Disney’s Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana French Toast

• 

This is not a copycat recipe but a recipe from Disney’s PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel at Disneyland. I would like to thank my sweet friend Elizabeth Sausville for finding this recipe and sharing it with me. When I first read the recipe, I thought it would be more like bread pudding but I changed my mind after I ate it. Definitely breakfast. And don’t make the powdered sugar and chocolate syrup optional, use both! I used my Copycat Saunder’s Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge syrup on this recipe. Delish. Decadent. Fabulous.

• 

Challah Bread

• 

Bread cubes

Ingredients:

Peanut butter, eggs, chocolate milk, cinnamon and salt

8 thick slices of day old challah bread, 1 loaf will do

2 ripe bananas, I used 3 because my bananas were on the small-medium size

1/4 cup chocolate chips, I used milk chocolate, I used 1/2 cup

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

6 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup chocolate milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate syrup and powdered sugar, optional (not optional in my opinion!)

Mix gently until bread has absorbed the egg mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Golden brown, right out of the oven.

Cut bread into one inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Slice bananas into 1/2 inch slices and add to bowl. Stir in chocolate chips.

Combine peanut butter, eggs, chocolate milk, cinnamon and salt in a blender. Process until smooth.

Warm right from the oven.

Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Stir gently until bread cubes have absorbed the egg mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40* minutes or until top is golden brown. I baked mine for 40 minutes, next time it will only be 35 minutes.

With powdered sugar.

Before serving, drizzle with chocolate syrup and dust with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

With powdered sugar and chocolate topping. Highly recommended!

Easy Peasy Homemade Banana Cake

So many times I hear people tell me that they can’t bake or decorate cakes. I wanted to create a recipe so easy, everyone can make this cake and be a rockstar. This is one moist and flavorful banana cake and that was my goal. Mix up the ingredients, cool and spread on the frosting. Easy Peasy.

Look at all of the yummy bananas in this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 large ripe freckled bananas, mashed

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with butter or your favorite baking spray.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In your mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and alternate with buttermilk until all is incorporated together. Mix in bananas. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick of butter, room temperature

1 8 ounce block of cream cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 pound of powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla and combine. Mix in powdered sugar until combined. Frost cake. Cover and store in refrigerator. Set out about 30 minutes before serving. Easy Peasy. Enjoy!

*About buttermilk. Buy it. You cannot make buttermilk with lemon juice or vinegar. You only make sour milk and that my friends is not buttermilk. Buttermilk is the best thing about how delicious this cake is.

Banana Pudding Pie

I remember my Mom cooking banana pudding with sliced bananas on the stove when I was growing up. It came from a box but still a sweet memory. I took that memory and converted it to a homemade Banana Pudding Pie. Simple, delicious and easy to make. My Dad even had seconds, so I know it was good!  

Crust:1 11 ounce box of vanilla wafer cookies

1 sick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush cookies and stir in melted butter. Form a crust in your pie plate. Bake shell for 8 minutes and set aside. 
Pudding Pie Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch 

2 cups of milk, divided 

3 egg yokes, beaten

2 Tablespoons butter

3 bananas sliced 

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan, add sugar, flour and cornstarch and whisk together. Over medium heat, add one cup of milk and whisk, add in egg yokes and butter. Pour in the remaining cup of milk and start adding the sliced bananas. Bring to boil and stir frequently to prevent scorching and burning. Once pudding is very thick, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour in pie shell and refrigerate overnight or until set and firm. Decorate with whip cream. Enjoy!

Barleans Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I was given Barleans Greens Chocolate Silk Powder to try and create a recipe for #Choctoberfest2016 This smoothie is healthy, nutritious and delicious. This product is full fiber and antioxidants. A great meal replacement in the morning or lunch. Perfect for in between meals. You and your kids will love this.

Ingredients:
1 8 ounce container of plain yogurt or vanilla, I used fat-free
1 scoop of Barleans Green Chocolate Silk Powder
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
1 Banana, frozen
1/4 cup milk, whole, low-fat, almond soy, whatever you prefer

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. I use frozen fruit, in this case a frozen banana. Frozen fruit will thicken your drink without using ice. Makes 1 delicious smoothie. Enjoy!

*Opinions are strictly my own

Bananas About Banana Walnut Cake

I was asked to make a banana cake with walnuts and cream cheese frosting. I decided to share the recipe with you. The secret to a good moist banana cake is ripe bananas. Try to plan ahead so you have ripe bananas. 
Ingredients:

3 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. 

