Banana Bread

Submitted by Kendall

Cream together:
2/3 cup Butter (soft, room temp)
1 cup Sugar

Combine in a separate bowl:
2 ½ cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt

2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup Mashed RIPE Bananas (3-4) *see note below
½ cup Buttermilk or sour cream
(you can substitute buttermilk with regular milk and 2T white vinegar or I like to use a buttermilk powder - Cultered Buttermilk Blend - that I store in the fridge, you'll find it in the baking aisle at the store)

Cream butter & sugar, add 1 egg and 1 T. flour mixture; add 2nd egg and 1 T. flour mixture. Add bananas and beat well. Add milk and flour mixture alternately. Optional: chopped nuts or chocolate chips.

Grease the bottom of cake round or loaf pans. I have been baking with silicone and I love it! It's so easy to pop the bread out and clean up. I like the individual cupcake shapes - rounds, square, hearts and cake round/square. Bake 350° 30 – 40 minutes for round or loaf and 20 - 25 minutes for muffins...until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

RIPE BANANAS
We never eat all the bananas, doesn't matter how many I buy. When I notice the bananas beginning to turn, not black, but too ripe to eat, I throw them into the bottom of my freezer. For those of you who have seen the stash in my freezer, you might think I have a ripe banana hoarding problem. I easily have enough frozen ripe bananas to make 20 batches of bread! I feel the hoarding is genentic as I learned this behavior from my mother and my sister does it as well, although not to the same degree. When ready to use, set them out for a couple of hours until thawed. They will be super mushy and slimy and juicy...ALL GOOD!

Apple Cheddar Bacon Bake

Submitted by Jenn

12 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 c. sliced apples
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. grated Cheddar cheese
2 c. Bisquick
2 c. milk
6 eggs
Maple syrup

Evenly distribute apple slices in greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle apples with sugar. Top with cheese, then bacon. In blender, beat eggs, milk, and Bisquick. Pour batter over apples and cheese gently. Bake in 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with maple syrup drizzled over it.
Serves 8-10 people.

I like to prepare the bacon and apples the night before which makes the recipe come together very quickly.

Dutch Babies

Submitted by Laurie

like German pancakes

1/2 c. butter
5 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. flour

Place butter in 4-quart pan or glass casserole and set in 425 degree oven. Mix batter quickly while butter melts. Put eggs in blender and whirl at high speed for a minute. Gradually add milk, then slowly add flour, with motor operating. Continue whirling for 30 seconds. Remove pan from oven and pur batter into hot melted butter. Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes until puffy and well-browned. Dust with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon juice over it.

***Sounds like this would be yummy with fresh fruit and whipped topping as well!