Chocolate Banana Bread

Nothing makes me think of home more than banana bread. Silly, I know, but it's my favorite comfort food and I spent most of my life thinking my mom invented it (that and graham crackers).  When I was little, my mom and I would play board games and on special days she would give me a piece of freshly baked banana bread. That feeling of comfort and excitement has stuck with me through the years and now that I am a mom, it makes me think of all the little things our moms have done throughout our lives that have had such a lasting impact on us. My mom did a million different things every day that turned 4 little babies into 4 strong, happy, confident women.  It's a feat that I don't take lightly now that the challenge is upon me, and I only hope that I can live up to the same accomplishment.

And with Mother's day approaching, it also made me reflect on her mother, my grandmother, who we lost this year at the grand old age of 97. She was a bright, fiery spirit that I admired my whole life. She was a strong, witty, outspoken and independent woman, who even in her final months very seriously claimed that 'God must have forgotten about her.' But nobody could have forgotten Georgia Carr; she was a woman who we all knew was special and we didn't need her passing to remind us.

The truth is I always wanted to be as extraordinary as my grandma, but it looks like I'm not going to be. I know this because by the time she was my age, she had literally been involved in the prisoner liberation in Dachau, Germany at the end of World War II, when the concentration camps and POWs were released into the streets.  I giggle even as I type that because it's so unbelievable - she was in her early 20s and accomplishing such big, worldly things.  She was a proud member of the Red Cross and served soldiers during WWII in Austria, Germany, and England. This was an extraordinary thing for a woman in that time, but she carried this passion and determination with her throughout her entire life.  She was the first person to swim all the way across the Detroit Lakes in Minnesota (at the age of 15). She took flying lessons because she wanted to learn to fly a plane. She graduated from college with a teaching degree in math and phy ed. Once her 5 children were born, she was a Scout leader, PTA president, UNICEF volunteer, and church leader. At her funeral, I was so touched by the clear impact she had on members of the church; her old pastor came back to give the sermon and so many women came to help with the lunch and talked about Georgia's impact. 

She also had a fun, competitive streak. As kids, we never once won a game of scrabble or checkers against her (why on earth would she let us win, she would ask my mom).  She was part of a bridge club that was far less about socializing and eating/drinking with other women, and much more about winning. My grandma had a spark, a determination about her; And as amazing as her time in the Red Cross was along with her other accomplishments of swimming, flying, and a college degree in the mid 1900s, it's her lifelong activism that really inspires me. I feel like once she settled down, married my grandfather and had 5 kids of her own..she still managed to make an ordinary life extraordinary. Her leadership in her kids' activities and schools, in the church, volunteering..and still finding time to have fun (sort of) with the bridge club. That's what I find truly awe inspiring; to maintain that level of passion and activism with everything you do, quite literally from WWII to the PTA. She was one of a kind, truly. We could all be a little bit more like Georgia, and if her funeral taught me anything, it's that I need to get moving. 

So happy mother's day to all the moms and grandmas out there. It's a holiday that is truly deserved..and a time to feel proud of what we do and the little people that we are molding into big people - hopefully happy, content, and full of life.  

And while my mom may not have invented banana bread, the fact that I thought she did for so many years really says it all. She was a supermom who made everything great; from games of Trouble to school lunches to our family dinners that I am now trying my best to replicate. The impact both my grandma and my mom had on me is clear; now fingers crossed I can do the same for my own children.

And on that note, onto the recipe. Banana bread, but with chocolate, so hopefully my boys will think I invented it.

Recipe

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 medium bananas
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a bread pan.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer. Add the egg and vanilla.  Mix together the baking powder, soda, flour, and cocoa powder in one bowl, and mash the bananas and milk in another. Add a little of the flour mixture to the butter mix, then add a little of the banana, alternating until all is incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and bake for about 45 minutes.

Banana Bread for Two

People warned me before I got married that I would inevitably find out traits about my husband that  I didn't like, that I didn't know existed. In my soon-to-be-newlywed bliss (and ignorance), I thought no way! That can't be true! 

But after we returned from our honeymoon, about 3 weeks into our marriage, my worst nightmare came true. I got up early one Saturday morning, made my coffee, and decided - I'll make my banana bread and bring some to John in bed! He'll love me! I'm such a domestic person! I made it, let it cool down to a nice warm melty temperature, topped with a little butter, and brought it upstairs with a napkin. His response? "Thanks, but I don't really like banana bread."

A small part of me died that day.  But I had to move forward, forge on. So now I do one of two things: I either make a loaf of banana bread and freeze the leftovers, or I make this recipe which is just enough for two people. Or two days worth of banana bread for one person. Or one day's worth if you want two muffins.

Recipe

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 small ripe mashed banana
• 1 tablespoon beaten egg (beat egg in a cup, and do your best to get ~1T.)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ~1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• Dash vanilla
• Dash salt
• Handful of chocolate chips or nuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together. If you need help mixing in the banana, heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds and it will mash right up with a fork. Divide into two greased muffin tins, and bake for about 22-25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Rolls

How is that photo for artsy? Artsy, or, that was the only photo I could find with evidence of the sweet potato rolls. Sorry guys.

Growing up, our family dinners ALWAYS included one thing: bread. Or carbs, as some call it. Bread, dinner rolls, popovers, etc were a staple in our family since my birth and I'm pretty sure it's part of our DNA. I looooooove love love it. In fact, I never even started using butter until a few years ago. I like bread so much I prefer to eat it plain.  And if a dinner doesn't include bread, my stomach shrinks into nothing and I pretty much die of hunger afterwards.

But, the real star amongst all of the dinner rolls/breads/popovers in our family has been my mom's sweet potato rolls. Every Thanksgiving, we had these. So I had to continue the tradition and include them in my Thanksgiving dinner this year as well. 

