Banana Sour Cream Bars-12 Weeks of Christmas Treats

 

It is week 2 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda at Menu Planning Magic.  I felt a bit like Goldilocks this past week.  I wanted to post some new and different bar cookie recipes that, perhaps, were not already out there on the net.  Like Goldi's experience, none were "just right."  Here are my attempts, and why I am not posting them.

Back, left-a lemon marshmallow bar.  Very good flavor, but difficult to cut, and that topping cracked on most of the bars.  Back, right-a banana cherry bar.  The banana bar recipe I am posting has better flavor.  Front-date bars.  The topping was too dry, and crumbs kept shedding off.  Now the good part of all this is, my hubby and coworkers are happy.  They have been able to eat lots of sweets.   (If you really want the recipes for any of these, sent me an email.)

After all that, I chose to make and post an old reliable banana bar cookie recipe.  It is a nice change from having banana bread.  I like to include banana bars and other, not so common flavors, on holiday cookie plates.  It makes for a nice contrast.  The bars can be "fancied up" by adding a half cup each of chopped, toasted nuts and chopped red and/or green candied cherries.

If I am in a hurry to get butter softened, I will thinly slice it into a bowl.  That way it softens very quickly.  I posted a trick to quickly soften cream cheese that works very well.

Banana Sour Cream Bars
1/2 c. butter softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream, regular or low fat
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (8 oz.) pkg. regular or low fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar together until very fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir into creamed ingredients, mixing well.  Fold in mashed bananas.  Pour into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Cool in pan on rack.  When cool, combine cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer bowl.  Beat with mixer until well blended and smooth.  Add vanilla and mix to combine.  Add sifted powdered sugar  and mix until well blended and of spreading consistency.  Spread over cooled cookies.  Cut into bars.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  Makes about 36 bars.

There is still time to join us and share some of the Christmas treats you are making.  You can find all the information for joining in the fun in this post at Menu Planning Magic

Linking to these great parties:
Show and Share Wednesday
What's Cookin' Wednesday
Cast Party Wednesday
Wake Up Wednesday
Whimsy Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap Crafts
Wow Me Wednesday at Polkadots on Parade
Fluster's Creative Muster


To see what other bloggers have posted this week, check out the links below.

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Banana Butterfinger Graham Cracker Freeze-Saturday Sweet

I always have overripe bananas in the freezer waiting for me to use them up.  Sometime, they wait too long, and I end up throwing them out, so this week I decided that my Saturday Sweet would be something using some of those bananas.

I have been having fun playing around with instant pudding and frozen whipped topping so wanted to see what would happen if I added bananas.  I also had seen this Butterfinger Desserts Roundup over at CremedelaCrumb, so a couple of Butterfinger candy bars were added to the mix.

I used graham crackers as my bottom crust and added a crunch topping made with graham crackers that I love.  It is  a nice variation for streusel, and it is no secret how I feel about that.  The crunch needs to be made first so it has time to cool.  In the summer, I usually make up a batch when I am baking something else and keep it stored in a zip-top bag until I need it.  When I do that, this is a no-bake dessert.
 

 Banana Butterfinger Graham Cracker Freeze
12 graham cracker rectangles, divided (I broken in half)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped, toasted pecans or other nuts (optional)
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 small package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 c. milk
2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
2 (2.1 oz.) Butterfinger candy bars
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Crush 4 1/2 graham cracker rectangles into  crumbs.  Combine cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and toasted pecans.  Stir in melted butter until all ingredients are moistened.  Turn into a 9x13-inch pan and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.   Set aside to cool.  Crumble.  (Note:  may be made ahead and stored in a zip-top bag until it is needed.)   In a medium mixing bowl combine pudding mix and milk.  Beat for 2 minutes with a wire whisk.  Beat in mashed banana.  Crush Butterfingers in their wrappers. (I use my metal meat tenderizer.)  Add to pudding mixture, stirring well to combine.  Fold in whipped topping until well blended.  Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil.  Place the remaining 7 1/2 graham cracker rectangles in bottom of pan.  They will not quite fill the pan, so bring the sides of the foil up close to the graham crackers.  Pour pudding mixture into pan.  Sprinkle cooled graham crunch over the top.  Cover with foil and freeze overnight.  Cut into squares to serve.  Makes 12 servings.   Store tightly covered in the freezer.

