Banana Pecan Cupcakes

Makes 9
From “Martha Stewart Cupcakes”

Ingredients:

1 c sifted cake flour (not self rising)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c mashed very ripe bananas (1 1/3 bananas)
1/4 c buttermilk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 c pecans, toasted, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Put paper liners in muffin tins.
3. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add buttermilk, bananas and vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients. Fold in pecans.
5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
6. Bake 20 min.
7. Cool. Can be frozen for 2 mo in airtight containers.
8. Frost. Enjoy!

Indian Raita Feast

Carrot Raita

1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Banana Raita

1 banana, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Radish Raita

1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Onion Raita

1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Boondi Raita

1/2 c boondi
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Mix Raita

1/4 c shredded carrot
1/2 diced tomato
1/2 banana, quartered and cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika or red pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

Cucumber Raita

1 cucumber, shredded, water squeeze out by hand
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper powder (to taste)
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1/2 c yogurt (to taste)
chopped coriander (to taste)

Mix well and enjoy.

NOTE: These taste great on their own as a savory snack, can also be enjoyed with poori, paratha, methi paratha, as a side with spicy curries, with naan, with rice, .. really, the options are endless.

Orange Cardamom Banana Bread

Adapted from James Beard, Beard on Bread, page 170

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 stick butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1 tbsp molasses
2 eggs
1.5 c mashed very ripe bananas (3 large bananas)
1 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh ground cardamom
1.5 c all purpose flour
1/4 c almond flour (or ground almonds or 1/2 c sliced almonds)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cream butter in kitchenaid.
3. Add sugar and honey. Mix.
4. Add eggs. Mix.
5. Add bananas. Mix.
6. Add extracts. Mix.
7. Add flours, salt and baking soda. Mix.
8. (If using sliced almonds, fold them in now).
9. Bake in 12 x 4.2 x 2.5 inch loaf tin and pour in batter. Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Enjoy!

NOTE: I baked in two baby bundt pans, a baby sponge pan, and a silicone peanut butter cup pan. Silicon mat was done in 13 min, other pans done in 18.

ICING (optional):

4 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp lemon extract
1/4 c (add a little at a time! Could be less!) half and half

1. Mix. Drizzle on cooled cake.
2. Enjoy!

French Puff Muffins

Betty Crocker Recipe (apparently, this was a recipe that they taught in home economics classes in the US in the 1970s).

YIELD: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

Muffin

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg OR allspice OR cinnamon OR cardamom
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

Muffins

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 muffin cup pan with paper cupcake liners.

Mix butter, sugar and the egg thoroughly in a large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and spice alternately with milk.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Topping

Mix sugar and the cinnamon and put in one bowl

Put melted butter in second bowl.

Roll hot muffins immediately in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS

Make muffins without topping. Freeze in tupperware or ziplock bags (key is to wrap well so freezer smells do not yuck up your muffins). To reuse, defrost at room temperature and warm in 350 oven for 5 minutes. Then follow directions for topping as above.

NOTES: These tasted like baked pancakes. Also very eggy. Did not like and do not recommend. 😦

Banana and Cheese Pudding

Sombremesa de Banana com Queijo (Banana and Cheese Pudding) via Saveur

INGREDIENTS

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12. oz. can evaporated milk
1 stick cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces, then lengthwise in 1/4-inch thick slices
12 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil milks and cinnamon stick in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes; discard cinnamon.
3. Spread 1/3 reduced milk over bottom of an 8×8 baking dish; top with half the bananas and half the cream cheese.
4. Repeat layering, ending with reduced milk; sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
5. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Brazil-Banana-Cheese-Pudding

Forget Saveur, here is the original:

http://www.receitascomamor.com/receita-de-sobremesa-quente-de-queijo-e-banana/

http://www.sadia.com.br/receitas/1191_SOBREMESA+QUENTE+DE+QUEIJO+E+BANANA

Translated to English:

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk

7 chopped bananas

5 tbsp margarine (use butter instead)

2 tbsp sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 c finely grated queijo meia cura cheese (matured)

juice of 1 lime

For the meringue cover:

1/2 c sugar

3 egg whites

juice of 1 lime

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a pressure cooker, put the unopened can of condensed milk, cover with water, cover and cook. After opening pressure, cook for 30 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and wait for all the pressure to escape before opening the pot.

3. Remove the pan tin and let cool for 4 hours. Open it, remove the sweet milk and set aside.

4. Settle bananas one side to the other, on an average pan (19 cm x 28 cm), smeared with 1 tablespoon butter. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon. On top, place the rest of the butter.

5. Preheat oven on medium heat 350 F (180 ° C) and bake bananas for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

6. Spread the sweet milk, cheese and return to oven for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

FOR THE MERINGUE COVER:

1. In a small saucepan put the sugar with ½ cup of water and bring to boil over medium heat until a thick syrup. Reserve.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and gradually add the hot syrup still in wire, always beating for firm meringue consistency.

3. Spread over cheese and return to a hot oven for 5 minutes, just to brown. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve immediately.