Vintage Black Banana Nut Bread Recipe

Tools Needed:
Cooking spray (or butter) and parchment (unless you’re using the
Wood Bakers already lined with parchment)
Bread/Loaf pan(s) 1 large (9″x5″x2-1/2″ or 8″x4″x2″) or 2 smaller Wood Bakers (7″x4″x2-1/2″)
Cookie Sheet Pan (if you’re using Wood Bakers)
Large Bowl (for batter)
Dinner-sized plate (for mashing bananas)
Mashing Tool (fork, potato masher, ricer, etc)
Whisk (or fork for mixing drying ingredients)
Small strainer (for de-seeding lemon juice, optional)
Small bowl or cup (for fork beating eggs)
Medium (soup-sized) bowl (for secret tip of mixing banana puree with eggs)
Wooden Spoon (gotta make it wood, right?) :)
Measuring cups and spoons
Pastry brush (or any brush for brushing top of bread with butter, optional – fingers are okay too!)
Temperature Tool (optional but handy)

Ingredients for Banana Nut Bread:
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas from dark-skinned ripe bananas (about 4 to 5 large)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon dried cultured buttermilk (optional)
1/2 cup fine-chopped walnuts (substitute pecans or favorite nuts)
2 eggs, fork beaten
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1/3 cup milk (2% is fine)
1 to 2 Tablespoons room temperature butter for basting the top of the bread
Ten Steps to Making a Fabulous Vintage Black Banana Bread:
1. Defrost the Bananas (if yours are stored frozen):
Haul out your best 4 or 5 large black bananas from the deep freeze. if you’re like me, you’ll have a regular stash hidden behind the frozen peas. :) We defrosted our frozen bananas on the counter in about 30 minutes, easily peeled them and they were nice and dark and sweet.
Tip: Black ripe bananas make the best banana bread because they make the cake sweet and golden-dark brown-crusted with those nice dark speckles. (Remember, for our Banana Layer Cake recipe, we used only lightly ripened yellow bananas.)

2. Prep the Oven and Baking Pans:
Set the oven rack to center position and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 1 large or 2 small loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray or rubbing them with a little butter. We used King Arthur Flour’s (our sponsor) darling Bake and Give Wood Bakers that don’t require prepping ’cause they are lined with parchment papers.
3. Bring Eggs to Room Temperature:
Place into a small bowl (or cup) of warm water for about 10 minutes to bring to room temperature:
2 large eggs

4. Prep the Nanners:
Using a flat plate, use your favorite mashing tool (mine is a potato masher) to puree:
4 to 5 large very ripe bananas for 1-1/2 cups banana puree
Tip: Give the bananas a thorough mashing as all banana bits will show in the finished sweet bread but don’t go food processor on me here…leave a few bits showing for an extra taste punch. :)

Measure out the banana puree and notice how nice and rich the banana puree has become when using extra dark bananas.

5. Prep the Butter:
Microwave for a few seconds and stir to ensure fluffy room temperature consistency: 1/3 cup unsalted butter

6. Prep the Dry Ingredients:
Measure out into a large bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon dried cultured buttermilk (optional)
Whisk dry ingredients thoroughly (the lazy sifter’s way) :)

Fine chop by hand or in a mini food processor:
1/2 cup walnuts
Whisk the fine-chopped nuts into the dry ingredients.

7. Squeeze Some Lemon Juice:
De-seed and squeeze to produce (and set aside for a moment):
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (using 1 large lemon)
Tip: My favorite lemon wedge squeezer is shaped like a little bird (and it also seems to catch the seeds). Mine’s inherited and way-old but they seem to have a new version here (we get a lot of requests for where to find one). :)
8. Work with the Eggs and Nanners and Lemon Juice:
Crack the prepared room temperature eggs into a small bowl or cup and, using a fork, beat them until they are thoroughly mixed.

Stir the fork-beaten eggs into the banana puree and then stir in:
the prepared lemon juice
{{This is Grandma’s secret tip!}}

9. Stir That Puppy with a Wooden Spoon!
Stir the banana-egg-lemon mixture into the dry ingredients.
Stir in the prepared room temperature butter.
Pour in and stir until thoroughly incorporated (about 30 strokes):
1/3 cup milk (2% works well)
The final batter lightens up in color and has a lovely aroma even at this stage.