Now, when I asked my mom if these were hard she replied, 'No! Really easy!!.'  I was thrilled, it seemed too good to be true. And it was.  Not that these are necessarily super difficult, but when she sent me the recipe the generational difference was glaringly obvious.  To me, 'really easy' means 3 ingredients, no mixer, no rising, and under 20 minutes. Maybe even the inclusion of some kind of pre-made mix.  To my mom, I think 'really easy' must mean no grinding your own grain and churning your own butter. 

These are not 'really easy!' .  They're not hard, either, but they're not 'really easy.'  Love this recipe all the same and will make them forever.

Recipe

• 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1/4 cup warm water 
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 6 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
• 1 cup milk, room temp
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4.5-5 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan, and boil until fork tender. Drain and mash.

Using a standing mixer, whisk together the water, yeast and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the potatoes, milk, 1 stick melted butter, and salt. Slowly mix in the flour to create a slightly sticky dough. Transfer dough to a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until it doubles in size - about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400.  Punch the dough down, and line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll dough into 2-3 inch balls and drop on the baking sheets. Brush with remaining melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.

Applesauce Bread with Cinnamon Swirl

I have had a life long obsession with these applesauce muffins that my mom used to make, and I find most Sunday mornings I wake up wanting one.  But, making the same thing every weekend doesn't make for good blogging material, now does it? I added a few twists this past weekend, and %$%^ $$%#. Pardon my language, but this was good.  So moist, great flavor, loved the cinnamon swirl. In fact next time I might add two swirls.

Recipe

• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup original applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Cinnamon Swirl

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugars together. Add the buttermilk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix into the sugar mixture, just until combined.  Prepare the cinnamon swirl in a separate bowl.

Grease a 5x9 bread pan, and pour in half of the batter. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl on top, then add  the rest of the bread batter. Loosely cover with aluminum foil (the bread rises quite a bit, so make sure you tent it). Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover the foil and bake for 10-15 more.  If your bread rises into you aluminum foil like mine did and ripped off the top when you removed it - don't panic. Baking uncovered the last 10 minutes will undo most of the damage. Mine is gone already, shoot.

Manchego and Sea Salt Popovers

Popovers, in my mind, are the perfect bread. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and fun to look at. Add cheese, and they're even better. I just made my standard old popover recipe, but sprinkled cubes of Manchego cheese and a pinch of sea salt on them before popping them in the oven.

Recipe (serves 6)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• ~24 small cubes of Manchego cheese (about 1/2 in each)
• Sea Salt

Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a popover pan with Pam. Mix the flour, milk, eggs, and butter in a bowl. Pour the batter into 6 popover cups. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and 4 cubes of Manchego cheese on top of each one.  Bake for about 30 minutes (check around 25).

Cheesy Popovers

If you don't know I love popovers by now, you don't know me at all. I love the taste, I love the texture, I love the ease of making them, I love all the different butters you can top them with, and I love them at Neiman Marcus Cafe for lunch.

I wanted to make them for dinner last Sunday, and simultaneously realized we had an excessive amount of shredded cheese in our refrigerator. It only made sense to do what I did: Cheesy Popovers. Just like the original, but with cheese. Yum.


Recipe

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk (whole is best but not required)
• 1-2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a popover pan. Beat the eggs in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients. Bake for about 30 minutes without opening the door (though I do usually check via the oven light around 20-25 minutes). Serve immediately - popovers should always be served right out of the oven!

Cheese Puffs

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.  Of course in her book, she uses the proper French name for these little puffs of heaven - Gougeres. However, my French 101 is failing me and that word annoys me....mainly because I don't know how to pronounce it. Also because if I had a dinner party and served these (which is highly likely due to their deliciousness) - I would feel downright silly telling someone that I was serving rib eye, mashed potatoes, and gougeres. So, I'm going with cheese puffs, because that's what they are. Cheesy, puffy little delicious rolls. So easy and more exciting than a plane jane dinner roll. 

Recipe

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated cheese - gruyere or cheddar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Bring the milk water, butter, and salt to a rapid boil over high heat. Add the flour, reduce the heat to medium-low, and whisk aggressively to blend. The dough will start to come together, and a thin crust will form on the bottom of the pan. Continue whisking vigorously for another minute or two to dry out the dough. Transfer the dough ball to the bowl of a standing mixer. Let it sit for a few minutes, then add the eggs one by one, beating each one thoroughly before adding the next. Finally, beat in the cheese. I used cheddar because I love it. 

Drop the dough in rounded tablespoons (or a bit larger if you like) onto the lined baking sheets, a couple inches apart. 

Place the baking sheets in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 (it is best to bake them all right away, but if your oven can't fit both sheets, bake in batches). Bake for about 24-27 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are puffed and golden brown.

I served these at dinner a few Sundays ago and they were a hit, but what I did with these little puffs the following Monday was truly cooking innovation at its best. I cut a little slit in the end of a cheese puff, stuffed it with pizza sauce and a little parmesan, and microwaved it for about 30 seconds. It was like a little mini french calzone - and soo soo wonderful. Impressive, I know. It's shocking I don't have any cookbook deals lined up.

Popovers

My favorite place to eat lunch is the Neiman Marcus cafe due to the giant popovers they serve with strawberry butter. I have never met a popover I did not like.  I make them quite frequently now; they are easy, delicious, and sort of impressive-looking.


Recipe:


1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together all ingredients in a mixing bowl. These turn out best if everything is at room temperature.  Grease the cups of the popover pan and pour the batter into each cup so they are about 1/2 - 3/4 full.  The key to successful popovers is baking them in a very hot oven. Do not peek. Bake for exactly 35 minutes.

Serve immediately.