 

Linking to these great parties:

Weekend Potluck

Saturday Spotlight

Party Junk

Strut Your Stuff

Weekend Bloggy Reading

Share Your Creativity

What'd You Do This Weekend

  

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Improv Challenge-Banana Nutmeg Squares

 

This ingredients for January Improv Challenge hosted by Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker are bananas and nutmeg.

It seems I always buy one or two bananas more than I can eat so they end up in the freezer waiting to be made into something.  This month I was aiming for a bar cookie, and the squares could be cut small and served that way; but the recipe really produced a cross between a cake and a coffeecake so serve it as you wish.

I used a stresuel topping, but stirred the batter to swirl it into the dough.  I thought some of the topping would stay on the top, but it all sank into the batter.  That left me needing to do something with the top so I used a little powdered sugar glaze to finish the recipe off.

Banana Nutmeg Squares
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 c. sour cream, low fat is OK
1 t. vanilla
1 c. mashed bananas, about 3 small
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. chopped, toasted walnuts
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted or put through a sieve
4 t. milk
sprinkle of nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar together until well blended.  Stir in eggs, sour cream, vanilla and bananas.  Stir with wire whisk until well blended.   Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Stir into banana mixture, mixing well.  Add walnuts.  Spread into greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan.  Combine flour, brown sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse corn meal.  Sprinkle mixture over batter in pan.  Swirl a knife back and forth from side to side and end to end to swirl topping into batter.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven.  Combine sifted powdered sugar, milk and a sprinkle of nutmeg until well blended.  Drizzle and spread glaze over top of cake.  This can be done either when the cake is warm if serving as a coffeecake or when cool if served as a cake.  Makes 15 servings.

Next month's challenge is Hearts and Flours (pun intended).  This is a challenging and fun link party.  I encourage you to join us.  All the information can be found on Kristen's Improv Page.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have posted using bananas and nutmeg.

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Teresa’s Tropical Bars

 

Today's Saturday sweet will be the last post of 2012 for cookie recipes that use the Holiday Cookie Mix.  I do have more recipes but have decided to save them for 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats 2013.

I named this recipe Teresa’s Tropical Bars to honor my friend and coworker.  She is my taste tester and cooking muse.   When I take something for her to try, she will make a comment like, “I wonder what it would be like if?”.  I am then off and running with whatever she suggested to see what would happen.

When I took the Salted Mixed Nut Bars for her to sample, she wondered what the cookie might be like with white chocolate chips and coconut.  I then began to think about a cookie with other tropical things besides coconut.

The result is this recipe which features a shortbread-like crust with a toffee topping embedded with dried pineapple and papaya, broken banana chips, coconut, chopped macadamia nuts and almonds.  A tribute to the tropics.

I give a range for the cookie mix because, if I am using the last of the mix, I usually just use the amount that I have, although I would not use less than the 2 1/2 cups.  Use of a larger amount of mix will just make the crust thicker.

I used a package of dried pineapple and papaya that I found at the Dollar Tree.  It measured about 3/4 c. chopped.

 
Teresa’s Tropical Bars
2 1/2 to 3 c. Holiday Cookie Mix
1 pkg (11 oz.) white chocolate chips
1 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. butter
2 T. water
1/2 t. coconut extract (opt.)
3/4 c. of a combination of chopped dried pineapple and papaya
1/2 c. broken dried banana chips
1/2 c. coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1 c. flaked coconut

Measure cookie mix into a foil-lined 10x13-inch jelly roll pan.  Pat out to cover the bottom evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes or till light golden brown.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle pineapple, papaya, banana chips and nuts over crust evenly.  Sprinkle coconut over the top.  Set aside.  Place  white chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter and water in a medium sauce pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat, melting chips and butter and bringing to a boil.  Boil and stir 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in coconut extract if using.  Quickly pour over mixture in jelly roll pan, spreading as evenly as possible.  Return to oven and bake 10-12 minutes.  Place pan on rack to cool.  Cut into 48 bars.

