caramelized bananas

carmelized-banana-completeI love these bananas.  I’m not even a fan of a raw banana – but oh…a sprinkling of sugar, a blow torch – and voila – magic banana.  These are great in addition to most any dessert.  Really and truly.  I absolutely love them in an ice cream sundae.  My favorite.  The crisp topping is like a creme brulee – but underneath, a banana.  Yum!  These are a great snack when you’re craving something sweet – especially for the kids (well, me too).  The hard sugary shell entices them (us) and while we are at it – eat a whole healthy potassium filled banana!  (OK, yes, with some added sugar.)  Actually these might be good cut into hot oatmeal for breakfast – just thought of that now.  Hmmm…tomorrow.  These are relatively easy to make if you have a blow torch – but sadly most people don’t?  Blowtorches are easy to find at your local hardware store – you don’t need anything fancy – but if you want a fancy one – especially styled for pastry, then by all means purchase.  And don’t be scared – I know it sounds intimidating.  The blow torch comes in very handy for caramelizing fruits, meringues and creme brulee.  Unfortunately, unlike creme brulee – broiling these in the oven is really not quite as good.  The banana “cooks” a bit and gets very mushy – but I guess  it’s worth a shot if there is no other option.  (OH, just got a note from Robert a friend and neighbor who says he cooks bananas in a nonstick pan over high heat with balsamic vinegar and some sugar.  Yes, a pan friend banana may be the alternative way to go if you’re not daring enough for the blowtorch!)

caramelized bananas:
firm, just ripe, bananas
sugar

blowtorch–
Slice each banana lengthwise.  Place on foil or a foil-lined roasting dish or sheet pan.  For each banana, sprinkle about a teaspoon of  sugar (you can use more or less depending on the size of the banana and your personal taste) onto the cut side of the banana – and go to blowtorch town.  Take your time…hold the blowtorch about 3-5 inches away and slowly move the flame around the banana.  Keep the blowtorch moving all over and over and over again until the sugar caramelizes and turns a lovely shade of nutty brown.  Delish.

broiler–
Follow directions above (but I would try a less ripe banana) – then place in oven – and broil.  This will probably take under a minute so watch it carefully.  I tried at home – but pretty unhappy with my results – but practice and see if maybe you can do better…I will try again – just hard to waste my bananas when my blowtorch is so close by!

Enjoy-

danish pancakes

If you read this regularly, you know that Andy, my 10 year old, is a huge fan of chocolate in the morning.  Last year he came home very happy and full after a sleepover with his twin friends Zach and Davis.  He excitedly told me that their father made these Danish pancakes – and that they were delicious.  I immediately called Tracy (my friend, their mom) and got the recipe.  My brother-in-law Patrick who is French does not understand why they are called Danish Pancakes – he seems somewhat irritated by this and claims that they are simply French crepes!  Oh well, either way, they are good and fairly easy to make once you get the hang of it.  Oh, and we fill them with cinnamon sugar and mini chips – but my Nutella loving nephew Daniel fills them with…Nutella.  Be creative, have fun – skip the chocolate if not for you and add fresh fruit or jam, or eat plain with confectioners’ sugar.  Enjoy!

danish pancakes:

This makes about 12 pancakes – I usually double the recipe and freeze what is left over for another chocolate filled day…

4 oz (a little less than one cup – best to weigh this) all purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
8 oz whole milk – divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) melted butter

filling ideas–
cinnamon and sugar
mini chips or regular size
fresh fruit
jellies and jams
Nutella
confectioners’ sugar
maple syrup
a little lemon juice and sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and cardamon.  With a fork, beat in half of the milk (4 oz), the eggs and vanilla extract.

Gently stir in the remaining 4 0z of milk and the melted butter.  Try not to over-mix, the batter will be a little lumpy.

Spray or lightly butter a saute pan and place over medium heat.  (I do a few pans at a time and vary the sizes) and pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan.  Swirl the batter around the pan by picking the pan up and rotating it around to spread the batter in a circle.

