Black and White Banana Loaf

Black and White Banana Loaf

Source: Dorie Greenspan " Baking From My Home To Yours"

1+ 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresly grated nutmeg

1+1/2 ripe bananas, peeled

(Squirt of fresh lemon juice +Grated zest of 1/2 lemon)

1 tablespoon dark rum

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8,5 x 4,5 x 2,5 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the axcess. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two reular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together the flour, paking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with the lemon juice and zest, the stir in the rum.

Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the butter together in a microvawe oven or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gentle simmering water.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted wit a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining stick ( 8 tablespoon) of butter at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, the beat in the vanilla. The butter will look curdled, and it will continue look curdled as you add ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in the milk, and when it is blended, add the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.

Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into the prepared pan , then, using a table knife, swirl the batters together, taking care not to overdo it.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 or 30 minutes, or until knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and if the cake starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minutes before unmolding, the cool the cake to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Coconut Pyramids

From ''The Cookie Book''

Makes 15

225 gr/8 oz/1 cup desiccated (dry unsweetened shredded) coconut

115 gr/4 oz/generous 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

2 egg whites

1 Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas 5. Grease a large baking sheet with a little oil.

2 Mix together the desiccated coconut and sugar. Lightly whisk the egg whites. Fold enough egg white into the coconut to make a fairly firm mixture. You may not need quite allt the egg whites.

3 Form the mixture into pyramidsby taking a teaspoonful and rolling it first into ball. Flatten the base and press the top into a point. Arrange the pyramids on the baking sheet.

4 Bake for 12-15 minutes on a low shelf. The tips should begin to turn golden and the pyramids should be just firm, but still soft inside.

5 Slide a palette knife (metal spatula) underneath to loosen them. Leave to coo, then transfer to a wire rack.

Creamy Tuna Pasta

(Source here)

Serves 4

350g fettuccine or spaghetti
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup (250ml) thin cream
2 tbs sundried tomato paste
425g can tuna in oil, drained
1 cup (150g) frozen peas
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
100g semi-dried tomatoes
2 tsp capers, rinsed, drained

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with half the oil.
Heat remaining oil in a large frypan over medium heat, add onion and cook 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cream and paste, add tuna and peas. Heat gently for 1-2 minutes. Stir in half the parsley with the tomatoes and capers, add pasta and season. Stir until just heated through. Serve sprinkled with remaining parsley.

Golden Ginger Macaroons

(From The Cookie Book- By C.Atkinson, J.Farrow, V.Barrett)

Makes 18-20

1 egg white

75 gr/3oz/scant 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar

115 gr/4 oz/ 1 cup ground almonds

5 ml/1 tsp ground ginger

1 Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

2 Whisk the egg white in a large, clean. grease-free bowl until stiff and standing in peaks, but not dry and crumbly, then graduallywhisk in the brown sugar.

3 Sprinkle the ground almonds and ginger over the whisked egg white and gently fold them together.

4 Using two teaspoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking sheets, spaced apart. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

5 Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yunkabu says: It's yummy yummy yummy.... :)

Coconut, Chocolate & Banana Mini Muffins

(Recipe from here)

Makes 36

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
3 ripe bananas, roughly chopped
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup (100g) dark chocolate chips
Icing sugar, to dust

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Method
Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a 12-hole mini-muffin pan. Process butter, caster sugar, banana, eggs and vanilla in a food processor until well combined. Place flour, coconut and chocolate in a large bowl, then fold in banana mixture. Working in batches, place dessertspoons of mixture into pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until risen and golden. Cool slightly in pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Chocolate Cookie Bark

Recipe Source : Kraftfoods Web Page

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Makes: 14 servings, one piece each

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
10 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

1 PLACE semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls. Microwave until completely melted, following directions on package. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. Crumble half the cookies over chocolate in each bowl; mix well.
2 DROP spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates. Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.
3 REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into 14 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Candy Crunch Pudding Pie

( Recipe Source: Kraftfoods Web Page )

Prep Time: 20 min

Makes 20 servings

2 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

2 milk chocolate English toffee candy bars (1.4 oz. each), chopped, divided

1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

1 BEAT milk and dry pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping and all but 3 Tbsp. of the candy.

2 SPOON into crust.

3 TOP with remaining whipped topping and candy. Drizzle with chocolate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.