Linking to these great parties:
Weekend Potluck
Strut Your Stuff
I'm Lovin' It
Weekend Bloggy Reading
Saturday Nite Special

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SRC Reveal Day-Peanut Butter Banana Cream Squares

 I was so excited recently when, after waiting a nearly a year, I got an email asking if I still wanted to join The Secret Recipe Club.  Boy, did I!  So I signed up and received my very first assignment.  The blog I was assigned is Eat Laugh Love.

This is a fun blog with many interesting recipes.  Although some recipes are more sophisticated than what I usually eat, I found many recipes that I want to try.  Among them are Baked Egg Rolls, Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Bacon, Company’s Coming Apple Cake, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondes.

You will notice that the last two recipes listed are for sweets so it is no surprise that the recipe I chose to make is for a dessert.  When I saw the recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie I knew that is what I would be making.

This recipe had a number of things going for it.  I love peanut butter, bananas, cream cheese and chocolate so what could be better than a combination of all of these?  I'm also inherently lazy so love quick, easy and make ahead recipes.  Lastly, we are having a heat wave which makes a frozen dessert seem even better.

Instead of making a pie, I chose to put this in an 8-inch baking pan.  To be sure there was enough crust to cover the bottom of the pan, I increased the crust ingredients by half.  The recipe posted here reflects that change.

I wanted lots of banana so cut my slices about 1/2 inch thick.  I still took only two bananas of the size that I had.

I made my homemade Chocolate Sauce because I think that it tastes much better, but purchased can be used.

This was very good, and we will be having it often at our house.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Squares
Adapted from Eat Laugh Love
1 1/2 c. crushed vanilla wafer cookies (about 40 small ones)
6 T. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 c. less fat)
1/2 c. chunky peanut butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used light)
2 bananas, sliced
Chocolate sauce, homemade or purchased

In a bowl mix together cookie crumbs and brown sugar.  Add brown sugar and mix until all the crumbs are coated.  Pour into an 8-inch baking pan which has been very well sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for  10 minutes.  Set on a wire rack to cool completely. When crust has cooled, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter together until smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  Fold in thawed whipped topping until everything is well combined.  Cover the cooled crust with the banana slices.  Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the bananas.  Smooth the top and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.  Cover and freeze at least 8 hours.  Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.  Makes 9 servings.

Linking to Food on Fridays

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Streusel Banana Nut Bars

I liked the streusel topping that I used in the P B and J Streusel Bars that I posted last week so much, that I decided to use it with another bar cookie.  Since bananas were the Ingredient Spotlight over at Eat at Home this week, I also had bananas on my mind.  I decided to top a favorite banana bar recipe with the streusel topping.  I am glad to say that this worked very well.  The topping added a nice crunchy contrast to the smoothness of the bars.

The banana bar recipe has been in my files forever, and I don’t know where I got it.  It is very good and makes a large amount.  I have used walnuts, pecans and almonds in these, generally using whatever nut I had on hand.

Streusel Banana Nut Bars
1 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. mashed very ripe banana (2 to 3 medium)
4 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped toasted nuts
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 c. butter, chilled

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and vegetable oil.  Mix well.  Add mashed bananas and beat until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Add to banana mixture and mix until smooth.  Stir in chopped nuts.  Pour into a greased and floured 10x15-inch baking pan.  In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and oats.  Cut in butter until particles are the size of small peas.   Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool.  Cut into bars and enjoy.  Makes about 45 bars.

Linking to:  Ingredient Spotlight

Sweets for a Saturday

Weekend Potluck

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Ingredient Spotlight-Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

Happy Wednesday  and welcome to my new followers.  I see I have 99 today.  I feel a little give-away coming on when I reach 100.  Thanks to all who take the time out of their busy lives to read this blog.  I know that posting has been a little erratic lately, and I appreciate you stopping by.

