Banana Scones

If you've read here very much, you know that I am always excited to find recipes to use up over-ripe bananas. When I had Kate's blog as part of the Secret Recipe Club a few months back, I couldn't choose between the mint chocolate chip ice cream and these banana scones. So I made both. These are a wonderful breakfast or treat any time of day, and the peanut butter-laced icing really sets them apart.

I like to make scones in the food processor because it makes cutting in the butter so easy. If you don't have a food processor, just use a large mixing bowl and a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers to cut in the butter.

Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and brown sugar in the bowl.



Add in the nutmeg and the cinnamon.



Pulse this just until it's mixed together. (Or just whisk together in a large mixing bowl.) Cut up the butter into small pieces.



Add it to the dry ingredients



and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Or use your fingers like I did in the fruit crisp.)

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, lightly beat the egg, then blend in the banana and half and half.



If you've been using the food processor, transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and then add the wet ingredients to the dry.



Mix this up just until the dry ingredients are moistened.



Now pat out the batter into a circle on a floured surface. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.



Cut the circle in quarters, then cut each quarter in half. Gently transfer each piece onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I found it easiest to use a pie server for this.



You should be able to fit all 8 on one baking sheet. Make sure they're not touching.



Bake the scones for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.



To make the icing, combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar.



Stir it up; it will be very crumbly.



Add the milk, just a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is a good drizzling consistency. Then drizzle over the scones.



Yummy!



One year ago: Frozen Tiramisu
Two years ago: Pineapple Zucchini Bread

There are more great recipes at Turning the Table Thursday, Sweet Treats Thursday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Friday Food, Fusion Fridays, Fat Camp Fridays, Bake with Bizzy, Let's Do Brunch, Friday Potluck , Sweet Tooth Friday , Sweets for a Saturday.

Banana Scones

Scones:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (about 1 regular size) mashed, super ripe banana
3 tablespoons half & half
1 egg, beaten

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons milk

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl or pulse in a food processor until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, similar to really coarse sand. (Or use using your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture.)

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the banana, half & half, and egg together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a cutting board (it shouldn't be wet enough to stick to the board, but if it does, add a bit of flour). Form into a loose ball and flatten into a circle about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into quarters and cut each quarter in half (for 8 scones) and place (so they aren't touching each other) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 425 about 13-15 minutes, until light brown. Cool on a wire rack.
While the scones cool, make the icing. Whisk the peanut butter and powdered sugar together. Slowly add the milk a teaspoon at a time, making sure to blend in each teaspoon before adding more, until it runs off the whisk. Drizzle over scones when cool. Makes 8 scones.

Sloppy Joes

Now that school and fall activities are in full swing, it's nice to have a few quick, easy and satisfying meals in your repertoire. These sloppy joes deliver every time! Much tastier than any sauce that comes from a jar, and nearly as easy to prepare, you will have dinner on the table in no time, and likely receive cheers of appreciation as well.

This is a recipe repeat. For full step by step instructions, see the original post.

One year ago: Cream Cheese Brownies
Two years ago: Dalmatian Bars

Find more great ideas at What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, What's on the Menu?, Recipes I can't wait to try, What's on your plate?, Foodie Wednesday.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 T. prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. white vinegar
1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Brown beef and onions; drain fat. Add rest of ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns. Serves 4-6.

Cherry Coconut Bars

Here's another great cherry recipe to take advantage of that glorious summer fruit. They come together quite quickly and are SO delicious. Almonds, coconut and cherries on a shortbread crust - perfection!

Start by making the crust: combine the flour, powdered sugar



and butter in a food processor.



Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a mixer, or you can cut in the butter by hand with a pastry blender or two knives.)

Press the crust mixture into a greased 9 inch pan.



Bake this for 10 minutes. While the crust bakes, you can prepare the filling. You don't even need a mixer for this - just a bowl, whisk and spoon! In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Then add the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, coconut,



cherries,



almonds and



almond extract.



Stir well to incorporate all the ingredients and then pour the filling over the crust.





Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set.



Let the bars cool completely before you cut them. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

One year ago: Blueberry Banana Bread
Two years ago: Teriyaki Chicken

Find more inspiration at Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Foodie Wednesday, Made it on Monday, What's on your plate?, Let's Do Brunch, Recipes I Can't Wait to Try, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Turning the Table Thursday , Sweet Treats Thursday.


Cherry Coconut Bars

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped cherries
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract

In a food processor, combine the 1 cup flour, powdered sugar and butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Alternatively you can use a mixer.) Press the crust mixture into a greased 9" pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Stir in sugar, coconut, 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt, cherries, almonds and almond extract. Spread over baked crust.

Bake for another 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting and store in the refrigerator.


