Becca's Amazing Banana Bread Recipe

Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
*1/2 cups brown sugar

Wet Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 large eggs
2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3-5, depending on the size - the best bananas are those just on the brink of going rotten)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 TBL vanilla

Streusel Nut Topping

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 block softened butter
2/3 cup chopped almonds (optional)

0. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
1. Grease (and optionally flour) 3 small loaf pans or 2 larger ones.
2. Stir & toss together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) then set it aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the wet ingredients (butter, sugar, eggs and bananas) until well blended.
4. Add the combined dry ingredients with a hand mixer until batter is thoroughly blended.
5. Pour into loaf pans (or muffin tins).
6. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you want, stir in the almonds. Sprinkle this on top of the loaves or muffins before baking.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 350˚F for 55-65 minutes for loaf pans, 15-20 minutes for muffins.
8. Check center for doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's ready. Remove from oven then let cool for 5 minutes before inverting.

Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar and Soy Sauce

This recipe is one of my favorites to make when I have the money to buy salmon from Costco. I like to make it for dinner groups or other formal social events. Thanks goes to my mom for sending me the written recipe.

Serves two.

1 lb. salmon fillet, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup butter, melted

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 green onions, chopped

Pam spray or olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse and pat dry salmon. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with Pam or lightly coat with olive oil. Place salmon skin side up. Bake in 325 degree oven for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, in small microwaveable bowl, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and soy sauce, mixing until well blended. After 12 minutes, remove salmon from oven. Remove the skin (it will come off easily) and turn the fillet over. With a large spoon, spread brown sugar sauce completely over salmon. Return salmon to oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Spoon some of the brown sugar sauce back up on the salmon and place under the broiler for 2 minutes to caramelize. Top with chopped green onions.

*This recipe is one that my mom adapted from Don Ryther, Salmon Expert.

The Best Chocolate Chip Brownies

This is the last brownie recipe I'll ever need. I’ve tried lots of brownie recipes: Boxes, scratch, frosting, nuts, chips, and fudge. Each of them has something to like, but depending on my mood I might want a change of pace. Not any more. I found this recipe on my weblog meanderings, and it’s perfect. I’m done looking. This is the brownie recipe that I’ll use from now on - when I have the mullah.

Ingredients

1½ cups sugar
¾ cup flour
¾ cup cocoa powder (see note below)
3 eggs
¾ cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see note below)

Nutella COOL WHIP Popsicles

Makes 3 popsicles

• 1 cup COOL WHIP
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. Nutella

Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until blended, then pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for a few hours, then enjoy.

Banana Nutella Popsicles

Ingredients for approx. 8 servings

• 1 cup of Nutella
• 6 Bananas

That's it. You can add cinnamon or cocoa powder if you want but it isn't needed. Throw the two ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend till very smooth. Pour into Freezer safe container (or posicle forms, I recommend small, the ones I used hold a little over 1/3 cup). Impatiently wait for it to freeze then devour.

Danish Pastry

Ingredient List:

• ½ Cup Warm Water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 3 Packages of yeast – not fast rising
• 1 Cup Cold Milk
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 ½ to 5 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 pound butter – one pound block is easiest – never soft butter or marg.

Steps:

1. Soften yeast in ½ C warm water – see above.
2. Beat milk and eggs together, add yeast/water mix, sugar and flour until well mixed.
3. Place dough out floured board/ counter and knead until smooth and feels like a baby’s bottom – firm yet springy.
4. Beat butter block between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle about 3/8th inch thick (approx) using a rolling pin or meat mallet.
5. Roll out dough, keeping well floured, into large rectangle (16x24” approx).
6. Place butter block in the middle and fold dough ‘s two side flaps over the butter so that the original rectangle is now in thirds.
7. Turn dough/butter block over and roll and fold three more times.
8. Last time, roll out large and cut in half.
9. Fold each of these in thirds, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour or freeze for later use.
10. One at a time, roll out dough thin. Use ruler to measure for an even amount of squares.
11. Cut along ruler with sharp knife.
12. Press corners of squares to center. – Can freeze here also
13. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes
14. Dot middle with ¼ tsp jam ASAP after removing from oven so that it can melt in.
15. Frost with powdered sugar, water, almond extract glaze. (see below)
1. Ratio: 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2. 2-3 TBSP Milk – any kind – or water
3. ¼ tsp Almond Extract or to taste