Bananas!

So I finally made some banana muffins. And I'm glad I waited to blog about this batch because the recipe involves mini chocolate chips! How fun!

This is another goodie from Taste of Home - but specifically the Taste of Home Baking edition. (Fabulous stuff in there - someday I'll tell you about my lemon blueberry biscuits...)

Anyway, the bananas were ready to roll, extra-ordinarily ripe even & while sometimes that makes the baked good taste a little bitter it didn't have that affect this time. This time...there were chocolate chips. :)

So here's the recipe...

You will need:
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 medium ripe bananas (mashed)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (I've used quick-cooking too!)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg, oil & sugar until smooth.
(Action shot!!!)

Stir in the bananas.

In another bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder & salt.


Stir dry ingredients into wet until just moistened.






Stir in chocolate chips.


Fill greased muffin cups three-quarters full.




Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

(If you use a bigger muffin pan like I did, they may need another minute or 2.)

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a rack.

Yields 1 dozen regular muffins or 6 large ones


Now look how wonderful they are! They taste just as wonderful! This recipe is definitely going into the repetoire. I left the house for a bit after they were done & when I got back, Will said "you know, those muffins are good." HA!

Absent no longer!

I'm not even sure how many of you noticed but I haven't posted in several weeks! I took pictures of 2 different recipes - but then, I wasn't really happy with either one. So fajitas & banana muffins will have to wait. (Probably not long because there are some seriously ready bananas on my counter as we speak!)

But I have something new & wonderful instead! It's a recipe that I have made several times & they are always fantastic - plus, I get to show you the most favorite thing in my kitchen! My Kitchen Aid mixer...it's the big'un...The Professional 6. Doesn't that sound ominous? hee!

Look! There she is!!!

Anyway...the food! Sun-dried Tomato Biscotti...How fantastic does that sound? So fantastic that you simply cannot wait for me to tell you more? Yay!

First, credit where it is due - Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray. What a cookbook! These are more of an appetizer - but most of the book is traditional Italian cookies. I have made quite a few of them for my own holiday trays. Once I figure out how to be an Amazon affiliate (as well if it's even worthwhile), I will post links for you to buy your very own copy - which you really should have if you like to bake.


Now here we go with the recipe...

Sun-dried Tomato Biscotti
(yields about 25 cookies)

Ingredients
1 stick of butter (softened)
1 Tablespoon of sugar
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
(if you only have dried herbs, simply substitute TEASPOON for tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dried sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
(not the ones packed in oil)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter & sugar until blended.
Add eggs & mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cheese, garlic, herbs, salt, baking powder & tomatoes.
Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.


Add flour mixture to butter mixture & mix on low speed until just blended.

(LOOK!!! THERE SHE IS AGAIN!!!)




Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface & knead just enough to blend ingredients.



Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces & shape each into a loaf about 12 inches long.

Place loaves on a (she says parchment-lined - I lightly grease instead) cookie sheet about 3-inches apart.


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

When you remove them from the oven, transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool.



Now here's the key to biscotti - the 2nd baking...

When the loaves are cool, transfer them to a cutting board & slice on a diagonal (sort of!) into 1/2-inch slices.

Place the slices in a single layer back on the cookie sheet & return them to the oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

That's it! I cannot properly explain to you how phenomenal your kitchen smells when you are making these. And you can see how gorgeous they look!

That would be Will's cue to laugh at me as he does whenever I get excited about how good the food looks. I do get a little excited...but you have to admit...they do look damn good. hee!

Serve these little lovelies with wine, cheese, olives etc. as a nice little antipasto & your dinner guests will be impressed!

So that's what I've got for today! I think it was a very good recipe to break the dry spell with so I am rather pleased with myself right now.

Also, check back soon because I am going to make something today that isn't quite a recipe but you simply will not believe! Easy, delicious & I promise you - if you make it, everyone you serve it to will ask how you did it. ;)