Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I got an itch to try making my own ice cream after watching the "Going Bananas" episode of Good Eats. I love eating ice cream in the summer. In fact, our freezer usually has at least one kind of ice cream treat in it at all times during the summer.

The recipe called for 6 bananas, but I used only 4. The ice cream was good – the banana flavor was prominent without being to overpowering. And the chocolate chips added a nice crunch and additional flavor.

Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
(Adapted from Alton Brown at Food Network)

6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas (I used 4)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight.

2. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth.

4. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees.

5. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.

Breakfast "Blobs"

This on-the-go breakfast may sound weird, but it tastes great. Crunchy cereal packed with a peanut butter punch is a delicious and easy snack.

Breakfast "Blobs"
(Source: Nutritionist Alana Unger, R.D.)

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
3 cups flake cereal, crushed (I used Special K)
2 Tbsp honey

1. Mix peanut butter, nonfat dry milk, crushed cereal, and honey.

2. Form into "blobs" (should make 10 blobs).

3.Wrap each blob in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Oatmeal Brownie Bars

My coworker Alison is not big into cake, so I had to come up with something else to make for her birthday. I settled on this recipe because she like oatmeal, and oatmeal + brownie = delicious. I served these with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, and the only thing that could have made these bars better would have been if they we were eating them right out of the oven. The crunchy oatmeal paired perfectly with the brownie layer for a fantastic (and easy!) birthday treat.

Oatmeal Brownie Bars
Source: Land O'Lakes

Oatmeal Layer:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold Butter, cut into chunks

Brownie Layer:
1/3 cup Butter
3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all oatmeal layer ingredients in large bowl except butter. Cut in 2/3 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/4 cups crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumbs into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power), stirring twice, until chocolate is melted (30 to 60 seconds). Cool slightly.
3. Combine sugar, eggs, water and vanilla in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add melted chocolate mixture; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add 1 cup flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.

4. Drop chocolate mixture by tablespoonfuls over warm, partially baked crust. Carefully spread brownie layer evenly over crust; top with reserved crumb mixture.

5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are set. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely; cut into bars.

Pretzel M&M Cookie Bars

I've experimented with M&Ms before. So I obviously had to make something with the newest M&M:

The M&Ms themselves were quite good. They'd be even better with peanut butter, but everything is better to me with peanut butter. :)

I came across BEB's Chocolate Chip & Pretzel Cookie Bars and new the M&Ms would pair well with the bars since they already included pretzels. I didn't do much to adapt the recipe, other than to cut down on the chocolate chips to make way for the M&Ms. And they were fabulous. And, since I didn't snap any pictures, you'll just have to take my word for it. ;)

Pretzel M&M Cookie Bars
(Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup Pretzel M&Ms
1/2 cup pretzels, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips, for drizzling (optional)
1/4 cup pretzels, crumbled, for topping (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

3. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and press it down evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely.

4. In separate sandwich size baggies, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cut off a small corner on each bag and drizzle the chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars. Sprinkle the extra crushed pretzels on top. Let set and then cut into squares.

Makes 32 squares

Doughnut Muffins

I've seen similar muffins floating around on the internet for months, but never got around to making them until now. This basic muffin is a beat-it-up, cake-type muffin, high-crowned and very "vanilla-looking."

I'll admit, I didn't care for these muffins right out of the oven. The nutmeg was very prominent and I didn't think they tasted particularly doughnut-like. However, by the next day the nutmeg flavor had subsided and I was left with a muffin that did indeed taste like a doughnut. And it was delicious.

Doughnut Muffins
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

Batter:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 to 1 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, to taste
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup milk

Topping:
3 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3. Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

9. Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

10. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Frozen Peanut Butter Cups

I'm a sucker for anything that even remotely involves peanut butter, so when I saw this I knew I had to purchase it:

However, I didn't want to just make the bars and be done with it. Since it is summer (and thus hot out), I decided to turn it into a frozen dessert.

What you need:
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/3 cup milk


1. Place topping pouch in large bowl of boiling water; set aside.

2. Stir crust mix and butter in a bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press into bottoms of 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

3. Pour milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add Filling Mix and Peanut Butter. beat with mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. (Do not underbeat.) Spread over crust.

4. Remove topping pouch from water; shake pouch 1 minute or until topping is fluid and smooth. Drizzle over prepared cups.

5. Freeze 2 hours or until firm. (Or wrap tightly and store in freezer up to 2 weeks.)

Reese's Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I originally picked these out to make for my coworker Jeff, I though they were peanut butter cookies. I'm not sure why, since clearly they're not. Despite that little self-induced letdown, they were still very good.

Photo courtesy of Jenny @ Picky Palate

Reese's Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Picky Palate)

1 stick real butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp real vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup ground quick oats (in food processor or blender)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 Bag Reeses Pieces mini baking pieces
1/2 Bag Semi-Sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place butter, shortening and sugars in a stand mixer and mix until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Place flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Slowly pour into wet mixture on very low speed until just combined. Hand stir in Reeses and chocolate chips.

3. Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes until just golden around edges.


3 dozen cookies

X-Rated Goodies

One of my college roomates, Melanie, is getting married next month. Another one of my other college roomates, Jessica, and I were put in charge of baking some erotic treats for the bachelorette party weekend. Here's just a quick glimpse of our creations:

Penis Cake:


Cupcakes:




Fruity Condoms:



We made these by wrapping gummy Peach O's in fruit roll ups. These were delicious!

Condom Cookies:


We made these by pressing circles of white sugar cookie dough into pink squares of cookie dough. We then wrote on the cookies with icings.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Brown Sugar cupcakes...filled with eggless cookie dough...and topped with cookie dough frosting. Need I say more? These cupcakes are to die for and were a big hit at work for Jeff's birthday. Needless to say, eggless cookie dough is my new best friend and I may have to start making batches of it to have on hand for nibbling.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Source: Annie's Eats


Brown Sugar Cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

Eggless Cookie Dough Filling:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Eggless Cookie Dough Frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

These might just be my new favorite cookies. The texture of these cookies is chewy but not thick and the brown sugar and vanilla give these cookies a flavor that is a little ‘deeper’ than most. The cookies were soft right out of the oven. These were easy to make and will not last long around the house (a sign that this recipe is a keeper)

Also, heed the instructions to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the outsides are set but the centers are still puffy and soft. Doing so plays a large part in the resulting texture. Cooling the cookies on the baking sheets means they will continue to bake after being taken out of the oven, but without the circulating air of a cooling rack, they will retain their soft texture.

Photo courtesy of Bakingblonde

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I used a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat the butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just to blend. Gently fold in chips.

4. Place dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet using a scooper. Bake 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies and your oven) or until cookies are pale golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy.

5. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until cooled completely.