Best Banana Pecan Cake

I love baking with Bananas. The fact that I have many recipes here that use bananas is proof of how much I love this amazing fruit. It just adds so much flavor and moisture to any baked good. I love seeing the brown speckles in a banana bread. I often buy bananas just so I can make banana bread! Yes, I am truly bananas over bananas!

Cranberry Pecan Bread with Apple Cider Glaze

The other day I went to the grocery for some food shopping. I got excited when I saw some fresh cranberries already being sold. You see, I love baking with cranberries! I love the tangy flavor it imparts to baked goodies particularly sweet breads and cakes. I got myself a pack and decided that I should make my favorite Cranberry Orange Bread when I get home or at least pretty soon. However, as it sometimes happen, I forgot to buy some oranges. I was frustrated because I was really craving some nutty cranberry bread at that time. What was I to do?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My two kids were both born in the month of October and only 3 days apart. As you can imagine, this is quite a busy month for us. Thankfully, since they are still quite young they haven't really demanded their own separate birthday parties yet. For now they are quite happy to celebrate their birthdays in their classrooms with their classmates. There's only one condition I need to fulfill - that is, they want me to make something yummy for their class on their birthday.

Fresh Apple Cake

I walk my little boy William to school everyday and we are grateful that the school is less than a 5-minute walk. In our usual route, I pass through one of our neighbor's front yard which has a big Apple tree. One day in  October I was walking back from school, I saw our neighbor picking up some apples that came from the tree. At this time she has placed a sign by the tree which asked anyone who happens to pass by to pick a bag of apples.

20 Delicious Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes

Whenever Fall/Autumn comes around, I only think of one thing - Pumpkins!!! Yes, I love Pumpkin recipes both savory and sweet. I have made quite a few tried and tested recipes using this wonderful fruit. Below you can find some delicious sweet and savory recipes all utilizing the mighty pumpkin! Hope you get to try some if not all of them. 

Best Pumpkin Pie

Like many of our American readers, I've had my share of tasting so many recipes and varieties of pumpkin pie. In the Philippines, we have a lot of squashes and they are a staple in my country but we don't really grow pumpkins. Perhaps it's the weather, I don't know. So, when I had my first Thanksgiving in Michigan back in 2004 - I was truly fascinated with the concept of using pumpkin (which  back then I just thought of as a regular squash) in a dessert, especially a pie. I thought it was rather strange as we only use squashes for savory dishes and never for dessert. Squashes are considered vegetables and, as such, they are never used for anything sweet. Little did I know that both pumpkin and squashes (at least some!) are actually the perfect ingredients for desserts, too! So glad I finally know.

20 Fabulous Fall Desserts

Fall is just around the corner. Here in Connecticut, though the weather is still quite warm, we have already seen some trees start to change colors and some leaves already on the ground - a preview of what's to come. As everyone knows, New England has some of the best Fall foliage. I haven't been here on an actual Autumn day or season but I have seen photos and movies which feature such gorgeous and vibrant colors. I am truly so excited to see and feel the change of season here. New Haven, also known as Elm City, because it's surrounded by so many large Elm trees, am sure would be so pretty during the Fall. I really can't wait to go up to East Rock Park and see the lovely colors atop this wonderful mountainous ridge. 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

We have been given some huge zucchinis by some friends from church and I didn't know what to do with them! Then I remembered that one of the ladies in our previous church brought some chocolate zucchini bread and I got to taste it there and couldn't believe it had vegetable in it! It was so moist and really tasty and with no hint at all that there's zucchini in it, just plain good chocolate yummy-ness in each bite. I was hooked!

Peach and Blueberry Financiers

A Financier is a small French Almond Cake traditionally baked in the shape of a gold bar, hence the name. Some say that it is called such because the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding the Paris stock exchange and was named after its wealthy bankers. Its main ingredient is the almond flour (ground or finely crushed) though it's distinct feature comes from the use of  beurre noisette (brown butter).

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Am always delighted to have left-over bananas as these yummy fruits provide us an excuse to make one of our staple quick bread recipes - Banana Nut Bread. My kids, however, are not always keen with the "bread with nuts" version so to accommodate them, I often make another version loaded with chocolate chips or chunks. However, since we are huge dark chocolate fans, we almost always use the 70% chocolate bar or the bittersweet chocolate for our baking, banana bread included. That way, it doesn't become overly sugary in taste but provides a nice yummy contrast to the sweet bananas.

