Cream Cheese Streusel Banana Bread

All week I’ve been secretly hoping my husband wouldn’t eat the bananas.  I even considered hiding them.  I was craving banana bread and it is just not the same with fresh yellow bananas.

This amazing banana bread recipe from Southern Living is the best I have ever had.  It’s a simple, dense and decadent bread that is super moist.  And it’s so easy to throw together for a quick breakfast for guests.  Every time I make this the recipe is requested.

We prefer our banana bread a little “spicy” so I have altered the original recipe a bit to fit our taste.  The cinnamon, allspice and cloves in the batter are my additions so if you would like to try the original recipe simply leave those out.

The streusel makes this bread a dream come true…and the cream cheese.  I think it helps fancy up a normally humble bread.

See what I mean?

There is an insane amount of streusel on this bread and we like it that way! But if you don’t just cut the recipe in half (that’s what the original recipe called for anyway).

The aroma of this bread baking fills our house and is undeniable.  Sometimes I wish I could sit in front of the oven and watch it bake.

Cream Cheese Streusel Banana Bread
Recipe from Southern Living

6 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cloves
1 cup banana (I use three bananas)
½ tsp. vanilla

Streusel Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, optional*
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy.
2. Gradually add sugar; add the egg.
3. Add dry ingredients until combined.
4. Mash bananas then stir into batter.  Add vanilla.
5. Spoon into greased and floured loaf pan.
6. Combine topping ingredients until crumbly then sprinkle over the bread.
7. Bake for about an hour.  You may want to place a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil below the bread as it sometimes overflows.
8. Enjoy a slice slathered with butter!

*Storing your nuts in the freezer will prevent the essential oils from spoiling too fast creating a longer shelf life

Potato Pancakes

I love potatoes.  Baked, mashed, fried, grilled, sauteed…it’s all good.  I’ve been dreaming of what to do with the last of our potatoes and finally decided on potato pancakes.  I’m glad I did.

I just guessed on the amounts for the pancakes and they turned out pretty well.  This may have to be changed up a bit depending on the size of your potatoes (a little more or less flour).  I used 4 small red potatoes and ended with 7 small pancakes.

Big ‘ole pile of potatoes.

This is what the mixture should look like.

Next time I make these I will flatten them a bit more so that there is more brown, crispy goodness.  While making the second batch, I kept the first warm in the oven.

Potato Pancakes

4 small red potatoes
1/2 small onion
1 egg
1/8-1/4 cup flour*
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, optional
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Shred potatoes and onion.
2. Place in clean dish towel and squeeze all excess water.
3. In a bowl mix egg, flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Mix potatoes into the egg mixture.
5. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Form potato pancakes in the size that you wish and place in hot oil.
6. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. The second side may cook faster than the first.
7. Drain on paper towel lined plate and enjoy.

*enough to make a thick paste with the egg

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t plan on posting every day but this one is for good reason.  Yesterday my husband’s great aunt passed away.  She made some of the greatest cookies I have ever eaten.  So to honor her, I made chocolate chip cookies.  It was also in hopes of making my husband feel a little better.  So here’s to Aunt Donna.

This recipe is basically Nestle Toll House with a few adjustments to fit our tastes.  Like I said before, we aren’t huge chocolate fans so I reduce the amount of chocolate chips and make them mini…cause it’s more fun!  I also use butter flavored Crisco instead of regular butter.  How could you go wrong with Crisco?  It makes them soft, chewy and oh so delicious.

I bake them for exactly 9 minutes.  I always have and they turn out amazingly.  Maybe it’s superstition or maybe it is just the perfect amount of time, either way I go with it.

I make half the batch with nuts and half without (my husband is not a fan).

I also got to use one of my most prized kitchen gadgets, my Pampered Chef cookie scoop.  I love it….I know it’s silly but I do!