Cook for about a minute or until lightly browned on the bottom and then flip the pancake over and cook again for another minute or so – or until lightly browned.  (I use a big spatula to flip – but as long as you can lift the edges up you can even do this very carefully with your hands.  You can also flip it like the pros up in the air…but that takes practice!)

Transfer the pancake to a plate by sliding them off of the pan.

Choose your filling of choice and go to town.  I let the kids do the rest by putting the cinnamon/sugar on the table with little spoons and a little bowl of mini chips.  They create and that is half of the fun.  I just have to watch Andy here…so that he doesn’t use up all the chocolate!

To freeze leftover pancakes…wrap as instructed in the whole wheat pancake post.  Re-heat gently in warm toaster oven set to 350 for 10 minutes.  Microwave if rushing but the pancakes might be a little chewy.  The kids don’t seem to mind though!

Enjoy-

(moms) candied bacon

OK, so this isn’t dessert – I know, I do know…but I just had to put it in here because this bacon is scrumptious!  There is sugar in it – a lot of sugar so maybe it qualifies just a little bit for this baking blog.  My friend Melissa asked me to show her how to make it.  We had a bacon making date.  My mom makes a delicious salad with spinach, hard boiled eggs, onions and mushrooms.  The addition of this bacon is seriously to die for (and I don’t even normally use that expression).  She crumbles and adds it to the above ingredients and tops it off with a mayo/olive oil/mustard dressing that completes it.  My family loves this bacon in a turkey club – I surprise the kids and put it in their lunches for a treat once in a while.  It is great next to eggs and toast and can also hold its own alone.  I’ve made an endive, fennel and blue cheese salad with the bacon and oh…equally as good as my moms.  So – enjoy this sweet treat.  Experiment.  This bacon freezes well so make a bunch!

candied bacon:
2 packs bacon – I like to use a thick slice or center cut but anything works
3/4 cup light brown sugar (or more or less depending on your taste)

Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray or grease with a little bit of canola oil.

Place bacon in a large heavy duty skillet.  Layer it all around and fill the pan – overlapping when necessary.  Over medium high heat cook the bacon, stirring occasionally.  After about 3-4 minutes, take the fat out of the pan.  Tilt the pan to the side, and with a very big spoon, scoop out all the liquid fat that has been rendered from the bacon (sounds good, right?)

Keep cooking and rendering the fat for probably about 8 minutes in total.   Cook the bacon about 2/3’s of the way through.

Add the sugar by sprinkling it all around and over the bacon.  Turn the heat to low and continue to cook the bacon and sugar together.  Continue to scoop out the fat when needed…and just keep cooking and stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes.  This is best done over a watchful eye – so that the sugar doesn’t burn.  It’s over if it does.

You can tell the bacon is done and the sugar is “candied” when you see little strings of sugar form around the bacon.  Move the bacon around and touch it (with the fork) – see if you can pull these strings to see them…you should.  (Should have taken a photo here…will add one next time I make it!)  Cook the bacon a little bit more to get it crispier and more or less well done depending on your taste.

Once cooked, transfer bacon onto prepared foil.  Let cool or serve warm.  It will be VERY hot at first so please don’t pop into your mouth right away…even though you will want to!

To freeze, let cool and wrap the bacon in foil (you don’t have to spray it now) and place in freezer.  When ready to eat, place bacon on counter for 10 minutes or in refrigerator overnight – and then reheat for about 5-10 minutes in a warm toaster oven (or oven) at about 350 degrees.   Watch it because the bacon/sugar can still burn if re-heated for too long or at too high a temperature.  I like to freeze the bacon in units of 2-3 pieces – so that I can pull from the fridge the night before I make the kids their turkey clubs.  Ready to roll in the AM.  Enjoy!

