#90 Banana and Peanut Butter Snacking Cake

I eyed up this recipe in my Kraft Canada magazine. Then when I was visiting my mom and my grandma and aunt were planning to come over for coffee, I decided that it was a perfect time to try it out. It certainly passed the test. This recipe can be found online at: http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/banana-pb-snacking-cake-131560.aspx

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1-½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon Magic Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup Kraft Whipped Peanut Butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• ¼ cup milk

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350ºF. BEAT first 4 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add bananas; mix well. MIX flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture; mix well. Pour into 9-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray. BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool completely. BEAT peanut butter, icing sugar and milk with mixer until well blended; spread over cake.

(Serves 16)

NOTES:

I am not sure if I have posted this note before or not but when I have bananas that are becoming quite ripe I throw them in the freezer. Then when I am ready to bake, I take them out and let them thaw. Then I cut off one and and squeeze the banana out of the peel. They then mash so nicely!

#89 Banana Pudding

 

OMG. That is all that needs to be said here. Ok...I lied...I will say more...

I haven't actually prepared this myself but I was eyeing it up in the Kraft Canada magazine that I received in the mail and then low and behold, my sister-in-law brought it to my place last Easter. This recipe can be found online at: http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/banana-pudding-132537.aspx. Once again…OMG.

Ingredients:

• 1 300 ml can sweetened condensed milk
• 1-½ cups 2% milk, cold
• 1 4-serving pkg Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
• 2-½ cups Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed and divided
• 75 Nilla Vanilla Wafers
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, shaved into curls

Directions:

1. BEAT milks in medium bowl with mixer 1 min. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Refrigerate 3 hours.

2. WHISK 1-1/2 cups Cool Whip into pudding. Arrange 25 wafers on bottom of 9-inch square dish; top with layers of 1/3 each of the bananas and pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice; cover with remaining Cool Whip.

3. REFRIGERATE 4 hours. Garnish with chocolate curls just before serving.

(Serves 12)

#88 Flapper Pie

My father-in-law loves flapper pie. For father's day I decided to make him a flapper pie. The project began with a quest for a tried and true recipe. During this quest I learned flapper pie is a dessert that was popular with those who lived on the western Canadian prairies many years ago and therefore many younger folk do not really know what it is. It was named after the flapper dresses of the 1920's. Continuing to search on the internet and in old recipe books, I experimented with a few different recipes. After several prototypes and feedback from my volunteer taste testers, I creted my father-in-laws pie using the following recipe.

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• pinch of salt

FILLING:

• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups 2% milk, warmed
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla

MERENGUE:

• 4 eggs whites 
• ½ tsp cream of tarter
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. CRUST: Combine graham crumbs with the 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, and ½ cup butter. Reserve ¼ of crust fro topping and press the rest into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 10 inures in a 350 degree oven. Cool on a wire wrack.

2. FILLING: Combine 2 egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add warm milk slowly and then mix well. Heat slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. When thick, remove from heat and add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir until butter has melted. Then beat mixture with electric beaters until fluffy (You will see air bubbles in filing). Pour over cooled pie shell.

3. MERENGUE:
Beat 4 egg whites. (The extra two egg white will be thrown out or can be saved for a different recipe). Beat until foamy. Add cream of tarter and then beat until stiff. (You will know the mixture is stiff when you turn the bowl upside down and the mixture does not move.) Add 2 tsp of sugar and ¼ tsp of vanilla and stir. Spread over pie filling. Make peaks by repeatedly touching the merengue with a spoon and lifting. Sprinkle remaining crust on top of the merengue. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until merengue has browned on the outside and on the tips of the peaks.