Snacko Backo

This is another fantastic recipe from Mrs. Weiner.  It seems like every time I go to Rachel’s house, her mother has two loaves of this cooling on the counter.  So when I had a craving for banana bread, I knew just who to ask for a recipe.  Since I am not so into walnuts, I left out the topping.  But I decided to throw in some chocolate chips– because, i mean, how good does that sound?  Interesting tip from Ina (I’ve been made fun of for always referring to the barefoot contessa as if we were actually friends)- toss chocolate chips in a pinch of flour- this keeps them from falling to the bottom of the batter.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 medium-size very ripe bananas, mashed
coarsely chopped walnuts for topping (optional)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar and work together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.  Add to the creamed mixture until well combined. Fold in the mashed bananas. In a small bowl, toss choc chips with a big pinch of flour. Add choc chips into batter.  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  If desired, cover the top with chopped walnuts.  Bake 60 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then cut around the sides and remove the bread to a rack to cool completely.

Easy. Delicious. Everyone likes it. It’s pretty much my favorite.  My mother used to make it for holidays.  But again, such deliciousness need not be reserved only for special occasions.

Adapted from Silver Palate
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (other apples such as honeycrisp/suncrisp etc work great too)
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

1. Preheat over to 350.  Grease an 8 inch cake pan.  (I usually a rectangle Pyrex w. roughly the same area- worked fine.  I vaguely remember my mother doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 Pyrex, but that will be up to you to experiment. Last time, i went for a round cake pan- i like the look)
2. Place a layer of apple slices in the pan and sprinkle with some of the lemon juice.  Repeat the layers until all the apples are in the pan.  Lightly press down on the apples to even them.
3. Process the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade just to to combine. Add the butter and process, using repeated pulses, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the apples, making sure the edges are well sealed.
5. Bake until the top is golden and the apples are tender, about 1 hour.  Serve warm w. ice cream.  (can be made day before- and reheated)
6 portions

*usually i make in a pyrex rectangle pan- but the other day, i went w. a round cake pan- i like the look

New Peeling Trick!

Learned this great peeling trick in Ireland. Peel in a circle around the top and the bottom of the apple. Then you peel up in strips. Not only is this faster- but it keeps the edges smooth  and pretty.

Chewy, fudgy, delicious, fool proof.

Adapted from Silver Palate

6oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate (i use ghirardelli bars)
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat to 350.  Butter and flour an 8 x 8 in pan.
1.  melt chocolate in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly
2.  add chocolate syrup
3.  remove pan from heat, mix in butter
4.  add eggs and vanilla; mix thoroughly]
5.  in a small bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt
6.  add dry mixture into chocolate mixture
7.  pour into prepped pan, and cook 30 minutes, until just done
8.  cool completely before cutting