chocolate buttermilk waffles

Sometimes the recipe that comes in the instruction manual is actually pretty good!  In this case, very good.  You may know (from a previous post) that I’m always on the lookout for suitable breakfast foods for Andy.  Andy who doesn’t eat cereal and who really likes chocolate and isn’t all that hungry in the morning.  I found another one!  If you can believe it, this recipe is adapted from the Cuisinart waffle iron manual.  And although I don’t often use this particular waffle iron since it makes little squares (and not big Belgium rounds), I do happen to like most of the recipes in this booklet.  Again, and maybe I’m kidding myself here – these seem fairly healthy; I knocked the butter out of the recipe because he eats these every day (if making for company or a special treat, keep the butter!) and I added some whole wheat flour.  In addition, the eggs, buttermilk and low fat yogurt make me feel good about the cocoa powder and chocolate chips in them.  A few banana slices and he’s on his (somewhat) healthy way.  Greg of course doesn’t eat them (because they are chocolate) although his friend Alex was over and raved about them to my friend Val (his mom)…a nutritionist of all things!  Sylvie happily had one for lunch on Sunday with berries and I made myself a delicious waffle ice cream sundae that night.  This recipe makes about 14 – 6 inch waffles.  I wrapped each individually in plastic wrap and then into a freezer bag.  (I just read about Freeze-tite – a product that is best for the freezer from the same maker as my beloved Stretch-tite!)  Each night I pull one  from the freezer for Andy’s breakfast – ready to pop in the toaster oven or microwave.  A little powdered sugar or maple syrup is nice too.  Feel free to add the butter if you want a richer waffle.

 

 

 

 

chocolate buttermilk waffles:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder (natural)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (optional, I did not use and these are still good!  or at least cut it to 1/4 cup!)
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups low fat yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or more or less to taste)

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium to large sized bowl.

In another bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, butter (if using), buttermilk and yogurt.  Pour the wet into the dry and mix until incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.  Let batter rest for 5 minutes.

Pre-heat your waffle iron to desired setting (although better to go lighter than dark because you don’t want to scorch the chocolate).  And cook as instructed (depending on your waffle iron).  Enjoy!

berry or plain yogurt cake

I loved the write-up of this recipe in Cake Keeper Cakes – in that you usually have the ingredients for it on hand.  This is a great simple plain cake.  One that my son Greg loves.  He said “mom, this is amazing – it is just perfect for me!”  Every day this week there was a piece in his lunch – and he was a very happy person.  Laura Chattman’s recipe calls for the cake plain which is delicious, but I happen to have some mixed frozen berries and I added them to half the batter (I doubled the recipe and made two cakes).  The result was equally as great.  Greg’s friend Jamie was over and exclaimed that he loved berries and cake and “oh, Lisi, this is really really good.”  My daughter Sylvie loved the berries in it too.  I like this cake because there is no butter, and the low fat yogurt and eggs somehow make this feel like a healthy treat despite the sugar and white flour.  (So I didn’t scold my au pair Alisa for eating it for breakfast.)  Enjoy!

(berry) yogurt cake (adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Laura Chattman):

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 (scant) teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (or whole-milk)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
mixed raspberries, blueberries or blackberries – frozen (do not thaw) or fresh – amount to your liking
confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan.  Place a parchment round in the buttered pan, and then lightly flour – knocking out any excess.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  In another bowl, mix the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until flour is just incorporated.  If using berries, add now.  Pour into prepped pan and bake for about 40-45 (for plain) and about 50  minutes (for berries).  As usual check often and before to avoid over baking this cake.

Let the cake sit for 5-10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack and let cool.  Dust with the confectioners’ sugar (if you’d like) and enjoy!

banana bread (quick and easy)

This recipe was given to me by my sis-in-law Sandy and it is a keeper!  I make it for bake sales, morning coffees, afternoon snacks and dessert.  I make it with or with out chocolate chips or nuts and in various sizes and shapes.  My kids seem to love them in a muffin shape and that helps with quantity control – otherwise they just might eat the loaf.  Zach and Lauren were over and that trick didn’t work, as Zach who’s 13 tried to convince me that I should cut into the loaf and that he should get thirds.  I gave in!

