Banana Cake (Sheet Cake). Ali's Recipe (Lynaya's friend)

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
1 tsp Vanilla (or vanilla bean paste)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Optiona 1/2 cup chopped walnuts in frosting

Mix sugar, butter, sour cream and eggs until well blended, add mashed bananas, vanilla, mix well.  Add flour, salt and soda, mix well.   Bake in a sprayed 17x12 with a 1 inch lip sheet cake pan at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
  Cool.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter UNSALTED (browned over medium heat until it turns beautiful brown)
4 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
Heat butter over medium heat until browned, remove from heat add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, add more milk if it's too thick.
I put on the cake after cake is completely cooled but the original recipe says to add it on warm cake.  I like the frosting to set on the cake so I do it when its cold

Smoothies

Use an 8 cup capacity heavy duty blender

3 cups water

3 handfuls spinach

2 cups frozen Festival Blend

( mix of pineapple and mango, available at Costco)

1 cup frozen Three Berry Mix

( mix of raspberries, blueberries & blackberries, available at Costco)

1 ½ banana, peeled

1 apple, cored

Mix in blender until smooth.

"Banana Bread" Frosted cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened 
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour 

Frosting:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk 
4 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
For cookies, cream together butter nd sugar. Add egg, flavorings, bananas and sour cream; beat well. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until bottoms are just lightly browned. Cool and frost.


For frosting, combine brown sugar, milk and butter in saucepan; bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; beat in enough powdered sugar to make frosting spreadable; beat in vanilla. As this frosting cools, it will become difficult to spread. If this happens, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds, or add a bit more milk to thin it. I like to frost the cookies while the frosting - and the cookies - are still just a bit warm, so that it drapes over the cookie and coats it nicely.

Banana Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 cups of flour

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.



4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.



Makes about 30 cookies.

Quick Dessert Truffle

By: Wendy Connors

1 pkg Strawberries, washed and sliced
2 Bananas sliced
1 pkg Vanilla pudding made as directed
1 pkg Banana cream pudding made as directed
Cool Whip Thawed
Angel food cake

Mix the 2 puddings together... Using a truffle bowl (bowl on a stand)... tear pieces of the angels food cake until bottom is covered... add a layer of pudding, a layer of fruit and repeat until all of the cake, fruit and pudding are gone... top with cool whip and a few slices of the fruit in the middle. Refrigerate before serving! Serve by scooping with a spoon (looks messy but tastes yummy)!

Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Optional:
1/3 cup sugar
1-2 tsp Vanilla extract

Filling:
Strawberries sliced
Banana's sliced

Nutella Hazelnut spread

Optional:
dust with powdered sugar
Whipped cream

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Vanilla Custard for Cream Pies (Banana, Coconut, Chocolate)

Recipe By: Claudia Witt

Ingredients
2/3 Cup Sugar
3 Cups WHOLE milk
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
4 Egg Yolks, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
2 T Butter
1 T plus 1 tsp Vanilla

Directions
Blend milk and egg yolks in saucepan, when heated and starting to boil, add dry mixture (mix ahead of time) sugar and cornstarch and salt, stirring constantly until thickens and boils, . Boil and stir for 1 minute; remove from heat.
Blend in Butter and Vanilla, pour immediately into baked pie shell, press plastic wrap onto filling. Chill at least 2 hours.

We made Chocolate Cream pie this year by adding 1 package of milk Chocolate Chips to the custard and stirring until melted just after you add the butter and vanilla.  YUM.

Banana Bread (adapted from Lion House Cookbook)

Recipe By: Wendy Connors

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter
1 tsp lemon Juice
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Flour
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Mashed Bananas
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 tsp Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease Bread Loaf pan.
Cream butter & Sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add bananas, milk and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients and add.
Bake for 40-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.