This recipe can also be changed up very easily. Try substituting orange extract for the vanilla, throw in some orange zest and change out the semi-sweet chips for dark chocolate. Raspberry extract with white chocolate…the possiblities are endless!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 heaping tsp. salt
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 – 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, we prefer semi-sweet
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
7. Bake for 9 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep remaining dough refrigerated while cookies are baking.
8. Cool on baking sheet for a minute or so then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Yields about 28 cookies.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Our family enjoys Olive Garden but every time we try to go it’s almost always an hour wait.  That is much too long with a baby!  Luckily I found a copycat recipe for their Zuppa Toscana soup years ago and it can be made in the time it would take us to simply sit down at the restaurant. 

I have altered it for our taste and I think it’s pretty darn close.  The original recipe called for the addition of kale which I always pick around at the restaurant so we leave that out but feel free to add it!  It’s still a bit chilly and windy here in Fargo so it was the perfect lunch today!

This is a thin soup but it is hearty and filling.  Soak up the last of the soup with some delicious french bread! Yum!

Zuppa Toscana Soup
Serves 2

3 ¼  cup chicken broth or stock
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large russet potato
2 garlic cloves
2-3 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
½ lb. spicy sausage
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

1. Take sausage out of casing and crumble into a pan; cook until no longer pink with the onion and garlic.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess grease.
2. Combine the broth/stock and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add sausage.
4. Scrub the potatoes then slice ¼ inch thick then quarter and add to the soup.
5. Add the salt and crushed red pepper and let the soup simmer for an hour.  Stir occasionally.

Linked to:
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Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

I cannot go to a gathering without bringing something….I just can’t.  So when we got an invitation to a friend’s housewarming party I knew I had to plan for something delicious.  I really enjoy baking and almost always bring something sweet.   I decided on cupcakes as I recently received a cupcake cookbook that I have been itching to try out.

After quizzing the host, I discovered his favorite cupcake flavor was chocolate.  Now when he said chocolate I started to worry.  We aren’t big chocolate cake fans so this is not within my comfort zone.  I love to cook for others and I especially love watching them enjoy my creations.  I always worry about bringing something new to a get-together.  I am somewhat of a perfectionist and I cringe at the thought of something not turning out exactly as planned.  But I decided I would jump in head first to this challenge.

I decided to be a little selfish and top these little babies with sweet, creamy strawberry frosting.  I love strawberries and the combination sounded pretty divine.  A little drizzle of ganache and a sliced of strawberry finished them beautifully.  I also think a chocolate dipped strawberry would be decadent on top!

The cake turned out moist, dense and dark while the frosting was sugary sweet.  In my opinion the sweet frosting was the perfect complement to the rich chocolate.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

Recipe from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella
Yields 24 cupcakes

½ cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup (4 oz.) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup plain yogurt, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Insert liners into cupcake pan.
2. Place cocoa in a small bowl.  Pour boiling water over cocoa and whisk until all the lumps are dissolved.  Add the bittersweet chocolate to the cocoa paste and stir until melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat for 1 minute after each addition.  Add the vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Mix at low speed until well integrated.  Add the yogurt and mix well.  Add the remainder of the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Add the chocolate.  Mix until blended.  Do not overmix.
6. Fill the cupcake liners ½ to ¾ full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes in pan.

Strawberry Frosting:
Recipe from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced*
Lemon juice, as needed

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Add the strawberries.  Mix well.  At this point I turned the mixer on high since I was going for a smoother, rather than chunky frosting.  You may need to add lemon juice to reach spreadable consistency if using fresh strawberries.

*If using frozen strawberries, thaw and drain most of the liquid before adding to frosting.

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup chocolate
¾ cup whipping cream

1. Place chocolate in a bowl.
2. Bring whipping cream to a boil over high heat.
3. Pour hot whipping cream over the chocolate, stirring until smooth and glossy.  Cool to room temperature.

Assembly:
1. Frost cooled cupcakes.
2. Drizzle with ganache (or chocolate syrup if you do not want to make ganache) and top with a slice of strawberry.  Enjoy!

Recipe linked to Everyday Sisters!