Tag Archives: sugar

Bananas for a Saturday morning at ESPN Radio

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Banana chocolate chip bars with brown butter frosting

I am filling in tomorrow morning at work and need a treat to bring in for my people. These are dense banana bars with chocolate chips and brown butter frosting. They are also made with melted white chocolate chips. I have done different flavored treat using melted white chips, so this time ibtried banana. I arrive at 6 am tomorrow morning, so breakfast will be served then.:)

Reminders – preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking So it cycles to the right temp. Scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup to get the right amount. If you pour the flour directly into the measuring cup, it gets packed in and can dry out the bars.

Bananas = fruit= breakfast
  • Ingredients
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 cups mashed bananas
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 -2 cups of chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. In a microwave safe bowl,melt white chips and butter in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs. Stir in bananas. Blend in flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread evenly into foiled pan. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center basically comes out clean. The edges will be a light golden brown. While bars are warm, make the frosting.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 plus cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Brown butter over low-medium heat (there will be little brown specs at the bottom. ) Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Cool 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar. Mix in cream and vanilla. Spread over warm bars. Cool completely and cut. Store in covered container.

See the little brown specs from the butter? 😋

Thank so much for stopping by today. I hope you know how much you matter and are loved. And remember to be kind. Your kindness may be just what someone struggling needs.

Banana chocolate chip cookies

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These are the first banana treat I have made since the mid 90s. Back then, I made a banana bread cake and added some chocolate chips. I thought I messed it up, so I frosted it. I took it to work. It was a big hit, and even a friend of mine who said he didn’t like bananas, loved it. So after 25 years, here is my next attempt at a 🍌 treat.

These cookies make the house smell amazing. They are soft like banana bread, with chocolate chips and vanilla frosting. Perfect to bring in Monday morning to work.

Reminders – spoon your flour from your flour bag into you measuring cup so you get the right amount. And, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups mashed bananas
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream Crisco, butter and sugar. Add eggs, then bananas. Blend in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky. You will want to spray a cookies scoop (and your hands) with Pam spray. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. The bottom will be golden and you will see golden patches on top. Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter, melted
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk
Cookie monster

Directions – combine butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add milk, a tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want. Frost cookies. Store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Flourless chocolate cake

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Flourless chocolate cake!

Happy Valentine’s Day! A perfect treat for today, or any day, really (provided you love chocolate). A flourless chocolate cake. Super easy to make and my chocolate loving hubby called it the best dessert I ever made!

Tips – preheat your oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes before baking, so your oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used 60 percent)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Spray an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan only with parchment paper (I actually traced the pan on the parchment paper to get the right size). In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 40 second incremens until you can stir it smooth. Add sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Fold in cocoa. Spresd into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes. It may look undercooked, but it is not. Let cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions – heat cream in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Pour over chips. Let set for 2 minutes. Stir smooth. Pour over cake. Store in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by. ❤

Red velvet Oreo bars with fudge topping

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Red velvet Oreo bars with fudge topping

Today’s treat would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any day really – red velvet Oreo bars topped with a fudge-like topping. Any flavor cake mix would be good, but I went with red velvet here. These are quite sweet, but are a huge hit when I have made them in the past.

So sweet!

Quick reminder – preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking So your oven cycles to the right temperature when the bars go in. And don’t cook these longer than 15 minutes. Any longer, and they might dry out.

Yum!
  • Cake bars ingredients
  • 1 red velvet cake mix, 15.25 oz (around that size. You can also use another flavor)
  • 1 stick of butter, melted
  • 2 eggs

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, combine cake mix, butter and eggs. Spray your hands with Pam,or moisten with water and press dough into prepared hand. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Is this velvet?😁
  • Fudge topping
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a sauce pan, over low-medium heat, bring butter, evaporated milk and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chips until melted. Add vanilla. Let cool a few minutes. Pour over red velvet layer.

Voila!

Top with crushed oreos (you can crush them in a food processor or with a rolling pin. Or if you are made, you can smash them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin!)

Oreos make everything better

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with peace, joy and love. Remember to be kind. Your kindness may be the difference in someone’s day.

Hot cocoa brownies with fluff filling and topped with chocolate ganache and a squiggle!

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Hot cocoa brownies

We spent this snowy Saturday shovelling, letting Gracie in and out approximately one million times, and watching hockey. Rob requested hostess cupcakes,so I did a little tweak – hot cocoa brownies, with hostess filling, chocolate ganache and a squiggle. The squiggle is never my forte. You can say the same for my decorating and picturing taking.

Topped with a squiggle (really it is a blob)

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking so it cycles to the right temp.

  • Brownies ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled at room temp for 10 minutes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup hot cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. in a bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in chips. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

Directions – in a bowl, blend butter and fluff well. Add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar,slowly. Add milk, a tsp at a time, to get the consistency you want. Spread over cooled brownies

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – place chips in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat heavy cream just to a boil. Pour over chips. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir smooth. (If you need to, microwave mixture for 20 seconds and that should allow you to stir it smooth). Spread over fluff filling

  • Squiggle ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 tsp milk

Directions – blend together well. Scoop into a plastic sandwich bag and cut out a corner. Now squiggle on top of chocolate layer! If you can do a squiggle, more power to you. My abilities only allow a blob. Store in covered container.

