Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

A few weeks ago I was trying to decide what to do with two very ripe bananas.  I could have peeled and frozen them and waited until I had a couple more to make banana bread but I was really in the mood to bake that day.  So, with only 2 bananas I decided to make a small batch of banana nut muffins - but a jazzed up version.  Thinking about what to do, I immediately thought that peanut butter and bananas would be a good combination and I might be able to substitute some of the butter with peanut butter. Then, realizing that chocolate and peanut butter are also a delicious combination, I decided to see how all three worked together.  It took a couple of tries to get it right but I think they work together beautifully - let me know what you think!

Makes 6 Muffins

2 bananas (the riper the better)
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup flour
1-1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.   Butter 6 muffin tins, or line with paper muffin cups.
2.  Mash the bananas and mix in sugar and peanut butter until well combined.
3.  Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and unsweetened cocoa in a medium bowl.
4.  Add the egg, vanilla and melted chocolate and give the mixture a few stirs.  Add the banana mixture and stir until just blended.
5.  Spoon mixture into muffin tins, sprinkle tops with chopped peanuts and place on rack in the middle of the oven.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now, pour yourself a tall glass of milk, sit back and enjoy this treat - good for breakfast or an afternoon snack!

Per Muffin:
Calories: 290,  Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 40 mg, Sodium: 150mg, Carbohydrates: 45 g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 23g, Protein: 7 g

Ham and Gruyere Appetizers

This is one of my old standby recipes - I've had it for so long I'm not even sure where it came from.  It is one of those appetizers you can make ahead of time and store in your freezer - then pull them out and heat up just before company comes over.  They are a bit of work and not what I would call simple to make.  But since you are able to make them ahead and they are soooo delicious, I think they are worth the work.

These little guys are light and airy from the brioche-like dough, but with the ham and Gruyere cheese they are still a bit hearty and filling - perfect for a late afternoon or evening cocktail party.  They will fly off the plate as soon as you put them out!  I made these for my nephew's baptism party a few weeks ago and kept a few in my freezer for Mark and I to enjoy later!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
1 cup (8 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese plus 36, 1/2 inch cubes of Gruyere cheese
Pastry bag with a 1/2-inch star tip

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Bring butter, salt and water to a boil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally to melt the butter.  
3. Add flour and whisk until incorporated.  Continue to cook, whisking until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.  (About 1 - 2 minutes)  Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for 1 - 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon.  It's important to incorporate each egg before adding the next. 
5. Stir in pepper, ham and shredded cheese and combine well.
6. Spoon dough into pastry bag with a 1/2 inch star tip.  Pipe 1-2 inch wide rosettes onto cookie sheets.  
7. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes - push a cube of Gruyere cheese into the center of each rosette and continue baking another 5 - 10 minutes until rosettes are crisp and browned.
8. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
9. Freeze in an airtight container (or large freezer bags) up to 6 weeks.
10. To serve: preheat oven to 425 F.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake until heated through - about 8 - 10 minutes.  Serve warm and watch them disappear!

Homemade Soup Day!

Did you know that February 4th is "Homemade Soup Day"?  I had no idea, but since there is a day, week and month for just about everything that doesn't surprise me.  And what better day of the year for it?  As I look out into my backyard, with a fresh cover of the fluffy white stuff, a steaming bowl of homemade soup sounds really good right now! 

Pasta Fagioli has become one of my all time favorite soups - to make and to eat!  It's not a soup I grew up eating, and I'm not sure where I first came across it, but it's quick and relatively simple to make and one of my husband's favorites.  (He also tells me that his Italian Grandmothers would have loved it, so that makes me feel good and like I got this one exactly right!) 

This is a classic recipe that I didn't get from a cookbook or magazine - I'm not sure where it came from originally and honestly I've modified and adjusted it so much at this point I'm claiming it as mine. 

4 oz. diced Pancetta (or 4-6 slice bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 - 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium if using canned)
2 cans (15 oz.) white beans, (I use Cannellini but Great Northern would work too) rinsed well and drained
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (yes, I use canned tomatoes - you can't get the flavor from fresh, especially this time of year!
1 cup Ditalini pasta (or elbow macaroni)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

1.  In a large, heavy saucepan cook Pancetta over medium heat until crispy.  Add the onion and garlic and stir until the onion is soft.  Try not to let the onion or garlic brown.