10. Fill ‘er Up and Bake this Puppy!
I like to use an old-fashioned ice cream scooper to deliver the batter to the pans. It seems to help keep the drips at bay. :)

I filled the Wood Baker pans about half full for tea cake style cakes.
You can pour all the batter into one pan if you are using just one large loaf pan (the batter should reach to about 2/3 full if it’s all going into one pan).

Bake at 350 degrees. For the smaller pans, bake for about 65 minutes. For the larger bread pan bake for about 75 minutes. Since oven differences can impact the baking time, check on your cakes beforehand. The banana bread will be done when it is somewhat cracked on top, the sides pull away slightly from the edges, a toothpick tests shows clean, the bread springs back a bit when gently pressed at the top center point and the internal temperature reaches about 210 degrees.
Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pan before brushing the top of the bread with: 1 to 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Tip: Spreading a little butter on top of the warm bread loaf will help soften the top crust. The initial shine will fade as the cake cools.

Serve this bread warm from the oven or some folks prefer it with a one-day (or more) counter sitting time.

Sparkling Cider Pound Cake with Sparkling Cider Glaze

This recipe is incredible! The Sparkling Cider gives it such a unique and delicious flavor.

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup shortening, I use Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon butter extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup Sparkling Cider, I love Martinelli's brand

GLAZE

• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Spakling Cider

Instructions

1. Cream butter, shortening and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time along with the butter extract.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and flour and stir to evenly combine. Add alternately with ½ cup sparkling cider to the wet ingredients and beat until well incorporated.
4. Pour into a greased and floured 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 60-70 minutes or until the top is golden brown and until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Glaze

1. In a medium bowl, whisk sparkling cider and powdered sugar until smooth consistency is reached. Poor over cooled pound cake.

Make a box cake taste like a bakery cake

French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake in Pan

French Apple Cake Recipe

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What you will need

1. 1 ½ cup (204g) flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
3. pinch of salt
4. 4 to 6 regular size apples (a mix of varieties of what you have on hand)
5. Note: If you want the ratio to be apples to cake then use 6 apples, if you want it to be more cake to apples then use 4 apples.
6. 3 large eggs, at room temperature
7. 1 ½ cup (250g) sugar
8. 4 tablespoons dark rum
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10. 12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) (170g) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and cooled to room temperature

Steps to Prepare & Bake

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven.
2. 2. Heavily butter an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan.
3. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. 4. Peel and core the apples, and slice them into wedges.
5. 5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then rum and vanilla.
6. 6. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, and then gently stir in half of the melted butter
7. 7. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.
8. 8. Fold in the apple slices until they’re well-coated with the batter.
9. 9. With a spatula scrape the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth out the top so it is even.
10. Bake the cake for 35 minute to 1 hour (This will vary depending on your oven).

Notes

1. Test it out by inserting a toothpick into the center to check if it comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, and then run a knife around the edge to slowly to loosen the cake from the pan before you spring it out. Next carefully remove the sides of the cake pan, making sure no apples are stuck to it.

By Carrie Pacini

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

Makes: About 20 (2-by-2-inch servings) / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 1 hour (plus cooling time)

CAKE
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple with juice (reserve ¹⁄₃ cup drained pineapple for the frosting if desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups walnuts
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking soda, flour and sugar. Add the eggs, pineapple (with its juice), vanilla and nuts; mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

To make the frosting: Beat softened cream cheese until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter and vanilla. Fold in the reserved¹⁄₃ cup pineapple if desired. Spread the whipped cream cheese mixture over the cooled cake. Cut into desired size squares.

From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

221 calories (28% from fat), 7 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat), 38 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 183 mg sodium, 37 mgcholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

Have a question? Contact Susan Selasky noon-3 p.m. Thursdays at 313-222-6432 or e-mail sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Dutch Crunch Bread

Dutch Crunch Bread makes 2 large round loaves or 12 sandwich rolls

The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping came from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. The recipe for the bread below came from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on bakingbites.com.

