Dark Chocolate Dreams Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter & Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, butter, mashed bananas and egg on medium speed for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add in the sifted ingredients on low speed until just combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop the batter into each cupcake liner.

Then place three 1/4 teaspoons of Dark Chocolate Dreams on top of each muffin. Swirl it around with a knife. If the swirls aren’t perfect, don’t worry.

Bake the muffins at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

Frozen Dark Chocolate-Banana Bites

Ingredients

1 large ripe banana
1 to 2 tbs. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter

Directions

1) Slice the banana lengthwise and spread the peanut butter on the cut side of one of the halves.

2) Lay the other banana slice on top of the first, flat side down, as if making a sandwich.

3) Cut the re-formed banana into 1 or 2 inch pieces and wrap each individually in plastic wrap.

4) Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until firm. Allow to thaw for about a minute before eating. Store in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Shake

Ingredients

1 sliced, frozen banana
2 tbs. honey (optional)
1 cup Silk Chocolate or Light Chocolate

Directions

Blend until creamy. Mmm, so dreamy.

Source

I highly recommend this. It is nice and thick!

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup nuts (if desired)

Directions

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together. Add to creamed mixture alternatively with mashed bananas. Add nuts and stir until moistened. Pour into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes.

Source: The Memorial School Presents Our Favorite Family Recipes, Burlington, MA, 1990.

Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

1/3 cup AllWhites 100% Liquid Egg Whites
6-8 oz. orange juice
1 banana
couple cubes of ice

Directions

Add all ingredients in blender and turn on.

Source: back of AllWhites 100% Liquid Egg Whites container

This was actually really good! Do not worry about the egg whites, they are pasteurized so they are safe to eat.

Banana Walnut Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups.

2) Spread nuts on a tray and toast in pven 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

3) In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

4) In another bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla ubtil smooth and creamy. beat in eggs one at a time. Add mashed bananas and beat until combined.

5) Sti dry ingredients into banana minxture just until flour disappears. Lightly stir in nuts.

6) Spoon batter into muffin cups to the top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Source: Totally Muffins Cookbook, Celestial Arts, 1995.

We added green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day!

Banana Pudding

So this recipe is kind of a hybrid, very appropriate since the earth is going to flood itself because of global warming. As I was making it for a Christmas party potluck I disregarded the directions a little bit. I combined the idea of a recipe that I saw in my Effective Speaking class and the recipe for Lorna Doone Spoon Pudding on the back of the shortbread cookie box of Lorna Doone. I just call it Banana Pudding because it simpler.

So I started to lay the shortbread cookies on the bottom of an aluminum pan, that I happened to get a two for one deal unintentionally and dishonestly. I was at Shop Rite and I put the pans on the conveyor belt, but they were inside of each other and I was only charged for one. It took me five seconds to realize this and I wanted just to use quarters to pay so I let it slide. Thanks for the free pan!

I then mixed vanilla pudding mix from Trader Joe's and let it sit for five minutes. Now I have Trader Joe's pudding because I just like an excuse to buy things from other food stores besides the major chains. I was in there last weekend for who knows what reason. I wasn't sure how much Cool Whip to mix in with the vanilla pudding so I just did a cup, the recipe from Effective Speaking says 1/4 cup but what does it matter?

I realized I almost forgot the banana but I wanted another layer and I did not have enough shortbread cookies, because Marybeth and I ate them all, so I used some graham crackers from the S'mores bites from the other night and put a layer of those on top of the pudding. Then I sliced the banana and put a layer of Cool Whip on top adding peaks with the back of spoon. Then for garnish I crushed some shortbread cookies and sprinkled on top. Looks quite nice for all store bought food items. As I type it is sitting in the refrigerator chilling before the party at 8pm with some friends.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
24 short bread cookies
1 large banana, sliced
1 container of Cool Whip
some graham crackers if you do not have enough cookies (optional)

Directions

1. Pour Milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix and beat for two minutes or until it is well blended.
2. Arrange the cookies on the bottom of an 8x8 pan, covering the whole bottom.
3. Pour the pudding on top of the cookies.
4. Add a layer of cookies, (if not enough cookies the graham crackers, break them up so when you serve they are small) on top of the pudding.
5. Slice the banana and put on top of the cookies.
6. Add a layer of cool whip covering the bananas completely.
7. Using the back of your spoon add peaks and garnish with crushed up cookies.

Source- back or Lorna Doone box

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Smooth Operator peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
• 2 large eggs
• Vanilla ice cream or Marshmallow Fluff (for serving)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper or brown paper bag to fit the bottom of the loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the peanut butter, bananas, and the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until well incorporated. Fold in the flour mixture and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and splits in the middle. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Marshmallow Fluff.

Source: Personal Library: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

I made this because we had two ripe bananas in the house. My mother had the same idea too to make banana bread, but I wanted my recipe with peanut butter because I love peanut butter. I substituted apple sauce for the vegetable shortening because we usually do not keep lard in the house. Only had two bananas so only had 1 cup.

It was good, but it was a little dry. My Mom's recipe is moister.