Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

Bananas are my favorite fruit. It’s rare if I go a day without eating one. Because I keep a constant stock in the house, once in awhile they tend to get too ripe. And because I refuse to throw bananas away, I am constantly making banana bread. However, last week I decided I was over making the same old banana bread so I found this delicious recipe off of a blog that I follow. I love trying new recipes especially when they combine some of my favorite ingredients (I also have an obsession with chocolate chips, always have).

These muffins are pretty simple to make, I promise that you will not be disappointed once you bite into one of these little guys.

Recipe from: Sally’s Baking Addiction

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

3 large ripe bananas

3 Tbsp yogurt (I used vanilla greek yogurt)

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STREUSEL INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I did a 1/4 cup of each)

DIRECTIONS: 

1) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups.

2) First make the streusel by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

3) In a medium bowl, gently toss together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar, butter and egg until fluffy. On low speed, beat in the mashed bananas and yogurt. By hand, stir in the dry ingredients mixing until everything is just combined. Do NOT over mix.

4) Layer one spoonful of batter into the muffin cup. Sprinkle with streusel. Layer another spoonful on top and layer with more streusel. Do the same in each muffin cup.

5) Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower temperature down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes (the original recipe says to bake for an additional 14 minutes but mine were done a lot quicker) or until the muffins are set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tins and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather. It’s about time.

Love.Lindsi.

Carrot Cake

The birthday madness continues. Three out of the five people in my family have birthdays in April. The coolest part is they are spread out perfectly. I am the 3rd, my mom is the 15th and my dad is on the 30th. So basically they all fall on the same day, it’s great.

My dad has a love obsession with carrot cake. (Not sure why, but okay). So naturally, my first thought was to branch out and make my first carrot cake and while I was at it, why not make my first layer cake too. So I did.

Overall, it was a success and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I got the recipe out of my Martha Stewart cookbook (you can’t go wrong with Martha). I am so thankful and blessed to have a man like my dad in my life. He has always put my mom, my sisters and me first. I don’t remember him ever missing one of my basketball games and anytime I ask him for help or to talk, he drops everything he is doing to be there for me. He has shown me such a great example of what a husband and father should be. I will be satisfied if I get a husband half as wonderful as him.  Love you daddy!

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for pans

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup water

1 pound carrots (5-6 large carrots) shredded with a grader or in a food processor (about 2 3/4 cup)

2 cups pecans: 1 cup finely chopped for batter, 1 cup coarsely chopped for decorating cake

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INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

16 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/2 to 2 pounds confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING:

1) With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the butter, beating until incorporated after each addition before adding more.

2) Reduce speed to low. Gradually add confectioners sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. (It says to use parchment paper and then butter and flour the parchment but I didn’t use it). Then flour the pans, tap out excess.

2) Wish together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3) With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat. Beat for 3 more minutes. Then add in the vanilla, water and carrots, beat for 2 minutes until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans, beating until just combined.

4) Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are golden brown. I baked mine for 20 minutes but Martha said 30. So make sure you keep an eye on them, they cook pretty quickly.

5) Let cool in pans on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of cakes to loosen and turn out onto rack. Allow to cool completely.

6) OPTION: using a serrated knife, trim tops of two cakes to make level. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over the cake. top with the second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread another cup of frosting over the cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides. (I didn’t use all the frosting, I had a lot left over).

7) Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto the sides of the cake. Refrigerate (covered) 1 hour to set the frosting.

Happy Birthday Daddy

xoxo. Lindsi.

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Those of you who have known me for a while, know that these bars are my identity. (As well as my monster cookies, but that’s a whole other story). I have been making them for as long as I can remember. I was once told that I could make these for any guy and win his heart. Let me add that the person that told me this was a guy that doesn’t even like sweets. So for all you single ladies out there…this recipe may be just the trick   It’s pure goodness in a bar. What more could you want, right?

They aren’t hard to make, but timing is everything. You have to have the caramel melted at the exact same time that you take the crust out of the oven. So, I like having everything measured out (especially the chips and pecans) first thing. So, for all you procrastinators, these babies may not be for you

INGREDIENTS:

32 kraft caramels, unwrapped

5 Tbsp milk or cream

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out your 9×13-inch baking pan.

2) In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combine.

3) Press half of the mixture on to the bottom of your 9×13 pan. (It may not seem like there will be enough but just keep pressing it down until there is a thin layer. You might want to add a little more if needed.) Bake for 8 minutes.

4) While your waiting for the crust to bake, in a medium saucepan melt the caramels and milk on medium high. (Make sure you don’t allow the caramel to boil or it will become hard and the wrong consistency). NOTE: You can also start melting the caramels while making the crust and put it on low).

5) When the crust comes out of the oven IMMEDIATELY sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Then sprinkle on the pecans, drizzle on the caramel and finally top with the remaining crust. 

6) Bake for another 10-12 minutes until slightly brown.

7) Allow bars to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy.

Love, Lindsi.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

My family celebrated my beautiful mom’s birthday on Monday. Sometimes I don’t feel like I can thank God enough for my mom, it overwhelms me that He allowed me to be her daughter. I wish I could repay her for the wonderful, loving life she has given me.