2.  Add the celery, carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes

3.  Stir in the white beans, tomatoes and herbs and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

4.  Add the pasta and cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. 

5.  Thin the soup with a little more broth if it is too thick.  Stir in parsley and spoon into bowls.  Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and serve with a nice crusty piece of Italian bread.  

Even if you have never made soup from scratch, I think this is one anyone can do.  It takes about 30 - 40 minutes, but a lot of that time is just letting it simmer on the stove.  The chopping is minimal and it doesn't have to be exact.  I do use canned beans and tomatoes.  For the beans - I've made my own from dried and if I happen to have some in the freezer I'll use those, but canned are perfectly fine once you've rinsed them really well to get rid of some of the excess salt.  I also use canned tomatoes.  They taste the best to me.  I also know they have been picked and canned when they are really ripe so you are getting some of the best tomatoes out there.  (Disclosure, I used to work for Del Monte Foods, so I have a little inside knowledge about how and when they are canned)  You can use the No Added Salt if that is your preference and if you happen to be someone who cans their own tomatoes - go for it!  I just know, this time of year, canned are absolutely the best tasting available and it's all I will use. 

Enjoy!

Date Nut Bread

I'll have to admit that dates are not one of my favorites.  Yes, they are super good for you - high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants, but they just never did it for me.  Still, for some reason I had a bag of them sitting in my pantry, and since I was getting tired of oatmeal for breakfast, I decided to try Ina Garten's Date Nut Spice Bread from her "Back to Basics" cookbook.  This is one of my favorite "on the shelf" books and everything I've made from it turns out perfectly!  I adapted this recipe a bit primarily because of what I had in my pantry but I don't think I lost anything with the changes I made - wow was it good!

Chop and macerate 2 cups of dates with 1/3 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec (I substituted Grand Marnier, another Orange flavored liqueur which works nicely too) and let them sit for about a half hour.  It's important to give these enough time macerating in the liqueur so you get that wonderful flavor!

While the dates are macerating, get your pan buttered and floured and pull all the rest of your ingredients together.  A note about buttering and flouring....I used to think buttering the pan, putting parchment paper down and then buttering and flouring the pan was overkill.  But after a number of stuck loaves I realize the wisdom - I never have any trouble getting my cakes or breads out of the pan when I do this so take the extra time and don't skip this step.  

Sift 2 cups of all purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg  and 1/4 tsp cloves.  Add the zest from one orange (all I needed for the Tablespoon of zest) and 3/4 cup orange juice.  I only needed 2 navel oranges for the juice.  (also, as Ina points out - make sure you zest the orange before you squeeze the juice out!)

Then cream 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 4 Tbsp unsalted, softened butter (the recipe called for light brown sugar but after all my holiday baking I was out and the dark brown sugar worked perfectly well - I think it even gave it a little richer flavor.)    Add 1 egg,1 tsp. vanilla extract and the orange zest.   Once those are well mixed add the flour and spices alternately with the orange juice (2 additions of each) and blend them until just mixed.  Then stir in those lovely macerated dates and about a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. (I substituted walnuts for pecans)

Pour it into the loaf pan and place it in the preheated 350F oven on the middle rack and let it bake for about 50 minutes.

The result - a dark and rich slice of spiced bread that is perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon or will be wonderful on a cold winter morning for breakfast. (and doesn't this photo make you want to cozy up to the fire with a good book and a slice of this bread?!)  The bonus - fiber from the dates, only one egg and only 4 Tbsp of butter make it a pretty good choice and something that is sure to fill me up.  (You could probably cut the butter back a little if you want and not miss it.  I may try that next time.)

Note:  Ina also has a recipe for an orange cream cheese spread to go with it, but I thought the bread had enough flavor on it's own and was nice and moist.  And, after all the holiday extravagance, I decided my husband and I didn't need the extra calories and fat - I'll save that for company!

This recipe is going to now be one of my favorites! Thanks Ina!

What are your favorite quick breads?