I am having a few indulgences but still aiming to stay on track.    My craving this time around though is banana baked goods.  I could literally eat banana bread every day.  Oddly,  I am not actually craving real bananas, just banana baked goods.  I have never been a pure banana lover.  Even now I really only eat the excess of what my little one doesn't it to give baby #2 some potassium.
There is a cafeteria in a building across the street from my work and I swear they make the best banana bread I have EVER had!  I can guarantee it is not healthy and potentially soaked in melted butter after it is baked but honestly BEST EVER! It is dangerous really.   I tend to treat myself maybe once a week with it and for the rest of my cravings I go to recipes that are a bit more figure friendly like my Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread.

Since I need to mix up my banana baking and try some new recipes I have asked some blogging friends and scoured the web for some delicious banana baked goods and created this round up for you.  Some healthy, some not, but all 30 Banana recipes will satisfy any banana craving.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting	Chocolate Malt Banana Cakes	Brown Sugar Banana Bread
Banana Fluffernutter Muffins	Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache	kinny Nutella Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Banana Spice Oatmeal-Walnut Streusel Muffins	Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread	Brown Butter Banana Peanut Butter Cookies
Honey Banana Poppy Seed Bread	Banana Bread Waffles	Super Soft Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies	Banana Lentil Muffins	Banana Pancakes
Brownie Crumble Banana Bread	Chocolate Banana Cake Bars (Vegan + Gluten-free)	Blueberry Banana Almond Baked Oatmeal
Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting	Double Chocolate Muffins with Banana Cream	Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Brown Butter Banana Donuts	Healthy Banana Bread	Purple Ribbon Banana Bread
Biscoff Banana Bread	Banana Split Cheesecake	Easiest Banana Bread Ever
Strawberry Banana Bread	Healthy Banana Bread Recipe *Egg Free	(Almost!) Fat-Free Pumpkin, Banana & Butterscotch Whole Wheat Bread

InLinkz.com

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Muffins

One of my blogging friends,  Brianne from Cupcakes and Kale Chips asked for some blogging help while she gets acquainted with her new little bundle of joy.  Since I recently went through this I know the first few months can be quite time consuming.  I barely got out a post a week for the first few months.  Although five months later things aren't much different.  No matter,  when she asked for help I was more than willing to contribute with some delicious Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Muffins.

So if you would like to see the recipe for these delicious muffins head on over to Cupcakes and Kale Chips. 

Thanks, 

Chocolate Guinness Donuts

I am back from Florida.  I have been back for a week now but baby and I both got sick the day after we got back. Ugh.  Sick babies and then sick mommy with sick baby are no fun.  Someone told me once you get sick you shouldn't kiss your baby.  Do you have any idea how hard that is?  Very.  I have been washing and disinfecting my hands every minute to prevent me giving it back to her.  If she had the sore throat I did she would be non stop crying.  It was so painful!  We are both almost back to normal, hopefully maybe just another day or two.

On another note,   Florida was fun.  Samantha was a great plane baby, sleeping practically the entire time both ways.  We did have a few fussy nights but she made it through several outings in the day with flying colours.  She even fell asleep on a beach walk in the snugli.  Love those ocean sounds.  The weather was a bit of a hit and miss, with a few cooler days but still much warmer than home.   We did get two nice walks on the beach and a few days at the pool.  Hopefully now that we are home the warm weather isn't too far away.  I do think I see the light in the 2 week forecast.

With St. Patricks Day just around the corner I decided to make one more festive treat to enjoy.

Chocolate Guinness Donuts
(Makes 10 donuts)

INGREDIENTS:

Doughnut

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Guinness
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Glaze

• 1 cup of Guinness Beer
• 1/2 dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups icing sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 325F. In a medium bowl combine flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
2) In a large bowl, add Guinness, egg, both sugars and butter.  Whisk together.
3) Gently whisk in the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
4) Spray a doughnut pan with non stick spray.  Fill the holes with the mixture.  Bake for 12 minutes.
5) Make the glaze.  Place the Guinness in a small sauce pan and bring to boil, reduce mixture to 1/3 cup.
6) Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl.  Pour the reduced Guinness over the chocolate chips. Let sit for a few minutes.  Stir together to melt.
7) Whisk in the confectioners sugar in 2-3 sections. If the mixture doesn't seem thick enough , let it cool in the refrigerator.
8) Dip the top of the donuts in to the glaze and lay on a wire rack about a baking sheet to catch any drips.   If you mixture also is a bit thin, you can dip several times.   I dipped twice.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cherry Scones

Today's post is for the Lady the behind the Curtain Challenge.   This month's challenge was bake something with Chocolate and Cherries.  That worked out well for me I have been wanting to make Chocolate Cherry Scones for quite some time now.   Who doesn't love Chocolate for breakfast especially Today also being Valentines day. I also tried my best to make them as healthy as possible, used oats and whole wheat flour, no cream and not a lot of sugar.    Just perfect.

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!

