Cinnamon Banana Wake-up Cake

Damn, it's been a while! Mr. Smith and I have had a few busy weeks with travels and whatnot, the most recent being to the Big Easy where we chowed down here and here. If you haven't been to NOLA~ GET.THERE.NOW... Anywho- back to the kitchen. With all that traveling, another bunch of bananas hit the skids and turned up in my favorite coffee cake- so here it is. The cookbook is a bit kitchy, but it was the first one I ever bought so it has a special place in my heart.


Cinnamon Banana Wake- Up Cake
From: Keeping Good Company

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
2 bananas, coarsely mashed (not pureed)
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are good)
2 tbsp sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat together first four ingredients until well blended. Stir in bananas and next six ingredients and mix well. Spread batter into a greased bundt pan and sprinkle top with nuts and cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan.

Chunky Monkey Cookies

When my favorite little person had a big birthday party last weekend, I knew I had to bring something with bananas in it. Well.... that and the fact that chunky monkey ice cream has a very special place in my heart. So I present you with Chunky Monkey cookies. Cake like banana cookies studded with walnuts and chocolate chips and frosted with yummy vanilla and banana frosting. These are truely trashy.


Chunky Banana- Chocolate Chip Cookies
From: Betty Crocker's Cookies & Bars no.48
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies

2 1/2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup vanilla frosting (I totally trashed it up and used Rich and Creamy out of a tub)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts and/ or mini chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mash 2 of the bananas to measure 1 cup mashed; reserve the remaining 1/2 banana. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and mashed bananas in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chips and 1/2 cup walnuts.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake 11- 15 minutes or until edges begin to turn light golden brown. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely- about 30 minutes.

Mash enough of remaining 1/2 banana to measure 2 tablespoons mashed. Mix frosting an mashed banana in medium bowl with spoon until well blended and spreadable. Spread each cookie with about 1 tablespoon of the frosting and sprinkle with mini chips or walnuts if you are using them.

Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread has always been one of my favorite things to make, but somehow the bananas in my house are always gone before they have the opportunity to brown. Last week I picked up an extra bunch with this bread in mind, and while I was walking out of the farm stand this recipe was staring me in the face. I think it was fate.

Banana Bread
From: Wilson Farm

Cream together:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened

Beat in:
2 eggs

Stir in:
1 1/4 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
2 tablespoons milk

Sift together and stir in:
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan,
Bake at 350 degrees 50-60 minutes, or until done.