Recipe Source: Chefanies

Cherry Zucchini Muffins

Here's a great way to use some of your garden's abundance of zucchini, along with one of the summer's best fruits! And in a muffin no less - my favorite way to eat breakfast. These get a nice healthy boost from the fruit and vegetable in addition to whole wheat flour. And, as usual, they passed the taste test with my colleagues - a very discerning group of foodies.

Start by grating your zucchini. I like to place it in a sieve or colander and then I try to squeeze out any excess water.



Set that aside and combine the brown sugar, sugar and milk in a large mixing bowl.



Mix on low speed just until combined. Then add the oil, eggs and vanilla and mix again. Now add the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon,



and blend just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the cherries



and the zucchini,



and stir them in until everything is mixed together. Divide the batter among 18 paper-lined muffin cups and then top with turbinado sugar if you want to (I think that gives such a nice finishing touch to muffins!).



Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool on a wire rack.



These muffins do really well in the freezer, so you'll never be without a healthy, quick breakfast.

One year ago: Bok Choy Chicken Salad
Two years ago: Hot Fudge Sauce

There are more great ideas at Mangia Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Muffin Monday, Make a Food "E" Friend Monday, Menu Monday, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday (#2).

Cherry Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped fresh cherries

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars and the milk and mix on low speed until combined. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until blended. Add the flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and beat on low just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Stir in the cherries and zucchini. Divide batter evenly among the 18 paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 18 muffins.

Chicken BLT Pasta Salad

This is a fun main dish salad that makes for a nice summer dinner or would be welcome at any barbecue or potluck. Chicken and pasta, and then the BLT ingredients, combine beautifully together for a satisfying meal.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water. While it cooks, put the dressing together. Combine the mayo, vinegar



pepper, basil and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese




in a small bowl and stir well. Assemble all the other yummy ingredients: bacon, tomatoes, red onion, green onion and chicken.



When the pasta is done, drain it and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Add the chicken,



the onions,



bacon,



and tomatoes.



Pour the dressing on the salad



and stir well to completely coat all the ingredients. Finally, add the remaining parmesan.



You'll notice I didn't use lettuce this time. You can add it when you add the tomatoes and chicken or you can serve the pasta salad on a bed of lettuce, if you prefer.

One year ago: Bok Choy Chicken Salad (another great main dish salad!)
Two years ago: Fried Zucchini

Find more great stuff at Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, What's on the Menu, What's on your plate?, Foodie Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Made it on Monday, Let's Do Brunch, Turning the Table Thursday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter.

Chicken BLT Pasta Salad

1 pound bowtie pasta (Farfalle)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, diced and cooked crisp
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 green onions, sliced
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2-3 cups lettuce, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (light is ok)
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water til al dente; drain. Toss with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine mayo, vinegar, pepper, basil and 1/2 cup parmesan. Whisk well to combine.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, green onion and lettuce. Pour dressing over and stir well to coat all the ingredients. Add the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan and stir again. Serves 6-8.

Caramel Bars

It's Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! This month, I was assigned Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Kristen has lots of great recipes on her blog, and I bookmarked several more to make in the future. But as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it was the one I would make.

I absolutely adore all things caramel, and I had a yellow cake mix languishing in my pantry, so the choice was obvious. And it was a great choice. I may have to send Kristen a bill for the stretch pants I will now need to purchase, since I have eaten more than my "fair share," snuck right out of the fridge. I did also bring them to work where my colleagues gave these bars a double thumbs up. So all in all, a great recipe to add to the collection.

Start by combining the butter, sweetened condensed milk



and caramels in a medium saucepan.



(So, already you know this is going to be good. Butter, sweetened condensed milk and caramels????? Sign me up. Oh, I guess I'm already signed up.)

Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.



Then remove from the heat and let it cool. While it's cooling, combine the cake mix, eggs, milk and oil



in a large mixing bowl and beat until well combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips.



Now spread about 3/4 of the cake mixture into a greased cake pan.



Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then cool for another 10. Then top with that amazingly delicious caramel sauce.



Dollop the remaining cake mix over the caramel.



Return the bars to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top cake mixture is golden.



Let the bars cool for 15 minutes, then cut them (believe me, you'll want to do this now!) and pop them in the fridge. Let them cool in the fridge for at least an hour (time to go buy some stretch pants!), and refrigerate any leftovers.

Be sure to visit all the other Secret Recipe Club members below.

One year ago: August Pie
Two years ago: Banana Blueberry Coffeecake

Find more great stuff at Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Monday, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Make a Food "E" Friend Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, A Little Birdie Told Me, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tasty Tuesday (#3).

Caramel Bars

1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
32 caramels (1 - 8 oz. package)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter

In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sweetened condensed milk and caramels over medium low heat. Stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix with the eggs and oil. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press three fourths of the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

Spread caramel sauce over crust. Top with spoonfuls of remaining cake mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes, cut into small squares and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 30 bars.