Feel free to use either choco chips or chunks. But one tip I highly recommend to make anything you bake with chocolate yummy - make sure you use a good quality chocolate - preferably one that you actually eat, not the baking kind. With this you can be assured that your sweet creation is totally scrumptious and full of yummy chocolate goodness! Hope you enjoy this moist and delectable Dark Chocolate Banana Bread!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 stick Butter, softened*  

3/4 cup Sugar 

3 very ripe Bananas

2 Eggs, room temperature

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Orange/Lemon juice 

Grated zest of one Orange or Lemon (optional but great for extra tang and flavor!)

8 oz (1 cup) 70% Dark Chocolate chunks or Chocolate chips 

*To soften the butter, take it out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature about an hour before you need it.  In case that's not possible here's a good  link on how to soften a butter quickly.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan or  you can use parchment paper to line your loaf pan, too. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the softened butter and sugar until whipped-creamy roughly 5-6 minutes. A stand mixer would be quite handy with this.

Peel and mash the bananas. If you wish you can put the bananas in a food processor to hasten the process and make sure it's smooth. Do this while the mixer is beating the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and continue to beat until smooth and no more lumps appear. Pour in the lemon or orange juice and the grated zest. Beat just until combined.

Fold in the dry ingredients (flour mixture). Gently fold in the chocolate chips or chunks. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

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EGG-FREE BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM

Organic Blueberries were on sale last week so I loaded up on them as that doesn't often happen. I decided to make some Blueberry Ice Cream as I made an egg-free version last year which the  whole family enjoyed. I think summer was already over when I made it then, hence, I didn't immediately post the recipe but thought I would wait for the appropriate season.

Finally, summer is here and Blueberry season is at its peak! Since we are relocating to Connecticut pretty soon, I doubt if we'll get the chance to do some blueberry picking. I feel sad as Michigan blueberries at their prime are simply the best. The blueberries are plump, juicy and simply scrumptious! Oh well, I may not be able to pick them straight from the tree but at least I can simply find them easily and so cheaply at the grocery stores. So, this summer don't miss the chance to load up on this super-food! I know ice cream is a dessert but at least you have an excuse as you are also eating perhaps the healthiest fruit on earth! So, it's somewhat guilt-free, right? :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Blueberry Puree (from fresh or frozen blueberries)
3/4 cup Half and half (or whole Milk)

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

2/3 cup granulated Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Procedure

Puree the blueberries. Strain. Measure about 1 1/2 cups.

Combine the half and half, heavy cream, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix using a wire whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the pureed blueberries and vanilla.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instruction. I usually churn it for about 20 minutes on mine.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe bowl and cover. I use a metallic mixing bowl and cover it with foil. Place in the freezer. Take the bowl out every 30 minutes thereafter (for at least 3 hours) and stir the ice cream using either a whisk or a handheld blender or beater. It is necessary to do this to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze the ice cream overnight or until hard. 

Enjoy this egg-free and truly creamy-licious ice cream!

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Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

I got so excited the other day when I saw some Michigan Blueberries being sold at a nearby deli shop. It was a little more expensive than when you buy it in Holland (my former Michigan hometown) but I was desperately missing these yummy berries, I thought I'd indulge. Oh, they were so juicy and sweet! It's a shame that we were not able to go blueberry picking before we left for Connecticut. I heard that there are also some farms here where you can pick some berries but somebody told me it's so much cheaper to buy them from Aldi's instead of going through all the trouble of picking them yourself. Thankfully, Michigan blueberries were also on sale at Aldi's (and same price as the ones in MI) so I got myelf what is the equivalent of at least 2 buckets - perhaps even 3 so now I have some blueberries to enjoy for fall and winter!

Nanaimo Bars

About two weeks ago, we went to Connecticut where we are to relocate pretty soon. We went there to register our kids for the coming school year. It was a long journey from Michigan to New Haven. We knew it would take us two days to do so especially since we were travelling with our kids which necessitated frequent stop-overs. So it wouldn't be such a laborious trek, we decided to go via Canada instead of through Ohio and Pennsylvania. We thought it might be a more interesting and enjoyable to see something different along the way.

