Banana Split Brownies

I was given a crate of Fair Trade bananas by a coworker a few weeks ago and I was really excited to bake with them. I'm not normally a banana person, but when given an amazing selection it would be rude not to put them to good use! 

It took a while to decide what I wanted to make. I have been dying to make Banana Cream Pie of some sort, but also wanted to to do something a bit different. So why not stick the cream on top of a gooey banana scented brownie? Done.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best part! Treat these brownies as if they are an awesome banana split! Top with your favorite sundae toppings! DELISH!

Banana Split Brownies

Makes 24

8 oz dark chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe banana, divided (2 medium)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

Melt chocolate over a bain marie or in the microwave until melted and smooth. 

Cream butter and sugar at a medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add the melted chocolate, 3/4 cup of flour, half of the mashed banana and salt and mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, blend the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the egg yolk, confectioners sugar, vanilla, remaining tbsp flour, and the extra  whole egg. Blend until smooth.

Spread chocolate mixture into the prepared pan. Marble in the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula, being careful not to mix in too much.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until set. Let cool on a wire rack.

When cooled, top with your favorite banana split toppings! I chose whipped cream, banana slices, and a cherry on top! I could imagine it with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and chocolate sprinkles! Yummy!

Roasted Confetti Vegetables

Do you ever have those days where you can't decide what veggies to have? I love vegetables, so I spend a lot of time thinking about them because they are more than just a side dish to me. The idea for these veggies were a bit of an accident, well not so much an accident and more of a result of my indecisiveness. I wanted roasted vegetables, but also something fresh tasting and light. Combine that with what I had in the fridge and freezer, and these Roasted Confetti Vegetables were born. I call them "confetti" because of all the colors of the veggies I used, and I like using the word (it's fun to say!).

They are delicious straight out of the oven, and even better straight out of the fridge the next day! Oh, and if you are a better person than I am, you will be able to wait until you've mixed in some fresh herbs after roasting, not only does it give a fantastic pop of color, but it really gives the dish the freshness I was after!

Roasted Confetti Vegetables
Serves 4

All vegetables are to be chopped into similar size small pieces.

3 large carrots
3 stalks celery
1 large red bell pepper 
1 can sweetcorn, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (optional)- I like basil and parsley.
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place the carrots and celery into a large roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Add Old Bay and cayenne, and stir to coat the carrots and celery. Roast for 30 minutes.

Stir in the bell pepper, sweetcorn and frozen peas to the hot carrots and celery. Drizzle additional olive oil as needed. Roast for and additional 20-30 minutes, depending on the doneness desired of the veggies.

When done, stir in the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze in lemon juice, if using.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I love the smell of homemade cookies baking in the oven. It reminds me of childhood. Waiting patiently for what feels like ages for the timer to finally ding! and the hot trays carrying sweet discs of chocolate or peanut butter or plain old sugar to come out of the oven and land on these strange looking racks for cooling. This was always where the problem began. I rationalized that I had already waited long enough for them to get hot and bake, so why on earth should I not have to wait for them to cool down? A few burnt fingers and about 10 minutes later, I was sitting at the kitchen counter with an ice cold glass of milk and a still warm cookie, and it was perfection, throbbing digits and all.

I debated for quite a while what type of cookie to make and write about first. I decided on the perfect combination of salty and sweet, chocolatey and peanut buttery. One to suit a multitude of different tastes (and also my craving for chocolate covered pretzels!). 

Peanut Butter & Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use dark, but you can use any combo)

1 1/2 cups salted pretzels, broken up into half inch pieces

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

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl and beat on a low speed, using an electric mixer. Add the brown sugar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until creamy. Mix in the peanut butter until incorporated and then add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer still on a medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture (flour etc.) just until incorporated. You want to be sure that the mixture is just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel bits just until evenly distributed.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I like to refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight to be sure the dough is firm and will not spread to much when baking. You can store the dough for up to a week. Sometimes I like to make the dough and bake them in batches for freshly baked cookies every day! Anyhow...

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325ºF/160ºC. Line or grease two baking sheets. Remove dough from fridge and unwrap. 

Make tablespoon size balls of dough, using a spoon or scoop, and place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten with a fork (or with the palm or your hand if you're being a bit lazy like me!).

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Once completely cooled, these can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container.

Salty Chocolate and Peanut Toffee

About two years ago I got into confectionary around Christmastime. I love making homemade gifts for people, and edible ones are an amazing way to show you care without breaking the bank. I've made this toffee for family, friends and co-workers and it's gobbled up every time! A truly impressive classic that is actually quite easy to make! Don't be discouraged by the use of a candy thermometer, it's to assure that the toffee is the right consistency when set. Seem like it might be too much gorgeous salty-sweet, crunchy goodness? (Are you crazy?) No problem, the recipe is easily downsized. I halved this recipe when I made it.

I really wish my colleagues hadn't eaten it all, as I really wish I had some now. I need salty-sweet rehab.

Salty Chocolate and Peanut Toffee
Makes about 60 pieces

15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan (8 x 8 if halving the recipe)
Candy thermometer

1 pound unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups whole cocktail peanuts, plus 1 cup chopped
8 ounces chocolate, finely chopped (I used about 6 oz 70% dark chocolate and 2 oz white chocolate)
Sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Butter baking pan and place on a heatproof surface close to the stove.

Bring the butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a deep amber color and reaches the hard-crack stage (300ºF) on a candy thermometer. This process taked about 20 minutes, but could be less depending on the heat. Watch the thermometer! Nothing worse than burnt bits in the toffee!

When the mixture reaches the right temperature, immediately stir in the whole peanuts until coated. Carefully pour the hot toffee into the center of the baking pan and spread with a spatula until the top is smooth. 

Let the toffee stand for about a minute and the sprinkle the chocolate over the top. I covered mine in dark chocolate and put the white in a few sections in order to swirl the top.

Let the chocolate stand for a few minutes to allow it to melt, then spread over the top with a spatula. If you would like, use a knife to make swirls.

Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top and the sprinkle of sea salt if using.

Place the baking pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour, when the chocolate topping is firm. Tip out of the tray and break into pieces, or cut with a sharp knife.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. But don't worry, it won't last that long!

BONUS! Put all the extra tiny bits of toffee into a bowl, cover with foil and keep in the fridge. Top your next bowl of ice cream, sprinkle on your next cake, or mix into a batch of cookies! The possibilities are endless!