Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies 

What do you do when you have way to much brownie mix? Make it into cookies of course. But not just any cookies. You want to combine as many different flavors as possible into the cookies. Thats where the banana and peanut butter come into play.

I was meeting up with some of my friends one afternoon. Every time I post of picture of cookies, one of the girls always comments on how much she wants one. Naturally I had to bring her some. I made these cookies for them along with some of the cream cheese chocolate chip cookies. I told them they were my guinea pigs for new recipes.

These cookies are a perfect bit sized treat. They are packed full of flavor. Normally if you put bananas in a recipe the whole recipe will taste like bananas. It's the same with, if you put bananas in a bowl with other food, all of the other food will taste like bananas. Or has no one else ever done that... Thankfully, the banana flavor isn't overbearing in these cookies, so the peanut butter flavor still shines. It is a great recipe to make if you don't have eggs!

Ingredients:

1 8ounce brownie mix (If using a 16 oz brownie mix, omit the flour and sugar)

1 C flour

1/4 C sugar
1/4 C butter

1 banana

1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 C peanut butter 

1 C reeces pieces (I used left over reeces eggs from easter)

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Nutella Banana Ice Cream

Nutella Banana Ice Cream 

 Whenever anyone else types bananas do they start singing that Gwen Stefani song in their head? b-a-n-a-n-a-s. I do. In celebration of national ice cream month, a treat that you can feel good about eating. Why? because it only has two ingredients. Bananas and nutella.

This is a very versitle treat. All you do is take some bananas, mash them in a bowl, add a scoop of nutella and freeze it. If you're not a nutella fan (but com'on those don't exist) then you can use peanut butter or cookie butter or any other kind of butter instead. Or just leave the spread out all together! Due to the texture of the bananas the ice cream has a really yummy texture, it's not icy at all. It reminds me of frozen yogurt.

If you like toppings in your ice cream feel freeze to throw them in before you freeze the mixture as well. Brownie bits, chocolate chips, cookie dough, you name it. Once frozen the top should retain a darker brown color due to the nutella. I used a fork to mash the bananas so you can still see banana chunks. It's a treat that will cool you off and get you a full serving of your fruits. Next time I make this I will be adding in some chocolate chips. 

Ingredients:

4 Bananas 

3 tablespoons nutella (or peanut butter)

1/4 C toppings (optional)

Directions:

1. Using a fork mash the bananas in bowl or in tupperware, whatever you want to freeze the mixture in. 

2. Once mashed, add in the scoops of nutella. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preference 

3. Add in toppings, chocolate chips, brownies, whatever it may be. Stir these into the banana mush. 

4. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. 

5. Scoop and enjoy! 

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Cinnamon Banana Bread (dairy free)

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

It was my moms best friends moms birthday two weeks ago. She can't eat any dairy products so I made her dairy free bread and cookies. Unlike a lot of dairy free recipes, this one doesn't even call for margarine.

I can't even count how many banana bread recipes I've tried. Any ranging from adding peanut butter to nutella, to even coconut. My favorites have to be either cinnamon banana bread or chocolate chip banana bread.

To get away with not including butter or margarine in the recipe, I used apple sauce. Oil would also work too if you don't have apple sauce. Butter can always be substituted out to make a healthier recipe.

This bread smells amazing when it comes out of the oven. Kitchens that are filled with hot out of the oven cookies or bread always smell the best. Try and make sure it is completely cool before you cut into it, otherwise the top will sink down. I know how hard it is to resist the temptation to cut into fresh bread.

Ingredients:

3 bananas
1/3 C apple sauce  

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp salt 

1 1/2 C flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the cinnamon swirl: 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x5 pan with nonstick spray

2. Mash your bananas. Add in the apple sauce, bananas, egg, and vanilla. 

3. Add in the sugar.

4. Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just combined. 

5. In a separate dish mix the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl

6. Pour half of the batter in the pan. Layer half of the cinnamon sugar swirl. 

7. Pour the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar swirl on top of the batter. 

8. Bake for 40-50 minutes. 

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Pink Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pink Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everything is always better when its pink. That being said, my room looks like you stepped into a bottle of pepto-bismol. My roommate in college hates pink. Unfortunately for her, all of the stuff that I brought to college was pink. Our room was half pink and half purple/black. It was actually pretty comical. 

I made these cookies with whipped light cream cheese. I used half of the normal amount of butter I use for cookies, then substituted in the rest for the cream cheese. It made the cookies very light and fluffy. The texture was like one of the giant cookies you get from Costco. 

I haven't tried making colored food before. I added 10 small drops of pink food coloring. I wish I had added more though. The cookies stayed pretty true to the color that the dough was.

