Banana Cream Pie!

Who doesn't love a good old fashioned banana cream pie? It's always been one of my mom's favorites. With a sweet creamy filling, crunchy graham cracker crust, and smooth, airy whipped cream, it's an easy one to love. Especially this recipe, which has a special ingredient added for the slightest tang.

Lots, and LOTS, of whipped cream,

and the cinnamon-y, sweet, crunchy crust,

and thin, sweet banana coins,

and all that pudding-y filling.

Why, yes, i'll have some. Sure.

Banana Cream Pie

Crust

• 14 graham crackers
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Filling

• 1 pint heavy  cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package (3.4 oz.) vanilla pudding mix
• 1  cup milk
• 1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese (<-- secret ingredient) 
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 
• 1-2 ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. place graham crackers in a gallon sized plastic bag, seal, and crush with a hard flattish object (i use a soap dispenser). in a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs with the rest of the ingredients, adding more water if necessary. when crumbs stick slightly, press into bottom and sides of a pie pan. bake for 8-10 minutes, let cool completely. to make filling, mix together pudding mix and milk (it should be thick and radio active yellow in color). With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until really creamy. with the beater(s) still on, add sweetened condensed milk and pudding. transfer to another bowl, and beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until thick and creamy (a.k.a. whipped cream). fold half of the whip cream into the pudding mixture. set the rest aside.

slice banana(s) into coins. spread a thin layer of filling on the pie crust, and press slices into filling. dump filling into crust and top with remaining whip cream. enjoy! 

Stuffed chocolate chip cookies!

Today me and my friend made stuffed chocolate chip cookies.

You heard me.

Stuffed.

With these

magical

candies.

I used my favorite chocolate cookie recipe:

My favorite chocolate chip cookies

I put a half scoop of dough,  then a square of reese's peanut butter candy or half a fun-sized kit kat ( cut it across instead of on the line), then another half scoop. i used my fingers to pat down the edges of the dough around the candy.

Have fun!

Liebster Award answers

My friend Amy Copperman nominated me for this award, and i have to answer some questions.
Here goes.

Why do you blog?: 

 I blog because I like sharing amazing recipes with my friends and other people.

What is your favorite vegetable?: 

My favorite vegetable is the potato because i absolutely love mashed potatoes, gnocchi (amy taught me how to make this!), and a ton of other potatoey things.

What is your favorite utensil in the kitchen?: 

I'm not sure if a kitchen aid stand mixer counts. i wanted one so much i asked for target gift cards for my bat mitzvah to get one. It's green and amazing. If it doesn't count, i have whisk with a purple rubber gorilla (Jim) inside hanging onto the bars. i love him.

What's your closest grocery store?:

There's an indian grocery store down the street called Not Just Spices, but the closest real grocery store is stop & shop.

What were the last three things you cooked?:

Sugar cookies, banana chocolate chip muffins and peanut butter cookies.

Are you a baker or more of a savory cook?:

I'm a baker but i cook sometimes.

Chocolate desserts vs. fruit desserts, discuss.:

Ooh, hard. I'm a total choclaholic, but sometimes all you want is something like banana cream pie. I'd have to go with chocolate though. between smores pie, chocolate roll cake, banana chocolate chip muffins, and mint chocolate cupcakes (I could go on), chocolate just has too much going for it.

Where is your favorite place to visit?:

New York City. There is just so many amazing foods there. Last time i was there i went on a food tour of the lower east side. it was amazing. Also, there are inch-tall cupcakes that are super cute and super amazing at Baked by Melissa's there too.

If money were no object, what restaurant would you most like to try?:

Sweet Leaf Cupcake Company in Seattle, Washington.

Best Food Movie?: 

Kings of Pastry

Last meal, what would it be?:

Home-ade gnocchi with my dad's roasted brussel sprouts and garlic bread on a durum stick from Seven Stars Bakery. And Chocolate roll cake for dessert.

Thanks so much for nominating me!

Peanut Butter cookies!

