chocolate chip espresso banana bread french toast

on a trip to San Diego last week, my friend Jo and I came across a restaurant that served banana bread french toast. i need to be friends with the geniuses who invent things like this! i knew that i wanted to share this recipe with everyone when i got back. but in true form, i had to spice things up with even more sugar...so naturally i added a heaping pile of chocolate chips into the mix and a little espresso powder for that extra morning jolt. the french toast takes prep time as you need to make the banana bread first. i'd recommend enjoying the bread for a few days, because it is amazing on its own. the french toast is probably a one and done type of meal...i could not eat this every morning! 

for the chocolate chip espresso banana bread (you could easily make this into muffins, as well)from Sweet Pea Kitchen

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium size bowl, mix well bananas, sugar, butter, milk and eggs till these are incorporated well.

In another bowl whisk together flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Now mix together the dry and wet ingredients and stir until combined. Now add the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.

Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

For the French Toast you will need:

2-3 eggs depending on how many people you are serving. I used 2 eggs for 2 people.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash of cinnamon

Loaf of banana bread

3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, or just regular milk and sugar if you don't have sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp butter

Confectioners sugar and banana slices for garnish

In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. 

In a large skillet on medium heat, melt butter. Dip 1 inch slices of banana bread (or however thick you want) in egg mixture and place in hot skillet. Cook on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the chocolate chips. Dust with confectioner's sugar and top with banana slices and syrup. 

soft pretzels with jalapeño cheese dip

Auntie Anne's is one of my all-time favorite mall indulgences. (Followed by the Great American Cookie Company.) A warm, chewy pretzel with the crunch of salt dipped in not so amazing cheese dip...yummm. I'm not sure if it's because I had a long run today, but I was craving a carb-loaded afternoon treat! I should have taken pictures along the way, but I failed, so I will put the link to the recipe I used (originally done by good ole Bobby Flay!), which contains step-by-step photos. I would recommend making thicker pretzels, as I found them to hold up better in the dipping-in-boiling-water step. Also, if you are worried they are going to fall apart on you, you could just opt to do pretzel sticks. I think this recipe would be great to experiment with other flavors, like a cinnamon-sugar blend or adding meat or cheese to the dough for a super savory snack. Enjoy!!

Here is the link with photos.

cinnamon rolls with almond cream cheese icing

growing up, my siblings and i loved the cinnamon rolls from The Blueberry Muffin, a mom 'n pop bakery and restaurant in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The best part of those rolls was the almond extract in the cream cheese frosting...yum! These rolls were surprisingly easy, and gone before I could say, "milk please!" They take about 2.5 hours from start to finish, including rising time for the dough. I have been on the hunt for the best cinnamon roll in Denver, and I think I found my favorite recipe right in my own oven! I will definitely be making these again! 

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk (I used skim)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour

for the filling:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

for the icing

1 cup powdered sugar

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2-3/4 tsp almond extract

1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

2. Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.

3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for mixing the first six ingredients and then use the bread hook to knead the dough. 

4.  Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. I used my oven on warm.

5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide in a rectangular shape. It should be approx 1/4 thick. 6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

8. Spread the softened margarine/butter over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
9. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
10. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.11. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown and your kitchen smells divine. 

12. While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
13. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
14. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing. Let cool before icing if you want a thicker glaze. 

ginger coconut carrot cupcakes

introducing one of my top 5 favorite recipes...ginger coconut carrot cake. midwest living, 3 years ago, came out with this recipe, and i have been a die-hard fan ever since. i am a HUGE carrot cake fan, and this homemade recipe is still my absolute favorite. i have probably tried 50 different kinds, and this still wins. i don't like raisins and/or pineapple in my carrot cake, but you could probably add them if you wanted.  i am not sure what it is about this cake that is soooo delicious, but it is super spring-y and a friend's birthday was the perfect excuse to bake these little guys up! i have never made this cake in cupcake form before, so there were a few adaptations. i generally use three 9" round pans.

Ginger Coconut Carrot Cake (adapted from Midwest Living)
 1 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated or chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1.5 cup toasted sweetened coconut, plus more for garnishing

Cream Cheese Icing
8oz softened cream cheese
3/4 cup softened butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease and sprinkle with granulated sugar; tap out excess. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add ginger and oil. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in grated carrots, pecans, and sweetened coconut.

