I hid a few bananas from the Toddster this week so I could bake with them.  I am not overly fond of fresh bananas, unless they are sliced on top of my rice crispies or sitting beneath a blanket of custard, or in a banana cream pie.  I love baking with them most of all. 




If you were to offer me a bowl of fruit and there was only one apple in it and the rest were bananas . . . I'd take the apple every time.  Todd, on the other hand, loves bananas, and as soon as he sees them starten to really ripen he is in a mad rush to eat them all up before they go "bad."  I can't tell you the number of times I have wanted to bake something with banana in it only to see Todd sitting in his chair munching on the last banana! 





Hence my need to hide a few bananas . . . so I can bake.  Lovely goodies such as Banana, Cranberry and Walnut Loaf.  This is so good that my neighbor asks me to bake him one each Christmas.  Or my Fully Loaded Banana Chip Muffins.  Oh so scrummy.  Sour Cream Banana Loaf.  So moist and delicious.  My ex boss wanted me to bake it for him every week.  He loved it toasted and buttered for breakfast.  If you put the word Banana into the search block in my right hand column, you will find lots of banana delights.  Each one scrummier than the last!



We love this Banana Crumb Cake.   It's moist and delicious and has a ribbon of scrummy crumb through the centre, which kind of turns caramel-like . . . and then a crunchy crumb topping that is moreishly buttery.  Altogether this is a real winner.



It only keeps a couple of days though . . . which if you had a large family wouldn't be a problem as this disappears like water . . . but . . . if there are only two of you, like there is in our house, you will want to cut it into single servings, wrap well and freeze, for up to two months or so.



I don't see any problem in that.  It's nice to have some cake in the freezer for when the urge hits . . . especially when it's a delicious Banana Crumb Cake!  Enjoy!



Mash the bananas until they are liquified in a large bowl.   Add the butter to combine and then beat in the eggs, sugar and vanilla until mixed well.  Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture.  Cover with the remainder of the batter.  Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over top evenly.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes (mine took an additional 15 minutes) until the centre is set and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  At the end of that time dust with icing sugar if desired.  Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and then drizzle them decoratively over the top of the cake.

Cut into squares to serve.  This may be served warm or cold and will store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  It also freezes well.

To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl using only enough milk to give you a thick smooth drizzable glaze.  Dip the tops of the cookies quickly into this glaze until coated, allowing any excess to drip off.   Return to the wire racks until the glaze sets.  Store in an airtight container.

Have you ever tried those tasty little Gu Naughties? They come in Millionaire Flapjack and Rocky Road Flavours. Delicious little decadent bites, slathered in milk chocolate. Totally addictive and filled with lots of calories . . . dangerous really, coz you really can't eat just one. I had a bucket of each here when the movers were moving us in and they were gone in a flash!! (no surprise there!)



Rocky Road is actually really easy to make at home . . . it's probably one of the easiest sweets ever. And you just know that homemade is better for you than store bought, right??? (shhh!!! don't burst my bubble!)



All you need is a bunch of really good chocolate, some digestive biscuits, butter, mini marshmallows and some glace cherries.




Melt the chocolate and butter, mix in the rest, pop them into the fridge, and just a few hours later, *presto-chango* you have an extremely moreishly hedonistic treat!



These are seriously addictive. Really dangerous to have around actually. It's a good thing the missionaries are coming for their tea later today. I can offload these on them. I daren't keep them around for too long.



I saw Nigella make something this on the telly one time. As per normal, she was digging into them later on, in the dark . . . after hours . . . as you do . . .



Seriously I think Nigella's been telling us porkie pies . . . there is no way she keeps stuff like this around her house for very long, and religiously keep digging in for those midnight feasts . . . and yet remain so voluptiously gorgeous as she is . . .

Personally, I think she offloads them onto the missionaries too. (Sounds good in theory at any rate!!)




*Rocky Road*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Bet you can't eat just one piece!!

11 ounces good quality milk chocolate (I use Green & Blacks Organic
which has a high cocoa butter content)
4 1/2 ounces good quality plain chocolate (again use one with a high cocoa butter content)
4 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces mini marshmallows (M&S make some very nice ones, you can find them
in the baking section)
3 ounces digestive biscuits, crumble
(Put them into a baggie and crush them with a rolling pin,
not too fine though, you want some chunky bits)
2 ounces glace cherries, chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, chopped

Take an 8 inch square pan and line it well with plastic cling film, leaving a bit of an overhang.

Mix the marshmallows, biscuit crumbles, chopped cherries and chopped almonds together in a bowl. Place both chocolates along with the butter into a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Heat and whisk until completely melted and amalgamated. Pour this over top of the marshmallow mixture. Mix together well and then scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press down with the back of a spoon to smooth out. Place into the refrigerator to chill for several hours. Remove from the fridge and lift out of the pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Delicious!

I was sitting here this afternoon and craving something. I wanted something sweet and yet a bit savoury at the same time . . .



I decided to toast some English muffins and then cover them with milk chocolate chips, toasted pecans and marshmallows . . . which I then popped back under the grill until the milk chocolate was oozing, the marshmallows were stickily bubbling and the nuts were toasty brown.



Think S'Mores, but in pizza form.



Incredibly, edibly, moreishly good!



I think I may have created a monster with this one . . . the possibilities are endless . . .

Really.




*Nutty Chocolate and Marshmallow Mini Pizzas*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Oh, this is sinful . . . sweet and sticky yum!! Almost instant and incredibly moreish!

2 English muffins, sliced in half through the middle
2 heaping TBS single cream
15g plain chocolate, grated or shaved, or good quality chocolate chips
15g pecan nuts, chopped
25g mini marshmallows

Heat the grill to medium. Place the muffin halves, bottom side up, under the grill and toast them. Remove them from the frill. Sprinkle the cream over each, dividing it equally. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips, nuts and marshmallows. Place under the grill again, goodie side up. Toast until golden and bubbling. Remove from the grill and allow to sit for a few minutes before eating.

*Note* - Eat with some caution as the toppings will be hot, but oh so scrummy!