Sorry, the sappiness is over! I just adore that lady. She’s obsessed with anything and everything lemon related, especially food. I found this recipe out of a baking book my good friend gave me for my birthday. Right aways I knew I had to make it for my mom’s birthday. So that’s what I did. She was shocked when she came home from work and I had these little guys waiting for her on the counter.

They are fast, easy and insanely delicious. Yep.

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp melted butter

1 cup graham crackers, crushed

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

10 ounces softened cream cheese

2 large eggs

1 large, finely graded, lemon rind

3 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tbsp flour

1 small lemon, sliced, for decorating

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with liners.

2) Stir together the melted butter, crushed graham crackers and 1 tbsp sugar. Divide the cracker mixture among the paper liners and press down firmly with your fingers or the back of a teaspoon. Chill in the fridge.

3) Beat the sugar, cream cheese and eggs in a bowl until smooth. Add the graded lemon rind, juice and sour cream together until just combined. (Add more lemon juice if you want a very lemony taste, I thought it could have used a little more).

4) Finally add the flour. Spoon the batter into the paper liners (fill almost to the top because cheesecake doesn’t rise like cupcakes do).

5) Bake for 25 minutes or until set but NOT browned. Let the cheesecakes cool for 20 minutes. Once the cheesecakes are cold, chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

6) When ready to eat, decorate with a slice or two of lemon.

Happy Birthday momma.

Enjoy. xoxo. Lindsi.

Banana Bread

I have loved banana bread ever since I was little. I am a carb girl; I love my bread, any and every type. But for some strange reason my oven does NOT like cooking bread, especially sweet breads. My banana bread always seems to come out really overdone around the edges and doughy in the middle. Super annoying.

I came across this Martha Stewart recipe last year and fell in love with it. It tastes better and even cooks pretty well in my poor little oven. I think it’s the sour cream addition and the thickness of the dough that makes it so yummy.

Try it now, I promise it will not disappoint.

Recipe From Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 very ripe bananas (mashed or cut up)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9×5 pan. (I used three 3×5 pans).

2) Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combine.

4) Add bananas, sour cream and nuts and stir.

5) Pour into your prepared pan and bake for about an hour for a 9×5 pan. (If using smaller pans bake for 25-30 minutes)

Enjoy. Love, Lindsi.

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

I would like to apologize for my lack of blog posts! The last two weeks have been absolutely insane for me. I had an interview for a job, got hired, and started training all within a week. Fastest experience of my life, but it has all been such a blessing. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.

Sadly, because of the recent craziness my baking has taken a back seat. Monday was one of my first days off so baking was a must. A few weeks ago my sister and I went to Caribou (which was my first time, so good!) and we had a raspberry white chocolate scone. It was one of the best scones I have ever tasted so my first thought was, I need to make these!

So here they are. Not the Caribou recipe sadly, but they are still delicious. When you bite into them, at first you get that tart flavor from the raspberries and then the sweetness kicks in from the white chocolate chips. A perfect combo.

 from: Pastry Affair

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
6 ounces raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used milk)

 

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture feels like sand. Gently fold in raspberries and white chocolate chips. (I used frozen raspberries and they got pretty mushy once they started defrosting and turned my batter a little purple. I suggest using fresh instead of frozen.)

3) In a small bowl beat together egg, vanilla, and heavy cream. Pour over the scone batter and lightly mix until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky.

4) Roll or press out dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle. Flatten until it is about 1-inch thick. Using a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut 8 wedges (scones may be a little flimsy but will bake just fine!) Transfer scones to a baking sheet using a flat spatula dipped in flour and sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little granulated sugar.

5) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

xoxo. Lindsi.

Chocolate Cake Brownies

It’s Friday! And absolutely beautiful out, so warm that I was able to sit outside and read. For those of you who live in Colorado you know that’s a big deal in March because it’s usually cold, snowy and miserable. Spring is in the air! Why not celebrate with a good old chocolate brownie? Who doesn’t like brownies anyways? They have got to be one of the best things ever created. I love fudgy, gooey brownies as much as the next guy but here are some that are just a tad bit different.

These have more of a cake-like consistency. But don’t worry just yet, they are definitely still a brownie (because it’s more dense than your average chocolate cake). They are also topped with a layer of chocolate fudge frosting. Yum.

They’re simple to make and perfect for the weekend whether you want to bring them to an event or just lounge on your couch with one of these topped with your favorite ice cream. Or since it’s so nice out, go have a picnic and bring these! Easiest brownie to make, seriously.

INGREDIENTS For Brownie: 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (softened)

15oz Chocolate Syrup (I used Hersey’s)

4 eggs (beaten)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour

INGREDIENTS For Fudge Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.

2) Mix together the sugar, butter and eggs (one at a time). Then mix in the vanilla and chocolate syrup.

3) Slowly add in the flour and mix on a low speed until just combined.

4) Pour batter into your greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

5) For fudge: In a medium sauce pan melt the sugar, butter and milk and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 1/2 a minute. (Make sure to only boil for 1/2 a minute or the frosting won’t have the right consistency).

6) Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Beat with a spoon until melted.

7) Allow the brownies to cool before spreading on the frosting.

Enjoy this pretty day.

Love, Lindsi