Banana Nut Bread

The original recipe I've adapted this from is a denser, more traditional banana nut bread and not very cake-like, which most of us now recognize as banana bread. I tempered that with a little baking powder and extra beating of the eggs. The taste is phenomenal according to those who've tried it. Give it a try yourself and let me know what you think! (Pictures forthcoming)

Ingredients

2 C. Flour
1 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
1 C. butter, margarine, or shortening (I prefer using butter for flavor)
1 C. white sugar
1 1/4 C. brown sugar
2 C. overripe mashed bananas (about 6-7 med. bananas)
4 eggs, well beaten
1 C. chopped walnuts (this also works nicely with pecans for a slightly different flavor)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease two 9x5" bread loaf pans.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, blend together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and well beaten eggs and mix until well blended. Stir in the nuts. Pour all at once over the dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Do not over-stir. Pour into two greased 9x5" loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes (but check at 40 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter for done-ness. Don't over-bake!!) Crust of bread will be dark.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling racks. Ideally, once cooled, wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Blueberry Crisp

I got this recipe from a friend who brought it for 4th of July last year. This year I made it to take to an Independence Day celebration myself (but didn't take pictures! Bad me! I will make again soon so I can photograph the gloriousness of this dish! -mission complete!) It was labeled by the guests as "cobbler crack" and then the jokes went on to say it was a gateway cobbler... really, the humor just went downhill from there, but the dish itself was DELICIOUS!

I hope you enjoy as much as we did. Please, feel free to add your own "Cobbler Crack" jokes. :)

Ingredients

Fruit Filling
3 pints blueberries
1/2 C. Sugar
Juice and Zest from one lemon
3 Tbs. flour

Topping
1 C. flour
1 C. packed light-brown sugar
2/3 C. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. plus 2 Tbs. cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Butter a 13X9 glass or ceramic baking dish

Mix the berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest and flour in a large bowl. Transfer the berry mixture to the baking dish.

To complete the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chunks of butter and pulse the machine repeatedly, in 2 to 3 second bursts, until the mixture is clumpy, like damp crumbs. Spread the topping mixture evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly hot. Serve at any temperature, but to avoid burns please wait at least 10 minutes to cool. If you can!

Top with whipped cream, if desired, and ENJOY!.