Banana Bread

I am back up and running! Whew...I didn't realize how much I enjoyed doing this until I couldn't for 2 weeks. We did have to replace the hard drive and unfortunately lost all our pictures. So I will have to redo a few blogs I already had ready to go, that's OK practice makes perfect.

So today I will share with you my favorite Banana Bread recipe.

I was so excited when I go this as a gift for Christmas!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

*The recipe calls for 1/4 cup chopped walnuts but I do not like nuts in my bread so I chose to leave them out.

Let's get started!

I ended up halving the recipe because I only had 2 bananas.

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease your pans. I used a small square cake pan. Of course use loaf pans if you have them.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Next combine the bananas, eggs, sugar, and oil in a bowl. I mashed everything with a potato masher. Sometimes you have to get resourceful :)

Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).

Now for the kicker. A streusel nut topping! mmmmm.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs butter
1/3 cup chopped hazel nuts.

*The recipe calls for walnuts but I love the change to hazel nuts. I feel it compliments the bananas nicely.

In a bowl combine the brown sugar and flour. Using a fork cut in the butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the chopped hazel nuts.

Add your streusel topping to your bread mixture.

Bake for 50-55 mins for 9x5x3-inch pans or 40-45 mins for 71/2x31/2x2-inch pans. I baked my 6" square cake pan for about 50 mins.

Cool for 10 mins on a wire rack, remove from pan and enjoy!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday!

Still sick...

Well the computer needs a new hard drive. Hopefully everything will be back to normal next week. I have been baking away in the mean time and can not wait to share everything with you.

Sad Saturday :(

Sorry there was no post this Saturday. The computer is broke, it has to go to the doctor. Hopefully it will be back and running soon.

Doggie Treats

So I have been dying to share my puppy loves with you all. Today it is a Sweet Tooth Saturday for dogs.

Meet Heidi. We adopted her from the shelter a little over 2 years ago. She is a sweetheart.

Say hello to my big baby Winston. He is 3 years old and thinks he is a lap dog, a 140lb lap dog that is.

Today I am going to make them some treats in the shape of bones and fire hydrants.

The Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/4 cup hot water

First preheat oven to 350, then mix the dry ingredients together.

Next mix in the peanut butter and hot water.

Kneed into a dough ball and place on lightly floured surface.

Roll out the dough and make your shapes.

Place your bones and fire hydrants on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 40 mins. I also put an egg wash on the bones before baking. You can do this by beating an egg and brushing it on with a pastry brush. It will give them a nice shine.

The waiting begins...

Winston in front of the oven supervising the operation...

You can turn the oven off and leave the treats in to cool and harden over night or you can cool them on a rack. I placed the dogs outside(they were getting excited) and chose the rack.

Lets give the fire hydrants some color.

To achieve this I mixed 2Tbsp of cornstarch and 2Tbsp of water with a few drops of red food coloring. Then the fun part...I used my fingers and painted them red :)

I wonder if the dogs are playing out side?...Just as I suspected, right by the door waiting. Haha

Heidi: "Do you think they are done"?
Winston: "Yep I can smell them, she is holding out on us"!

Time for the long awaited taste test.

"So how were they guys"?

Heidi: "More please".
Winston: "Sluurrpp"!

I think they were a success. Keep treats in an air tight container for up to a week. If your pooches have a smaller appetite the treats will keep in a refrigerator for 3 weeks or freezer for 6 months.

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday to all the doggies out there.