Crepes

Here is my go to recipe for crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup milk

 

 

Banana Bread/Cake

This will definitely be my go to recipe for banana cake from now on.  It's simple, moist, and very tasty.  Awesome.  From here.

Serves 1 x 20cm round cake or 1 x 30cm oblong fluted cake
The recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 24cm round cake tin.


Ingredients

• 125 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 125 grams sugar
• 2 medium bananas, very ripe
• 2 eggs (about 60g each)
• 125 grams plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

•  icing sugar, nutella, or whipped cream for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.  Line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. 
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved.  Cut the bananas into a few pieces and add to the butter and sugar and beat until the banana is fully incorporated into the batter.  Add the eggs and beat well.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the batter, beating until the batter is light and fluffy.  Scoop the batter into the prepared cake tin and level the top.
4. Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 45 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  When cooked, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.  When cool, remove carefully from the tin.
5. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Or serve with whipped cream or nutella

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

 This was great bread! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup warm milk

1/2 cup raisins (I used sultanas)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup palm sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 eggs

1/4 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Topping

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon palm sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 tablespoon butter

Yields 1 loaf

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Combine oats, milk and raisins in bowl, cover, let stand for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line loaf tin with parchment paper.

Beat olive oil and sugar in small bowl until smooth.  Add eggs,  one at a time. Whisk until well incorporated, before adding the next one. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Stir in oat mixture.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

For the topping, combine oats, cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Rub in butter with your finger tips until mixture becomes crumbly. 

Pour cake batter into prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle with topping . Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Read more: http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/2010/10/cinnamon-raisin-oatmeal-cake.html#ixzz1EjlrzqWf

America's test kitchen ultimate banana bread

This really is the ultimate banana bread! Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  Sorry there's no picture this time...

Also, I have new, much better cooking blog here: Mama's Home Cafe


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled (see note)
8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees (180 C).
2. Spray 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
4. Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup liquid).
5. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1⁄4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth.
6. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
7. Slice remaining banana diagonally into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1 1⁄2-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
8. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.
9. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:

• Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe.
• This recipe can be made using 5 thawed frozen bananas; since they release a lot of liquid naturally, they can bypass the microwaving in step 2 and go directly into the fine-mesh strainer.
• Do not use a thawed frozen banana in step 4; it will be too soft to slice. Instead, simply sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar.
• The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8 1⁄2 by 4 1⁄2 inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness five minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.
• The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

Baked oatmeal with fruit

This recipe is extremely yummy!  I found it here and have made a few adjustments.  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups fruit (blueberries, strawberries, banana)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2  large eggs 
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¾ cups butter, divided 
• 2 cups rolled oats (I used quick oats and it was great)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (I forgot this ingredient and it was still good)
• ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 tbsp.  brown sugar

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180 C).
2. Melt butter; pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle fruit and 2 tbsp of brown sugar on top of the butter. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, honey, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. 
5. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. of brown sugar.
6. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes (20 min if you used quick oats), or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk or cream. I topped it with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and it was fantastic!

Blueberry Banana Bread

MMMMMM! Now this is some good eats! It is based on several different banana bread recipes from tastespotting.com and I decided to add blueberries because I just happened to have some. It's super moist and soft and honestly, perfect!
Ingredients:

• 250g plain flour
• 150g regular sugar (I used organic)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• a few grinds of iodized sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 large or 4 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 packet of blueberries
  

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf tin, or line with grease proof paper (I lined with grease proof paper for easier clean up).
   
2. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients - mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bit by bit, just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. Add the blueberries here too. **IMPORTANT: Do not overmix the batter** There should still be traces of flour. Over mixing will result in tough bread.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for 60 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. The bread is easier to slice when it has cooled.
   

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

These are the tastiest muffins EVER! They are from the cookbook "More from Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery." If you've never been to the Magnolia bakery in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, you are missing out! Too bad I live on the other side of the world now! These muffins are soft and fluffy and would be nice for a mid-morning snack. This recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tspn baking powder
• 1/2 tspn baking soda
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 8oz (225 g) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick unsalted butter (115 g)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
• Raspberry jam
  

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
2. Grease and lightly flour muffin tins (I have 2 tins that make 6 muffins each).
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
   
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth.
5. Add the eggs and beat well.
   
6. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins filling them about two-thirds full. Drop 3 small dollops (about a teaspoonful each) of raspberry jam onto the top of each bun (the recipe says to use the tip of a sharp knife, swirl the preserves into the batter, forming a decorative pattern. I had a hard time doing this).
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the centre of the bun comes out clean.
   
8. Allow the buns to cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Yum!
   

p.s. I stole the photo from another blog here, because mine didn't look quite as pretty!!

Banana Pancakes

I had a hankering for some pancakes, so I got this recipe from my mom. They turned out to be the best pancakes ever!! So fluffy and yummy! I made the recipe slightly healthier by adding whole wheat flour. I think next time I might add some cinnamon to the batter!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of flour (use a 1/2 cup and an 1/8 cup each of regular flour and whole wheat flour)
• 2 TB sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups organic whole milk
• 3 TB vegetable oil
• 1 or 2 bananas mashed up (extra ripe!)

What you do:

1. Stir together the flour, sugar, and baking powder with a fork
2. Add egg, milk, and veg oil and stir tobgether. Add more milk as needed until consistency is like really watery oatmeal
3. Stir in the mashed banana(s)
4. Heat frying pan on medium heat and add butter
5. Pour batter on the frying pan and when the bubbles pop, flip them over and cook until done
6. Serve with organic maple syrup and enjoy!!