Today's Ingredient Spotlight over at Eat at Home is bananas.  A banana is a wonderful, versatile fruit that comes in its own carrying case.  Such a wonder of nature.  For me personally a banana should be barely yellow.  I do not care to eat them after they have many brown spots.  I do love to put the riper ones in cookies, breads, and cakes, however.

Today I am sharing a recipe that is a nice change-up for regular breakfast oatmeal.  If you like peanut butter and bananas, this should be "right down your alley."  This is almost not a real recipe, and I found the idea at Taste of Home.  I like the crunch of the peanuts contrasted with the smoothness of the oatmeal and bananas in this, so use extra-crunchy peanut butter.  Of course, creamy peanut butter can be used instead.  All water or all milk can be used instead of the combination.  I use the combination and usually end up adding just a little milk when I eat the oatmeal.  I find that the less milk I need to add when serving, the hotter the oatmeal stays while I eat it.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
adapted from Taste of Home

1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
4 t. sugar or to taste
2 fairly firm bananas, sliced

Combine water, milk and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in oatmeal and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until desired consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter until well blended.  Add sugar to taste and mix well.  Pour into four serving bowls and top each serving with slices from half a banana.  Makes 4 servings.

Linking up to:  Ingredient Spotlight

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Ingredient Spotlight-Nutella-Banana Smoothie

If you have been reading this blog, you know that my new go-to breakfast drink is a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie from This Chick Cooks.

The other day I decided to change it up and use Nutella instead of peanut butter.  So this is my adaptation of Katie’s recipe.  The Nutella will not completely dissolve, so there will be little flecks of chocolate in the smoothie.

With the other ingredients in it, my mini food processor doesn’t do well with a whole cup of milk so I process this in two steps.  In the first step, I combine the banana, Nutella and about 3/4 cup milk.  I pour that into my glass, add about 1/2 cup more milk to the food processor and process that.  I pour that into the first mixture.  Doing two steps also helps to get every little bit of goodness out of the food processor and into my glass.

Nutella Banana Smoothie
Adapted from Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie from This Chick Cooks

1 frozen banana, sliced
2-3 T. Nutella, as desired
1 1/4 c. milk, divided

Place the banana, Nutella, and 3/4 c. milk in a mini food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a glass.  Add 1/2 c. milk to the food processor and process briefly.  Add to smoothie mixture in glass and mix well with a spoon.  Drink and enjoy.  Serves 1.

Linking to:  Ingredient Spotlight
Whisking Wednesdays
These Chicks Cooked
Foodie Wednesday

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Frozen Tropical Salad

When it is sweltering outside what could be better than to have a nice frozen fruity salad in your freezer.  How about bananas, pineapple, pecans, maraschino cherries and sugar held together with some sour cream or Greek yogurt. 

I sometimes add 1/3 to 1/2 c. toasted coconut to this and use chopped macadamia nuts instead of the pecans.  The original recipe called for sour cream, and I used low fat.  Now, however,  I usually use Greek yogurt.  I also sometimes use Splenda instead of sugar if the diabetics in the family will be eating this.  The maraschino cherries are included mostly for color.  If there are objections to eating them, use 1/4 c. halved raspberries.

Most of the time I spoon this into paper-lined muffing tins.  After they are frozen, I remove the salads and put them in a freezer bag for further storage.  I have used the silicone muffing liners with success also.

Now I must confess, this not a salad. It is a dessert masquerading as a salad. But who am I to hurt its feelings. So I just plop it on a lettuce leaf, and let it call itself a salad.

Frozen Tropical Salad

3 medium bananas
2 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 can (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained.
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
2 T. maraschino cherries
1/2 to 3/4 c. sugar, according to your taste

Peel bananas and place in a medium sized bowl.  Mash the bananas well.  Add remaining ingredients and blend well.  Turn into an oiled 6-cup mold and freeze several hours or overnight.  Unmold salad onto a platter lined with lettuce leaves and let stand 15 minutes before serving.   Serves 10-12.  Or spoon into paper-lined muffin tins and freeze several hours or overnight.  Remove paper liners before serving.  Makes about 18 salad cups.

Linking to:
It's a Keeper Thursday
Full Plate Thursday
Recipe Swap Thursday

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