The recipe below is based on my experience. You can find the original pdf version here.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons oil (plus additional oil for greasing bowl during rising)
1 tablespoon salt
Up to 8 cups bread flour (or all purpose is ok too)

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water, milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit for about 5 minutes (The mixture should start to bubble or foam a bit and smell yeasty).
2. Add in oil, salt and 4 cups of flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough comes together.
3. Add remaining flour a quarter cup at time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the dry flour is picked up from the bottom and sides. If it puddles and sticks all over the sides once the flour is picked up, continue adding flour in increments. At this point, I had added only 2 cups of flour after the original 4.
4. Turn out onto a generously floured surface and knead for several minutes. As you knead, sprinkle flour over the dough and knead it into the dough. Add flour to the counter as the sticky dough picks it up. As soon as the dough isn't sticking to the counter or your hands and it's smooth and springy, stop kneading. I used an additional 1 cup of flour for this step.
5. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
6. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into desired portions. Shape each into a ball or loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (try not to handle the dough too much at this point). You won't be needing a bread pan. See below for tips on shaping round loaves and rolls.
7. Cover with a clean towel and let rise while you prepare the topping.
8. Coat the top of each roll or loaf with the topping as described below.
9. Once you’ve applied the topping, bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, until well browned. Rotate pans half way through if you need to bake them on the top and bottom racks. Increase browning by baking closer to the top of the oven. Let cool on a wire rack before eating.

Dutch Crunch (Tiger Bread) Topping for 2 large loaves or 12 rolls (you won't use it all)

Can be used on any kneaded yeast bread dough.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups rice flour (white or brown; NOT sweet or glutinous rice flour-increase by 1 cup or more for homemade rice flour)
Several drop of very toasty sesame oil (optional)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Marmite (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk; beat hard to combine. The consistency should be like stiff royal icing – spreadable, but not too runny. Mine was the consistency of a thin honey. Add more water or rice flour as necessary. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Coat the top of each loaf or roll with a thick layer of topping. Spoon the topping onto the top of the dough and guide it around as it drips over the sides. You should err on the side of applying too much topping – a thin layer will not crack properly. Do not let too much topping pool up at the bottom of your dough, as it will create a hard dark foot and too much crunch on the bottom of your bread.
3. Place the rolls directly into the oven after applying the topping.
4. When baking, place pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake your bread as you ordinarily would. The Dutch Crunch topping should crack and turn a nice golden-brown color.

Notes:
For my sandwich rolls, I used topping without the added sesame oil and Marmite first, then applied a cross shaped glaze of the darker topping. My large round loaf is glazed entirely with the darker topping. You can see this in my 3rd photo.

To create a nice round loaf or sandwich roll: With your dough on a lightly floured counter, cup your hands on the sides of the dough. Gently pull the dough underneath itself while rotating the dough clockwise. You will see the top of the loaf stretch smooth and it will create a nice rounded shape as you stretch and rotate. You don't want to tear the top and you don't want the folds to show on the sides. Keep any little folds under the loaf or roll, and stop pulling when the loaf has the height that you want and is round, smooth and tight.

Good luck with your own Dutch Crunch experience! It's a beautiful bread that I hope you try and love!

Enjoy!

Million Layer Bars

INGREDIENTS (CRUST)
1 1/2 cup pretzel crumbs
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup white sugar
9 ounces unsalted butter, softened

INGREDIENTS (LAYERS)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cups butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups mini pretzels
1 1/2 cup roughly chopped salted potato chips
1 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe below)
1 1/2 cup crumbled shortbread
1 1/2 cup roughly chopped corn flakes
1 cup melted semi sweet chocolate
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

To make crumbs for the crust, just pulse some pretzels in the food processor until fine. Remove, and pulse the graham crackers. Measure and combine crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and butter in the food processor until one event texture; press on bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it -- coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.

In order, sprinkle the pecans, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pretzels, potato chips, salted caramel sauce, shortbread, cornflakes, melted chocolate, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

INGREDIENTS (SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE)
[NOTE] Makes 2 cups
1 cup white sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
For the caramel sauce, heat the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until the sugar turns golden.  Stir until all of the sugar is dissolved and just starting to turn a lovely amber color.  

Turn heat to low, add the butter, and stir to combine.  Careful, it'll foam up. Then add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt stirring to combine. You'll cook the sauce for about 5-10 minutes, until it comes together. It'll take quite a bit of stirring!

Pour the caramel into a glass jar, let it come to room temperature, and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Pour over everything and anything!