I made the balls of dough pretty small when I put them on the cookie sheet. After baking, they ended up being HUGE. This may have to do with the cream cheese instead of the butter. 

The only downside to the pink color is it is hard to tell when they are done. Since the cookies won't brown as normal chocolate chip cookies due, you will have to check the bottom. This however will turn golden brown. 

The cookies puffed up nicely too. The texture of these cookies was amazing. This is the second time I have made cookies with cream cheese and I will definitely be using cream cheese in more of my cookie recipes. That being said, I was happy with the ending result since I did bake these at 11pm Tuesday night. 

Ingredients

1/4 C butter (softened) 

1/4 C cream cheese

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 C chocolate chips

10 drops pink food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

1. Beat together the butter and the cream cheese. 

2. Cream this mixture with the sugar.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla. Then add in the food coloring.
4. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and flour
5. Fold in the chocolate chips
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are brown or the cookies are browning slightly in some parts on top.

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Blackberry Frangipane

Blackberry Frangipane

If there was ever a dessert where pictures didn't do it justice. I had honestly never heard of a frangipane when my sister mentioned it one day. I even had to google what it was. According to google it is almond paste. Its a hard taste to describe. One word to sum it all up would be amazing. If you have never had/tried/tasted a frangipane before I suggest you go buy some almond paste and make one.

You don't even have to like blackberries. You can substitute any other berry or fruit in this recipe including plums and apples. I arranged the berries in a circle, but you could be cute and use them to write something. 

You bake it until it is golden brown. The middle will be gooey but set. I think it tasted amazing warm. As one The almond paste adds to the overall flavor. If you don't want to buy almond paste, you can buy almonds boil them until the skins fall off and then grind them in a food processor. I didn't have the energy for that. 

The soft interior is held together by a home made pie crust. Normally you bake this in a tart pan, however I went with a pie pan, simply because I do not have a tart pan with a removable bottom. The only think it affects is the overall shape. 

         

The filling with be thick. After pouring it into the baked pie crust you simply press your desired fruit into the filling. The above pictures are what it looks like unbaked and below is after just a quick trip to the oven. 

                           

If you have never had one before, it is a necessity that you try one. As in either bake one tonight or go to your nearest bakery right away. 

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

1 C unsalted butter (softened)

1/2 C sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 C four

1/4 tsp salt

For the filling:

1 tube or can (7-8 ounces) almond paste (crumbled)

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 C sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 C flour 

1 1/4 C frozen blackberries ( or you can substitute any other fruit, fresh or frozen) 

Directions:

1. Make the pie crust. Beat together the butter and sugar until blended, then beat on high until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour and salt.  With hands, knead the dough a few times in a bowl. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 425. Take the dough out of the fridge. Line a pie pan with aluminum foil. Or you can use a tart pan with a removable bottom. Whatever is easier. Use the dough to then line the pan. Place back in the fridge until firm (about 10minutes)

3. Take the pie crust out and bake it for 10-15 minutes. If it begins to puff up, pop the air bubbles. 

4. Make the filling. Mix together the almond paste, butter, sugar, and salt until mixture is well blended. Add in the eggs and the vanilla. Stir in the flour. 

5. Pour the almond paste mixture into the baked pie crust. Arrange the blackberries in a circular pattern. Bake until golden (about 45-50 minutes)

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Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie

It is exactly what it sounds like. A cookie that is filled with whole grains that will also cure your chocolate fix. 

These cookies are not super sweet. You could almost get away with eating them for breakfast. They are however chewy and soft. 

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 C flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 C quick cooking oats 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

1. Cream together the butter and the sugars 

2. Add in the egg and vanilla

3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt

4. Mix in the oats

5. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes 

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Pluot Bread

Pluot Bread

This is for those days when you have too many fruit trees and too much fresh fruit. This is a sweet bread that tastes almost like a pound cake but is still considered bread. It has a light and fluffy texture.

You can use this basic recipe and add in different kinds of fruit. More layers of fruit can also be added, the cooking time would just vary slightly.

The baked fruit keeps some of its juiciness which is a pleasant surprise when you take your first bite.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Pluots, pitted and cut into small chunks

Directions:

1) Melt the butter. Cream with sugar.
2) Add the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and baking powder.
3) Mix in 1 cup of flour.
4) Add the eggs and milk.
5) Add the last cup of flour. This makes it much easier to stir by dividing!
6) Prepare a 9x4 bread pan. Place half the batter in the pan.
7) Put a layer of pluots.
8) Add the rest of the batter.
9) Place a layer of pluots on top.

Feel free to add in more layers of pluots! We left ours with the skin and varying sizes.

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