Not Just Your Grammy's Banana Nut Bread

It turns out love is not the only secret ingredient in my Grammy’s Banana Nut Bread—homemade buttermilk is. My beloved Grammy has been making me her famous banana nut bread since I can remember. After years of being convinced that the only thing that made it taste so good was the love she put into making it, I have finally learned that adding buttermilk does the trick as well.

I have tried what seems like every banana bread under the sun (meaning everything from the Starbucks "banana nut loaf" to all local bakeries) and I have never found one to be as moist and satisfying as this is. It has the perfect banana-to-walnut ratio, which gives it a sweet taste and a great crunch. Eating it right out of the oven makes me feel like I’m getting a hug from my Grammy herself. It is a great snack, but also makes a lovely breakfast when paired with a warm cup of tea. Sometimes Grammy would replace the walnuts for chocolate chips for some extra added sweetness and love, so feel free to do so yourself! 

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of mashed bananas (which is about 2 ½ very ripe bananas)

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup of chopped walnuts

To make the buttermilk:

½ cup of milk

2 teaspoons white vinegar

(Let it sit for about 15 minutes)

First cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and then add them to the mixture. Next add the homemade buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, flour, bananas (use very ripe ones and mash them with a fork), and walnuts and mix well. Grease and flour the loaf pan and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for one hour until the knife comes out clean. 

Effortless Birthday Bliss

Not everybody has the time and energy to make a decadent ten-layer chocolate cake, iced with chocolate ganache and topped with sprinkles for their best friend’s birthday. These no-bake Funfetti Truffles are a quick and efficient alternative that will still make your best friend’s day extra sweet. They take about 20 minutes to make, and then you can just let them sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to give them to the honorary birthday girl or boy.  

The outside appearance of these Pintrest inspired cake balls resembles a party all on its own.  The rainbow sprinkles and drizzled milk chocolate against the white chocolate looks irresistible, but biting into one might be even better. They taste just like funfetti cake batter, who doesn’t love that?

These truffles are not just limited to birthday occasions. Add different colored festive sprinkles (like red and green for Christmas) when you know you won’t have a lot of time to prepare something during those stressful and chaotic holiday's. 

In order to make these effortless truffles you will need:

1 cup Pillsbury funfetti cake mix, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons milk

In order to make the outside look like an edible celebration you will need:

Rainbow sprinkles, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, 1 box of Baker’s premium white chocolate baking squares

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl and then scoop the mixture into balls (any size you desire) and place them on to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place the balls in the fridge while you melt your white chocolate baking squares. 

Take the balls out of the fridge and dip each one into the white chocolate using a spoon so that they become fully coated. Once all the balls are fully coated and placed back on to the baking sheet, drizzle them with the Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Add the finishing touches by showering the balls with rainbow sprinkles, and enjoy!

Maple Madness

I wake up most mornings wishing I had time to start my day off right by making myself a gourmet breakfast complete with warm, fluffy pancakes dripping in maple syrup and a side of fresh fruit (and by fresh fruit I shamefully mean bacon). Being a college student and feeling the need to sleep as late as I possibly can has denied me of that one small joy in life. Most days I run out the door disheveled with some form of energy bar in hand. These energy bars are not satisfying to say the least, and they especially do not provide the same comforting feeling that warm thick maple syrup can give you.

Because I couldn’t stand the thought of eating another breakfast in the shape of a condensed square, I decided that muffins would be a great grab-and-go alternate. I ambitiously also wanted something that could incorporate my gourmet morning fantasies. I finally settled on making Maple Oatmeal Muffins.

I was incredibly pleased with how easy they were to make and how well they came out. Although some people (like myself) hear the word oatmeal and immediately think of a bland and boring taste, these muffins were far from dull. The maple syrup that is infused with the granola definitely gives these muffins a delightfully sweet flavor, but it is the maple glaze on top that really brought my breakfast fantasies to life.

I also chose to add in walnuts and raisins for some extra sweetness and a little crunch, but I encourage you to get adventurous and add anything you would like into the mix—including apples, blueberries, pumpkin, peanut butter, and yes, even bacon if your looking for a more savory taste.  

This recipe calls for the following ingredients and bakes at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes:

1 cup of old fashioned Quaker Oats

½ cup of milk

¾ cup of maple syrup

¼ butter

1 egg

1 cup of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

A handful of walnuts and raisins

For the maple glaze, whisk together the follow ingredients and then drizzle it on top:

¼ cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of confectioner’s sugar