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5-6 ripe bananas, rough mash (chunky)

1 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts, more for sprinkling on top and around cake if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 nine inch cake pans or 3 eight cake pans with a spray (Bakers Joy) and line with parchment paper. 

Mix sugar and oil together. Blend well until combined. Add eggs one at a time and combine with oil and sugar mixture. Blend in vanilla. 

Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I usually blend in a third of the flour mixture at a time. Once the dry and wet ingredients are combined, stir in your mashed bananas. Lastly add your walnuts. I like to toast mine for a few minutes either in a skillet on the stove or under the broiler. It really brings out the flavor in the walnuts but this is completely optional. Just be careful not to burn them because burned walnuts do not taste good. Bake for  25 – 35 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. It all depends on what size cake pan you use. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, room temperature 

2 sticks of butter, room temperature 

3 teaspoons of vanilla

2 pounds of powdered sugar 10x is what I use 

Blend cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar or you will be wearing it. Don’t ask me how I know!  😉  Frost cake and enjoy. Keep refrigerated and take out 20-30 minutes before serving. 

I Can’t Believe It’s A Blueberry Smoothie

I recently did a smoothie recipe using Dole Packaged Foods. I had not made a smoothie for a long time. Now I seem to be in a smoothie kick lately. New year, healthy me. This smoothie can definitely be a meal replacement will all of the healthy ingredients.  My secret to a good thick smoothie is using frozen fruit. No need for ice that will water down your drink. Lastly, put liquid (yogurt, milk or juice) in first. Liquid needs to be by the blades of your blender for smooth blending!

  
Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk (use soy, almond, skim, etc)

1 6-8 ounce container of yogurt, I used Greek for protein (or throw in a scoop of protein powder)

1 small banana, fresh or frozen 

1 cup of raw baby spinach, I usually grab a handful out of the bag

1/2 cup frozen pineapple*

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries*

  
Layer the above ingredients in your blender in that order. My blender has a smoothie setting, if you’re does not, blend/pulse till smooth. This recipe makes a delicious recipe and I promise you, you will not taste the the spinach. In fact, this smoothie tastes like a blueberry milkshake. It’s delicious, nutritious and very filling. Hard to believe this has protein, fruit, dairy and vegetables and it hits almost every mark on the food pyramid. 

  

Finished product and no sign of green spinach, which is tasteless in this smoothie.  
*If you do not have a smoothie option on your blender, partially thaw your fruit in order not to damage your blender blade. 

Tropical Strawberry Protein Smoothie

I absolutely love smoothies.  I love the fact that they are so healthy and refreshing. Simple healthy ingredients along with your blender create delicious nutritious drink. My smoothie was made from Dole Fresh Frozen Strawberries and Dole Fresh Frozen Pineapple, Dole bananas,  Dole Pineapple Juice and low fat yogurt. Easy, simple, just plain delicious!  At “Live on Green”, people from all over the country will be treated to 100,000 square feet of free entertainment, activities, including food ideas from Ally of What’s for Dinner? Ally’s Kitchen on stage near the Dole Bistro. #DoleRose #DolePackagedFoods #LiveOnGreen #TournamentOfRoses 
2 cups Dole frozen strawberries, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 cups of Dole Frozen Pineapple, plus more for garnish

2 Dole bananas, fresh or from frozen*

2 6 ounce low fat vanilla yogurts

1 6 ounce can of Dole pineapple juice**

1 scoop whey protein powder, optional

In a blender combine the above ingredients. No need to add ice since the fruit is frozen, it will be cold, thick and delicious not to mention healthy. Blend until smooth.

 
 *If I have bananas starting to get too ripe before I can use them, I will peel them and place them in a freezer bag in my freezer.

**If you find the smoothie too thick for your liking, add more pineapple juice.
Makes enough to share with a friend. Enjoy!

Nutty About Banana Muffins

I love muffins. I love banana walnut muffins. You will be nutty over this recipe that is full of banana flavor and packed with nuts. 
  
Ingredients:

4 Bananas, put 2 in mixer, 2 in a bowl that have been roughly mashed

3/4 stick butter, melted 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of chopped walnuts

  
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Put dry ingredients in a bowl,  flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Whisk together and set aside. 
Peel 2 bananas and place in mixer. Blend until smooth. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in brown sugar and add vanilla. Add melted butter that has cooled. 
Add dry ingredients. Blend and stir in roughly mashed bananas and walnuts.  Fill muffin liners about halfway full. Bake for 18 minutes or until done. I yielded 18 muffins from this recipe. They freeze well and if you share with a friend, they will love you forever. 😊  Enjoy.