(aunt sandy’s) banana bread:

(This makes 2 (9×5) loaves or 1 loaf, 12 muffins, and one mini-loaf, but switch it up and see what shapes you want to make.  I imagine the recipe yields about 30 muffins if you forgo the loaves.  The banana bread freezes very well too – just wrap well and freeze.  Home-made banana bread on the fly.)

4 cups flour (look @baking tips for flour measurement)
2  teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups oil
2 7/8 cup sugar
4 eggs well beaten
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
chocolate chips to taste  (optional but I usually add a lot!)
chopped walnuts to tast (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter or spray your loaf pans and line bottom with parchment.  (As you are cutting, cut some extras for the next time you bake.)  If using muffin pans, line with cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Combine oil, sugar and eggs and gently add to the flour mixture until almost incorporated.  Add the mashed bananas (and chocolate chips and/or nuts if using) and mix until combined.  Try not to over mix.

Pour into your prepared pans and bake the 9×5 loaf for about 1 hour, but as usual please check before that and often.  The bread is done when it pulls away from sides and has a nice spring to it.

The muffins took about 30 minutes – and the mini-loaf about 40 but again, check early and often.  The mini loaf is a nice little gift for a friend, teacher or for someone that you appreciate.  A little cake brings a lot of smiles.

whole-wheat chocolate chip pancakes

I think because my mom often sent me to school with a kiss and a cold pop-tart (sorry mom), I am now one of those moms who really insists that we all eat something healthy in the mornings and that we all sit together to eat it!  It can be a challenge to make it happen since all three kids have school at different times, but we usually can manage 5-7 minutes together.  The harder problem is Andy — who unlike his brother Greg and sister Sylvie, really dislikes cereal.  Not only that, he refuses most breakfast items unless they happen to have chocolate or chocolate chips in them.  That being said,  I’m always on the look out for healthy pancakes.  Of course I mess that up a bit with some added chocolate chips but I hope that the benefits of merely eating, and eating together will somehow win the fight over the chocolate in the AM.  So I decided to try Ellie Krieger’s Whole Wheat pancakes for a change.  They were a hit!  Especially with the chocolate.  Oh, and Andy just read this and said, “I’m eating whole wheat pancakes?!” – guess they are good.  Ellie serves these with an delicious looking strawberry sauce, but Andy eats them plain (well with chips)  and no need for syrup.

whole-wheat chocolate chip pancakes (adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger)

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
mini-chips (to taste and optional)
2 large eggs (room temp if possible)
1 cup buttermilk (low fat)
3/4 cup low or non fat milk
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
cooking spray
chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk the 2 flours, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate (if using).  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, milk, honey and vanilla.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently until just mixed.  Do not over work or over mix this batter.  It should be lumpy.

Spray the non-stick pans with cooking spray and then heat over medium (at the start) to low heat.  Pour the batter from 1/4 or 1/8 cup measures and then add a few full sized chocolate chips to the pancakes.  Turn pancakes when they start to bubble and they are brown on the bottom.  Then cook about another 1 1/2 minutes depending on the heat.  I like to cook them on low heat – especially at the end of the batch because the pan gets super hot and they can burn easily.

I like to double the recipe and make many extra.  Once cool, I wrap the pancakes in groups of 3-4 pancakes and place in a plastic bag or airtight container and freeze.  (I just read about Freeze-tite – a product that is best for the freezer from the same maker as my beloved Stretch-tite!)  Every night I pull out a pancake pack to defrost and in the morning I microwave or heat in the toaster oven.  Every day I have home-made pancakes for my chocolate-loving cereal-hating son Andy.  And yes, he better love me forever.