Dark chocolate brownies (these are not pre-victory treats)

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Is the ganache necessary? Why yes!

These brownies, a request from my hubby, which we will bring to his mom tomorrow. They are not a pre-victory treat for the Bills. I repeat, they are not a pre-victory treat. I can not take such chances heading into a divisional playoff game at Kansas City tomorrow. I may not be superstitious, but a little stitious! Or maybe I am superstitious. I text my college roomate every game day and we are on a 6 game winning streak. Coincidence? I think not. Go Bills!

Reminders -preheat your oven to 325 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. Scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. Don’t overmix the batter. Just mix it until the flour is blended in.

A brownie masterpiece!
  • Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 5 1/3 tbs butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In a saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, sugar and water over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate and butter melted (does not take long). Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour and salt. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 27 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted,in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions- pour chips in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until it bubbles. Pour over chips. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir smooth. If you have a few chips that won’t smooth (did I just create a new verb?), you can microwave mixture in 20 second increments until you can stir it smooth. Cut brownies and store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day, filled with peace, joy and love. And remember to be kind. Your kindness may be just what someone needs that day.

Smores whoopie pies- NFL playoff edition

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Smores whoopie pies

I figured I would up my treats game with the NFL super wildcard weekend. The Bills win over the Patriots was the best game I ever saw played by a Bills team. Just about everything went right and Josh Allen was flawless. Such a performance deserves a special cookie. So I present the smores whoopie pie – a Graham cracker cookie, fluff filling and melted chocolate on top. Each cookie is 1/4 cup of dough. The final whoopie pie is quite large, so next time I may only use 2 tbs dough for each cookie. Although I don’t expect any complaints at work with XL cookies

A few reminders – let your butter soften on the countertop for 45 minutes to an hour. Scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. Preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking So your ovem cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients for cookies
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. In a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients, including Graham cracker crumbs. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Slightly flatten. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. These are kind of hard to tell when they are done, but you don’t want to overcook them in the oven. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Milk

Directions – blend fluff and butter. Mix in powdered sugar. Add a little milk if filling seems too thick. Now for the assembly.

Place a cookie, flatside up
Top with a dollop of filling
Place another cookie, flatside down, on top
Frost with melted chocolate

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy. And I hope the Bills win 3 straight games these playoffs!

Chocolate chip cookies are like the friends in your life

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Happiness is a chocolate chip cookie

Recently one of our analysts, let’s call him “Dan”, had an outrageous take that oatmeal cookies are the best cookie, far better than chocolate chip. I find this blasephemous! There is a national cookie day, but there is also a separate national day just for chocolate chip cookies. Can oatmeal cookies make that claim? No, they can not. I have nothing against oatmeal cookies, and they are wonderful, but they need to have chocolate chips in them, not raisins. Chocolate chip cookies are like the friends in your life, they make you happy, make you smile and you feel better when they are around. “Dan” is a wonderful analyst with much insight in the sport he covers, but his cookie take is off base!

A few reminders – spoon you flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup, chill the cookie dough for a few hours and preheat your oven for 20 minutes before baking.

This is what I used to scoop out my dough. Each scoop of this is 2 tbs
  • Ingredients
  • 10 tbs cold butter, grated with a cheese grater
  • 2 tbs Crisco
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – cream grated butter, Crisco, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. If you need to, mix dough with your hands to finish blending it all together. Add chips. Scoop out 2 tbs of dough with an ice cream scoop. scoop out another 2 tbs of dough. Pile one of top of the other to make a mound of dough. Repeat process until all dough is used. Chill mounds for a few hours. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Stagger mounds of dough on your prepared sheet. Bake 10 to 14 minutes, until you see golden patches on top. Let set on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool completely. Store in covered container.

Cookie monster strikes again!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. May you have a day filled with happiness and love. And, remember to be kind. We all need a little kindness these days.

Celebratory fudge

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Celebration fudge

I asked Rob what to make to celebrate the Bills week 17 win and he said fudge with Oreo crumbles. Fudge is not something I make very often, so I said “sure.” Thanks to the win and the Ravens loss, the Bills clinched a playoff spot, so here is your celebratory fudge with crushed oreos. Wooooooo!!!

Crushed oreos are just what this fudge needed
  • Ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 2 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a pan, combine butter, fluff, sugar and evaporated milk. Cook over low heat until butter and fluff and melted, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chips and vanilla. Stir until melted. Line and 8×8 pan with ton foil,and spray with butter spray. Spread fudge evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with crushed Oreos. Let set for a few hours. Cut and store in covered container.

Yum!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with peace,joy and love. And remember to be kind. Your kindness may be just what some person needs. Also – Go Bills! ❤❤

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

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Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

On occasion, I am asked “do you ever bake anything healthy?” For the most part, probably not. But today, I present you with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They have oatmeal, so that makes them healthy, right? 😏

Remember – 1) to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup. 2) scoop out your dough and then chill it for a few hours. 3) preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.

Cookie monster hasn’t gotten to them yet!
  • Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour (scooped from your flour container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – combine dry ingredients, including oats. Add oil. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cuos of dough. Chill a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners or parchment paper. Stagger cookies on prepared sheet. Bake 10 to 13 minutes, or until you see light golden patches on top. Cool completely.

Frosting cancels out any health benefits, I think!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with peace, joy and love. Please remember to be kind. We all need kindness