  

  

Going Ape Over Banana Pudding Cake

I love banana cake, banana pudding and I knew eventually I would make a cake using the banana desserts I love.  I admit, I am Going Ape Over Banana Pudding Cake!  

Welcome to March Madness!

Cake Ingredients:

 3 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 cups sugar 

1 cup of vegetable oil 

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

3 eggs, extra large or jumbo 

6 large ripe bananas, roughly mashed, you should have some chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the pans with grease and flour, I use a professional spray product similar to Bakers Joy. Line both pans with parchment paper and also coat parchment paper with with grease and flour or spray. 

Whisk dry ingredients together.  Add oil, vanilla, eggs and mashed bananas. Do not over mix. Divide batter between two pans and bake for 30 -35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool completely before filling and frosting. 

 Banana Mousse Filling:

 1 8 ounce block of cream cheese 

 1 box of instant banana cream pudding

 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream 

In a mixing bowl that has been chilled for 30 minutes, beat cold cream cheese until smooth. Add banana pudding  and blend. Pour in heavy whipping cream and blend until thick. Refrigerate until you are ready to fill your cake. 

 Whip Cream frosting Ingredients:

 2 – 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese 

2 teaspoons of vanilla 

 12 ounces of heavy whipping cream 

3 cups of powdered sugar, or more if you want a sweeter whip cream taste

1 box of vanilla wafers

In a chilled mixing bowl, beat cold cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and pour in heavy whipping cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add powder sugar. Frost cake and add vanilla wafer cookies from top to bottom all over the sides of the cake. Keep cake and any leftovers refrigerated.

The Elvis Cake

You all are “Always On My Mind” when I create a new recipe. This Saturday, August 16, we sadly said goodby to The King, Elvis 37 years ago. I know you might be “All Shook Up” when I tell you I wasn’t an Elvis fan growing up. “Don’t Be Cruel”, I was young with a “Wooden Heart”. “That’s All Right”, you will “Love Me Tender” after tasting “A Big Hunk O’ Love” Elvis Banana Cake With Whipped Cream Frosting and Peanut Butter Ganache. I guarantee you will not “Return To Sender” if you have any leftovers. “Don’t Cry Daddy”, I saved you a slice! Until next recipe, I will “Viva Las Vegas”. And now you know, I am “The Devil In Disguise”.

Cake Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, extra large or jumbo
6 large ripe bananas, roughly mashed, you should have some chunks

Whip Cream frosting Ingredients:
2 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese
2 teaspoons of vanilla
12 ounces of whipping cream
3 cups of powdered sugar, or more if you want a sweeter whip cream taste

Peanut Butter Ganache Ingredients:
10 ounce bag of peanut butter chips
Heavy Whipping Cream 4-6 ounces (you want to be able to pour it on your cake)

Cake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 parchment lined 8″ cake pans. This will give you a tall cake like I have pictured. You may also use 9″ pans for a shorter cake. In a bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.

In your mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well. Alternate bananas and flour mixture, ending up with flour. Before each addition, scrape down sides of mixing bowl. Divide equally between your three pans. Bake for 25 -35 minutes (depending on pan size) when tested in center if cake is done. Cool in pans for 15, remove from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Whip Cream Frosting Instructions:
Chill mixing bowl and attachment in refrigerator for 20 minutes minimum. Whip 2 chilled (not room temperature) cream cheese blocks. Add vanilla. Mix well. Add powdered sugar and blend well. Add heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks have formed. Frost cooled cake.

Ganache Instructions:
Microwave bag of peanut butter chips in a microwave safe measuring cup. Use a measuring cup with a spout so you can pour ganache on cake. Check and stir chips every 30 seconds until completely melted. Add heavy cream to melted chips. You want it thin enough to pour but not flood the cake. Cool to room temperature. Place cake in freezer for 15 minutes before pouring ganache on top of cake. Do not leave cake in freezer longer than 15 minutes or ganache will seize up and not spread over cake. Please keep cake refrigerated due to the whip cream frosting.

This cake was truly a labor of love to make. It has a big bold natural banana flavor. The whipped cream icing does not compete with the cake or ganache. Whoever you serve this cake to, “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”. I have grown up, I now appreciate Elvis and his music. Enjoy!