Banana Lentil Muffins

Do you ever make a recipe and forget an ingredient?  You only realize the ingredient is missing after the recipe has come out of the oven and think CRAP,  I forgot something.    But, do you ever make a recipe and forget an ingredient and the recipe still comes out good.    The funny thing is this is the second time I have done this to a Banana recipe.   I went to make these muffins and forgot the sugar.  I did the same thing with a banana bread in the summer.   The interesting this is the bread turned out terribly, these muffins did not.   I actually almost didn't notice I forgot the sugar, it was just in a second thought that I realized I didn't add it.

Canadian Lentils were a sponsor at the Blissdom Conference and they were giving away chocolate chip cookies made with lentils,  a recipe created by Michael Smith.   These cookies were actually insanely tasty. Although in my opinion loaded with too much sugar, which may explain the good flavour.   They also gave us a cookbook of recipes that used lentils, I of course went straight to the desserts at that back of the book and found these banana muffins.   There were also brownies that I will be making soon enough.   I made a few tweaks, some on purpose and some not.

Banana Lentil Muffins

(adapted from Canadian Lentils)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup green lentil puree  (1 cup of drained canned lentils + 1/4 cup water pureed together)
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1/4 unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar ( I forgot this and they are still good)
• 1 cup whole grain bread flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 400F. Smash or puree the bananas.  I pureed them with my hand blender until they resembled a sauce.

2) Combine lentil puree, banana puree, apple sauce, egg, oil and sugar (if you remember).   Whisk together. 

3) In a small bowl combine flours, baking soda/powder, salt, cinnamon.  Add chocolate and walnuts and blend in. 

4) Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and fold in until just combined. 

5) Line 12 muffin tin with paper liners,  fill evenly with the batter.   Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Let cool in pan for a few minutes.   Store in air tight container.

Easy to put together, healthy and moist.   Good with or without sugar.  ;-)

MEG'S RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

Mini Doughnut Bites

Can you believe it is September already?  Everyone is back into their fall routines and traffic is back to being busy.  My routine doesn't really change that much from summer to fall but since the last weekend may have been one of the last few for good weather,  we decided to go to the cottage for a few days.  It was a quite weekend with just the hubby and his parents but it was nice and relaxing.   Reading, resting and a little bit of card playing.

This relaxation was short lived though as soon as we walked in the door.   We arrived home to a leak coming from our water feed to the fridge.  This leak left a nice pool of water in the kitchen but then also leaked into our basement - our newly finished late last year basement.   This water had been dripping through the pot lights in the ceiling, leaving another pool of water in the floor, which then soaked into the carpet.  So this put a wrench into the rest of the weekend as we completely got side tracked cleaning this up and didn't make it to home depot to pick up what we need for Monday's tasks.    Overall the damage is pretty minimal though, the ceiling may need a small touch up in two areas and the laminate floor is a bit rigid in one area.   If we had stayed at the cottage any longer than we did I shutter to think what damage might have happened.

Since my Monday plans were derailed and I figured my hubby and I need some cheering up I decided to make us some mini doughnuts and then bring the rest into work.  My plans for getting this post out early last week also got derailed from a busy work week and making cupcakes for a wedding this weekend. Better late than never.

Mini Doughnuts Bites
(adapted from Home Cuisine - Holiday issue)

INGREDIENTS:

Doughnuts

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used 0% fat)

Coating  (each amount will coat about 1/3 of the doughnuts)

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar - use all by it self
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted - for dipping
• 2 tbsp butter - for chocolate glaze
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp corn syrup
• 1/3 cup nutella
• approx 1 cup confectioners sugar - for chocolate glaze

 INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Spray with non stick or grease a 1 1/2 mini muffin pan.   I believe I yielded about 30 doughnuts.   Preheat the oven to 350F/
2) Combine flour, baking powder/soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3) In a large measuring cup combine milk and yogurt
4) In a large bowl or your mixer bowl beat together butter and both sugars.  Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

5) Add flour and milk mixture - alternating 3 parts flour / 2 parts milk mixture.  Beating on low after each addition and scrape down the sides as needed.

6) Using a small ice cream scoop to add the mixture into the muffin tins.  Bake until muffins are golden and a toothpick comes out clean - 12-14 minutes.
7) Let muffins cool in pan about 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
8) While muffins are baking create/prepare the coating mixtures.    Place sifted icing sugar in a small bowl (big enough for rolling doughnuts)  and set aside.    Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (big enough for rolling doughnuts),  set aside.
9) Chocolate glaze - In a small sauce pan combine butter, cream and corn syrup, warm on low until butter melts, stirring occasionally.  Add Nutella and stir until melted.   Remove from heat and add approx 1 cup of confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth and thick. You may not need all or may need more confectioners sugar.     Let 3-5 minutes to cool a little bit.  
10) When still warm roll the doughnuts in the icing sugar and set on a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch the rest.

11) For the cinnamon sugar coating,  when doughnuts still warm, roll in butter quickly, then roll in cinnamon sugar.   Place on the wire rack to dry.

12) For the chocolate glaze, dip the top of the doughnuts into the chocolate glaze and place on the wire rack to dry.   I did this coating twice as my glaze was a bit thin,  adjust the thickness with the icing sugar.
13) EAT, EAT, EAT!

The cinnamon sugar ones were the winner but they were all delicious.   Moist and fluffy with just a tiny hint of cinnamon in all of them.   Much better than store bought doughnuts.

MEG's RATING: D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!