Banana Upside-Down Cake

I really don't like over ripe bananas, so I'm always looking for ways to use them up. Tonight I was scavenging the pantry and found nothing readily available but 4 over ripe bananas. So I decided I would actually have to put some effort into my sugar hunt. So here is the fruit of my quest for sugar. Caramelized bananas and pecans over a heavy cake, almost like a pudding. And all of it jam packed with bananas.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1/2 cup pecan halves 2 medium bananas. sliced CAKE: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 TBSP  cold butter or margarine 2 medium bananas, mashed or roughly chopped 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2 eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and butter; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook without stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a greased 9-in. springform pan. (Make sure it seals. And just to be safe put a cookie sheet under it.) Arrange pecans on top with flat side up. (I just chopped them roughly and sprinkled them in) Pour remaining lemon juice into a small bowl; add bananas and stir carefully. Drain. Arrange bananas in a circular pattern over the pecans; set aside. in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine bananas, yogurt, eggs, lemon peel and vanilla; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon over bananas. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert cake onto a serving plate.

Banana Lassi

I hate old bananas. Once they've lost their green I think they taste really awful, which is a problem when you buy your own bananas and can't depend on your siblings to eat them for you. Luckily my roommate has a magic bullet (think little tiny single person smoothie blender) and while playing with my old bananas I came up with this recipe which I've been craving every night since I made it. I call it banana lassi after it's more traditional cousin from India.

Ingredients-
1 banana
1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt
a dollop of honey ( usually I just drizzle as much honey in there as I can fit on a spoon....than lick the spoon)

Blend. Drink. Rejoice in your potassium and calsium filled creation.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

One cup creamy peanut butter
One cup white sugar
One teaspoon baking powder
One egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream the peanut butter and sugar in a bowl.  Beat in the baking powder. Add the egg. Mix until it is all well combined.

The dough will be sticky, so be prepared to get your hands messy. Roll some dough into a ball. (How big? That depends on you. I have found, however, that the smaller these cookies are, the better they hold together. Eat two instead of one!) Roll the ball into white sugar. Line a baking sheet, covered in parchment paper, with sugary balls of dough and press down slightly with a fork.

Bake in the oven for about ten minutes. You will know the cookies are done when they feel coherent, but still a little soft. Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies rest for at least five minutes. Afterwards, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. After ten minutes or so, they will have hardened and be glistening with sugar.

Eat them.

Thanks to glutenfreegirl's blog my gluten free roommate and I are able to cook together. While most recipes are wonderful and taste just like the real thing these cookies are actually better. And easier. As all recipes should be.

Arroz con Leche

• Milk -- 4 cups
• Short-grain rice --1/2 cup
• Cinnamon stick -- 1
• Orange or lemon peel -- 2 strips
• Salt -- pinch
• Raisins -- 1/4 cup
• Sugar -- 1/2- 1/4 cups depending on taste
  
• Butter -- 2 tablespoons
• Vanilla 1 teaspoon

1. Place the milk, rice, cinnamon stick, orange or lemon peel and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce heat to very low and simmer, stirring often and scraping bottom, for about 45 minutes.
2. Add the raisins and sugar and simmer for another 15 minutes. Stir often to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Adjust sugar to taste and serve hot or cold, sprinkling the top with some ground cinnamon.

Notes:
I always skip the raisins and the orange peel (two things I usually don't have). the original recipe called for 1/2 cup sugar, but it was a little sweet for me. This is the way I use up any souring milk in my fridge.

Dutch Apple Pie

• 6 cups sliced, peeled, tart apples
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• dash of salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  
• 2 Tbsp. margarine
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 crust pastry (9”)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in apples. Turn into pastry lined pie plate; dot w/margarine. Cover with crumble topping. Cover edge w/foil; remove foil last 15 min. of baking. Bake until crust and juice begins to bubble around the edge, 40 to 50 min.

Terri's Almond Roca Bars

• 2 c. flour
  
• 1 1/2 c. butter
• 1 3/4 c. brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. chopped almonds
  
• 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Cream 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Add 2 cups flour and press into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup almonds and bake for 10 minutes. In sauce pan combine 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 cup butter and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tsp vanilla and pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Remove from oven and cover with chocolate chips. Spread chips after melting like frosting and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.

Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert

• One small package Oreo’s
• 2 Tblsp. melted butter
• 2 half-gallons peppermint candy ice cream

Crush cookies and add 2 Tblsp melted butter. Press into 9x13 pan. Freeze for 30 minutes or longer. Soften ice cream about 20 minutes. Spread ice cream over crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Serve with whipped topping and chocolate sauce drizzled over it.