Slow Cooker Three Berry Cobbler

With the abundant supply of fruits, particularly berries,  during summer I have been inspired to do fruit-based desserts. For me nothing describes summer more than fruit cobblers and crumbles. The lovely colors of reds and blues combined and the tartness they impart to an otherwise one-dimensional dessert make them my summer fave.

This cobbler is particularly lovely because you don't need to use the oven for it. It's cooked in the slow cooker which makes it so much easier; no need to preheat anything and most of all you don't need to sweat while doing it (no warm oven, right?). Also, it doesn't take that long to cook it, only about 2 hours or so which for slow cooking is rather fast!

This cobbler is great to eat on its own but if that's not enough, you may add your vanilla ice cream on top. We always do! Enjoy the rest of the summer with this yummy Three Berry Cobbler.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt   
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
a pinch of ground cloves, optional
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons, half and half or milk
2 tablespoons, vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup each fresh or frozen berries  (blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
3/4 cup water
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for topping, optional

Procedure

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and ground cloves (if using).

 

Combine the eggs, milk and oil then stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Spread the batter evenly onto the bottom of a greased slow cooker.

 

In a large saucepan, combine the berries, water, and remaining sugar. Bring to a boil.

Once it has boiled, remove from the heat and immediately, pour over batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out clean.  

Turn the slow cooker off. Uncover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon below the post. Click on the "remove images" box for easy and convenient printing.

Adapted from Taste of Home's - Black and Blue Cobbler. 

Chocolate Dreams (Part 1)

Please note: To find the recipe, find the photo of the yummy sweet treat you are looking for and then click on the link underneath. That should lead you to the recipe. This is a collection of recipes from our blog and other amazing food bloggers. 

By this time, if you are a regular follower of this blog, it has become obvious that we are addicted to chocolate. I am not much of a sweets person (hence there are more savory recipes than sweets here) but I make an exception when it comes to chocolate. Actually, it is my hubby who turned me into a chocoholic. He just loves chocolate especially the bittersweet variety. 

Chocolate Brownie Waffles

Hubby was very kind to give me a waffle maker as gift for Mother's Day. Actually, I have always wanted one so when he asked me what I wanted, I didn't hesitate to say - waffle maker. We are somewhat practical that way, we ask each other what we need and then when we get it, we are actually happy because we know it's something that we need and there's no need to go back to the store because we didn't like what we got. Of course, birthdays are another story, this is when we surprise each other and not let each other know what we are actually getting. That way, we get the best of both world. But it helps that hubby and I know each other fully well after 11 years of marriage so we usually end up with gifts that we truly love and not anything weird. That's a blessing....but I divert.

Strawberry-Blackberry Summer Trifle

Nothing screams of summer deliciousness than a classic English Trifle. It is a chilled dessert composed of creamy thick custard, fruits, sponge cake (often soaked in sherry, wine,  liqueur, etc - totally optional, of course), fruit juice or jelly, whipped cream all arranged in beautiful layers and placed in a deep glass bowl so everyone can gawk at it and appreciate its gorgeousness. The flavors and textures are fantastic and every bite promises your palate every bit of yumminess. How can you resist?

25 Fabulous No Bake Desserts

Summer is finally here! Yes, I feel the hot and humid weather is already in full swing. With days like this, who wants to turn the oven on even if the excuse is baking your favorite dessert? It's just not worth it sometimes, unless you don't mind sweating while you're baking. I do. So, I searched the internet for the best No Bake Desserts so we can still enjoy our sweets without having to sweat! Enjoy and please visit most, if not all, of these fantastic sweet treats!

3-Ingredient Nutella Brownies

Oh Nutella, isn't it one of the most amazing food invention? You can add this to any recipe (dessert, of course) and it just transforms it into something divine. This is why I love to experiment with it and use it whenever I can. And so far, everything I have added it into has become a family favorite, whether in a cheesecake or in cookies and now in brownies.....I wonder what next?

No Bake Chocolate and Caramel Crunch Bars

This is a wow recipe, simply wow! Not only because it's a No Bake super-easy recipe but because it is totally scrumptious. Layers of pecan crumb crust, delicious caramel filling and then melted chocolate on top - how can you ever resist that?