Divide batter among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched in the center.
Note: If making cupcakes, use ice cream scoop to fill cups 2/3 full. bake for 18-22 minutes at 350. 

Cool 15 minutes.Turn cakes out of pans and cool completely, top sides down.

For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat just until combined and smooth.

Assemble cakes on platter, spreading the center of each cake with a generous layer of frosting. Garnish with fresh coconut shavings if desired.


If making cupcakes, use can use a pastry bag (or ziploc!) and cut a hole 3/4 inch wide at the corner to create the thick icing stroke. 

individual baked mac 'n cheese

Birthdays mean fun things I'd never buy for myself. For my recent bday, I received these adorable mini casserole dishes from Kabeer's mom and was dying to use them as soon as possible. I was trying to find an individual mac 'n cheese recipe that incorporated pepperjack due to our recent trip to Costco in which we came home with a 2 lb block of it. I was unsuccessful, so this recipe was definitely a test drive! I only made enough for 2, because this is not one of those things you want sitting in your fridge tempting you for days...or maybe it is. mmm chhheeeeeeseee....

you will need:
3/4 cup dry elbow macaroni or mini rotini
1/8 to 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp butter, more for greasing dishes
panko or italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
optional: garlic salt to taste
2 10 oz dishes or one 20 oz dish.
*serves 2

If you don't want a spicy-ish dish, then use different cheeses such as gruyere, extra sharp white cheddar,   parmigiano-reggiano..this pasta has a bit of a kick to it! you could also add chicken, veggies...whatever you're up for.

1. Heat oven and boil pasta. Set oven to 375 degrees. Boil pasta until cooked on outside and undercooked in the inside, about 2-3 minutes under the manufacturer's suggestion. Transfer to coriander, rinse, cool.

2. Prepare baking dishes by greasing with butter.

3. Make cheese sauce. Melt butter, add onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent. Whisk in flour and cook until it is bubbling but not browning. Add cream, half and half, sour cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add cheese, add more or less depending on your desired thickness. Stir until cheese is completely melted and smooth. Add nutmeg, red pepper, garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

4. Assemble dishes. Pour pasta into sauce pan and combine. Transfer to dishes. Add reserve cheese and then breadcrumbs to top of dish. Bake for 25-35 minutes on a baking sheet until cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before digging in!

white chocolate oatmeal cookies with cadbury mini eggs

yay spring! the parks are full of people, daylight savings is here, and warm weather is just around the corner. that means one thing... cadbury mini eggs are back! my apologies to the creme eggs, i'm just not a fan. that "yolk" thing has always creeped me out. these cookies are so delicious. i like a variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie, so this recipe is perfect. i used high altitude variations, so if you're in the mountains add 1/2 cup of flour to the basic recipe. i added the cadbury mini eggs and the white chocolate chips to a basic oatmeal cookie recipe. super easy!

recipe adapted from cdkitchen

ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups oats
1 cup Cadbury mini eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips

heat oven to 350 degrees. in a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. add eggs and vanilla, beat well. add combined flour, salt and baking soda. mix well. add oats, mini eggs, and chocolate.

drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then transfer to wire cooling racks. cool completely and store tightly covered.

[mini] oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies

considering we are getting a puppy today that resembles an oreo (see a photo here!!), i thought i'd do an oreo-inclusive recipe for the week. this is a popular recipe from picky palate, so you might have seen it before. oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies! who would have thought, a cookie within a cookie. sheer genius, these clever bakers... i used mini oreos because i feared that the double-stuf oreo would be overwhelming, but i am regretting it. go big or go home... you can taste the oreo, but i think that it would have been better in the giant cookie to have a giant oreo. anyway, it is your choice what kind of oreo to use...i wonder how the golden ones would be?! AND i just saw the spring oreos at target...yum! tip: i stuck the cookies in the freezer between batches to keep the cookies tall. this way, the cookie didn't fall and expose the hidden oreo gem. enjoy!

oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies (from picky palate)
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips (i used 12 oz)
1 bag oreo cookies (i used the minis!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop), take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of Oreo. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until the Oreo is enclosed in the dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with tall glass of milk!

Makes 2 dozen very large cookies :)