I needed to bake for my counselors at camp, and one is lactose intolerant. these cookies are amazing because they are dairy free, gluten free and they only have 5 ingredients!

om nom nom :)

Really Easy peanut butter cookies

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

preheat oven to 350. grease a cookie sheet. mix everything together in a bowl. use a cookie scoop to place dough balls 1 1/12 inches apart. bake for 12 minutes. let cool. eat or store in sealed tupperware or gallon bag.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

I've been wanting to make these for my blog because all my friends are begging me to post the recipe. These muffins are seriously good; a recipe my mom clipped out of a penzey's magazine and has been making for as long as i can remember. A couple years ago, she decided to make them healthier. She has added awesome substitutions so they are dairy free and whole wheat. They taste exactly the same.

                                                           Instead of butter, we use:                                          

Sunsweet Butter/Oil Replacement (dried plum and apple preserves)

 Instead of white flour, we use:

Whole wheat flour

These things are so good!

This morning I was really lazy and I didn't feel like cleaning, so i used paper liners. you don't have to.

Yummy! I love these liners. I got them at stop & shop for $1.50 for 50! #prettypolkadots!

Side note: I'm sorry. I hate hashtags. I'll never do that again

And please never let your muffin be eaten alone.

Eat two.

Or three. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1/2 cup softened butter or 1/4 cup  sunsweet butter/oil replacement
• 1 1/14 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease 1 1/2 muffin pans. If you are using butter use and electric mixer, if you are using sunsweet, use a bowl and a whisk/wooden spoon/spatula. cream together butter of sunweet and sugar. beat in 1 egg at a time. stir in vanilla. in a separate bowl, sift (or whisk if you're lazy like me) together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. mix into wet mixture. fold in your mashed bananas. Fold in your chocolate chips. fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean. Let cool or eat immediately. store in sealed gallon bag or tupperware. makes about 18 muffins.

Banana Monkey Bread Muffins!

my mother didn't want me baking this weekend because it's like 90 degrees out but I did. yesterday i made chocolate chip cookies (shown in my precious post) and today i persuaded her into letting me make these. When i was done, she told me never to make them again. 

They are too good. I convinced to let me do it again, but right now I'll savor the ones I've got.

there were 11 originally

Now there's six

and a half..............  ;)

Banana Monkey Bread Muffins

• 2 3/4 cups flour + extra
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup buttermilk + extra
• 2 mashed bananas
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter in a bowl
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. use your hands (i did) or a fork to work in the shortening until you have a fine meal. add the butter milk and bananas and mix until you have a dough. knead it a few times with your hands, adding flour if it's too sticky or buttermilk if you can't work in all the flour mixture.  stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  roll a piece of dough into a one inch ball. roll it in the bowl of butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Put 3 balls in each cup. bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool in pan. As soon as the muffins come out, stir together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. use a fork to drizzle it over the muffins. Makes about 12.

 

My favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I know that when i posted that recipe for m&m cookies, i used the chow.com recipe, but this one is better. That recipe is the simplest cookie recipe i've found, but this one tastes the best. Chocolate chip cookies have always been something i've held close to my heart, and i'll always love Sweet Martha's. Sweet Martha's Chocolate chip cookies are amazing. At the Minnesota State fair, everyone goes there to get there cookies, and then across the way for milk at the milk stand. You'll get a cone filled with straight from the oven cookies (one time the person literally went over to the oven and got out a tray, then proceeded to dump the whole tray in our cone) that are buttery and hot with the chips still melty. This recipe though, comes very close to those special times i spent as a kid in minnesota.

They are amazing!!!

The best Chocolate chip cookies

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temp.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. (1/2 a bag) of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. grease a large cookie sheet. Cream the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla. Turn beater(s) off and put in the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. heap the dough on a cookie scoop or use 3/4 of an ice cream scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes. let cool on pans for at least 10 minutes or they will brake (it's hard, but you have to). Transfer to cooling racks or eat right away.