Half Moon Cookies

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 3 cups flour

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Beat wet ingredients and sugar together. Add dry ingredients. Scoop 1/4 to 1/3 cup and spread like a pancake on ungreased cookie sheet, 6 cookies at a time. Bake for 11 minutes. Cool, bottom side up on a rack. Frost bottom, 1/2 white, 1/2 dark.

White frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tblsp. milk.
  

For dark: previous ingredients plus 1/4 cup cocoa and a little more milk.

Mitzi's Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Brownie batter:

• 1 c. margarine
• 1/3 c. cocoa
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 c. flour

Cream margarine, cocoa, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour and mix. Set aside.

Cheesecake:

• 2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. sugar
  
• 2 eggs

Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Mix well. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 brownie batter into pan. On top of this drop big spoonfuls of cheesecake and brownie until each batter is used up. Take a utensil and run it through the batters to make a swirl design (don’t mix up to much!) Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until done.

Grandma Jean's Yummy Treat

• 1/2 box Honey Golden Grahams
  
• 1 1/2 c. coconut
• 1/2 box rice Chex
  
• 1 to 2 c. sliced almonds

Mix. In a sauce pan cook:

• 1 c. sugar
  
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 c. corn syrup

Bring to a boil--cook 2 to 3 min. Pour over cereal mixture and stir, mixing well. Spread out on cookie sheets to dry.

Shawna's Snickerdoodles

In a large mixing bowl cream together:

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. margarine or butter

Beat in:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl mix together:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

In a small bowl combine:

• 2 TBSP sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Shape dough into 1"balls roll each one in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place balls 2" apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on rack.

Cinnamon Rolls

Combine:

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
  
• 1 cup warm water
  
• 2 Tblsp. yeast

Let stand. Scald:

• 1 cup milk
  
• 2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 Tblsp. butter

Mix above ingredients into 3 cups of flour. Add:

• 3 beaten eggs
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 6 Tblsp. shortening
  

Directions:

Add 5-6 cups flour until you have soft dough. Let rise ‘til double. Roll out on floured board; spread w/melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up and cut into 2” slices. Place into pan and let rise until double. Bake at 325 degrees. Check at 30 minutes--keep checking until center rolls are done.

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 2 Tblsp. margarine
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1 tsp almond extract
  
• 1 to 2 Tblsp. water

Pecan Pie

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 c. sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 c. dark corn syrup
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup pecan halves
• Pastry for a single crust pie

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat eggs slightly with a rotary beater or fork. Add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved. Stir in corn syrup and melted butter; mix well. Stir in pecan. Place a 9” pie crust on a oven rack; pour in pecan mixture. Do not prick pie crust! Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 min. Remove foil; bake about 25 min. more or until knife inserted off center comes out clean. Cool. Cover; chill to store

Fresh Peach Pie

• 4 c. sliced peaches
  
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. Minute Tapioca
  
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• two 9" pie shells

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix above ingredients in a bowl; let stand 15 min. Fill pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate with fruit mixture. Dot with 1 Tbsp. margarine. Cover pie with top crust; seal and flute edge. Cut several slits to permit steam to escape. Brush crust w/milk and sprinkle w/cinnamon-sugar. Cover edges w/aluminum foil. Take foil off the last 15 min. Bake 1 hr. or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool.

Fresh Pear Pie

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour or Minute tapioca
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  
• 5 c. peeled, sliced, fresh pears
• 9” Pastry for Single crust pie

Directions:

In a large bowl sprinkle pears w/lemon juice. Combine sugar and flour, mix, and add to pears. Toss to coat fruit. Fill pie crust. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pear filling. Cover pie edge with foil; bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 min. Remove foil; bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until pie is bubbly and crust is golden. Cool.

Crumble Topping for Pie

• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
  
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. butter

Directions:

Combine dry topping ingredients; mix well. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pie filling.

Never-fail Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 c. shortening
• 3 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 1 Tblsp. vinegar
  
• 1/4 c. cold water
• 1 egg

Directions:

Cut shortening into flour and salt with a pastry cutter or knife, into 1/4” bits. In a measuring cup add egg and vinegar to the 1/4 c. of cold water; stir together with a fork. Add water mixture to flour mixture and mix together. Makes enough for 3 pie crusts. Be careful not to under bake.