Apple Brownies with Maple Icing

Ingredients for Brownie (cake):

2 medium apples finely diced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease or spray 8x8 baking dish.  Cream melted butter and sugars.  Add milk, egg, vanilla.  In separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture.  Fold in apples.  Pour in pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons milk

pinch of cinnamon

pinch or two of salt (cuts down sweetness)

Mix ingredients together.  When dessert is cooled, spread icing over top.

Banana Bread

Janet's Rich Banana bread from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2-3 medium bananas, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Cream melted butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Stil into butter mixture until smooth.
4. Fold in banana slices, sour cream and nuts.
5. Transfer into prepared pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
7. Cool for about 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely.

Chunky Monkey Brownies

• Credit: Chunky Monkey Brownies - The Cookin Chicks

Great dessert to use up those over ripe bananas on.  I wasn't sure I would like something called brownies without it being a chocolate base, but these are delicious although weirdly named.

• 
  
• 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 banana
• 2 cups chocolate chips (I used milk, but recipe called for semi-sweet)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and vanilla
3. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth
4. Add in the flour and banana
5. Mix once more until all is combined
6. Fold in the 2 cups of chocolate chips.  Batter will be thick, that is okay.
7. Pour mixture into greased 9 x 13 baking pan, spread evenly.
8. Sprinkle additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top of batter.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
10. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Doritos Taco Salad

 Credit: Life-in-the lofthouse.com

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning + water
• 3-4 romaine lettuce hearts, rinsed then chopped
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed (I usually omit)
• 1 large tomato, chopped or sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups nacho cheese Doritos, broke into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup Catalina dressing

Instructions:

1. Brown and crumble ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drain grease.
2. Add taco seasoning and water called for on packet.  Stir until mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let meat cool slightly.
3. In large salad bowl, add chopped lettuce, black beans, tomato and cheese.
4. Add slightly cooled ground beef and gently toss to combine everything.
5. Serve now, or chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Don't add chips until ready to serve.
6. When ready to serve, add Dorito chips and dressing to salad, toss.

S'mores Crispy Bars

 Credit - Taste of Home.com

Ingredients:

    Bars:

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 package (10 ounces) mini marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

    Frosting:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 jar (7 ounces) Fluff - marshmallow creme

    Topping:

• 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
• 2 Hershey bars

Directions:

• In 6 quart saucepan, melt butter of medium heat.  
• Add marshmallows, cook and stir until melted. 
•  Remove from heat. 
•  Stir in cereal and crushed crackers.  
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Press into a greased 13x9 baking pan.  Cool to room temperature.

• For frosting, In a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  
• Beat in marshmallow creme on low speed just until blended.
• Spread over bars.

• Sprinkle crushed crackers over frosting.  Cut into bars
• Break candy bar into 12 pieces, place a piece on each bar.

Banana Mini Muffins

 Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350.  Grease/spray mini muffin pan(s).  This will make about 40-44 mini muffins.
• In large bowl (or mixer bowl) add bananas and mash.  Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Stir until well combined.
• In separate bowl, whisk (or sift) the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt
• Pour dry ingredients into wet and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.
• Fill muffin pans (1/2-3/4 full)
• Bake for 11-13 minutes.
• Let cool 2-3 minutes then move to a cooling rack.  Store in sealed container.

Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream:    1/2 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
                1 cup sugar

  

Add:         2 eggs, mix

Add:        1 tsp. vanilla

                1/2 tsp. baking soda

                1/2 tsp. salt

                3 mashed bananas

                3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

                2 cups flour

Put in greased bread loaf pan.   Bake 55-60 minutes.