Tag: recipe

Banana Nut Bread Begging to be Baked

Banana Nut Bread Begging to be Baked

Posted on by Mama

 

BNbread

mushingWhen you and your preschooler are cooped up on a cold winter’s day with really ripe bananas and leftover Christmas pecans (yep you guessed it), it’s as if banana nut bread is just begging to be baked. If your little ones are anything like my son, they probably love to be in the kitchen. After all, it is one of the few places where mess making is expected, especially when you let them do the ceremonially mushing of the bananas (we used a fork and a cutting board for that one, and it brought big smiles).

So if you find yourself in our shoes on a cold winter’s day (of which we still have plenty), try your hand at our banana nut bread — it’s tasty, fun and makes your whole house smell great.

Banana Nut Bread
Serves 16
Basic banana nut bread
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Cook Time
50 min
Cook Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  2. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  3. 1/4 tsp baking soda
  4. 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  5. 1/8 tsp salt
  6. 1 egg
  7. 1 c mashed ripe bananas
  8. 3/4 c sugar
  9. 1/4 c cooking oil
  10. 3/4 c chopped pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour the bottom of a loaf pan and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.
  4. In another bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar and cooking oil.
  5. Add this egg mixture to the dry mixture and stir until moist (the batter will be lumpy).
  6. Fold in the nuts.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  8. Bake 50 - 55 minutes.
  9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to finish cooling.
  10. Wrap and store to keep moist.
Notes
  1. Children will love mashing the bananas for this recipe. Try giving them a cutting board and fork to do so; but, as always, adult supervision is advised.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
https://www.smalltalkmama.com/
Let’s Talk Pecan Pie

Let’s Talk Pecan Pie

Posted on by Mama

 

pecanpie

So let’s talk pecan pie. It’s a classic dessert that can be a little daunting if you’re not familiar with baking this delicious Southern favorite. Well, for that matter it might be a favorite of folks up north or even out west, but I’ve never eaten pecan pie in those places so I wouldn’t know.

I used to think that Nannnie (my wonderful deceased grandmother) made the absolute best pecan pie ever and so one day long ago I asked her for the recipe. To which she responded in her cute little Southern accent (not Paula Deen thick, but a hint of Sandra Bullock drawl), “Lands sakes, child. I use the Karo® Syrup recipe. It’s printed right on the bottle.” So that’s my response to the very same question and it’s what I’m telling you here today. Grab a bottle of Karo Syrup and follow the directions printed on the bottle and you’ll probably be feasting on the ooey, gooey sweetness that is pretty good pecan pie.

Now if “perfect” pecan pie is the very thing you seek, there are two additional things you need to know. One, start with a good homemade pie crust; and two, aluminum foil is your friend. Sounds simple, eh? Well you just happen to be in luck, because while I’m not stealing Karo’s thunder by publishing their pie recipe here at Small Talk Mama, I am posting the best pie crust recipe I know — and this one did come out of my Nannie’s recipe box.

But before I get to the recipe, let me tell you about the aluminum foil. Before I put my pecan pie in the oven, I create a dome of foil that covers the entire pie. I allow the pie to bake that way until the last 10-15 minutes of the required baking time, which prevents the crust and top of the pie from getting too brown before the syrupy insides have a chance to completely set up.  I then remove the foil and allow the pie to finish baking as usual. Sometimes I have to add a few minutes of baking time to get the top and crust sufficiently browned, but that just requires a bit of babysitting.

That’s it. Those are all my secrets to the perfect pecan pie, but all this advice does come with a warning. If you come from a pie eating crew, you just might become the designated pecan pie maker for family affairs and potluck gatherings, which isn’t all bad when the kudos come pouring your way.

photo credit: .imelda via photopin cc

Nannie's Pie Crust
Yields 5
Old-fashioned pie crust
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Ingredients
  1. 5 cups flour
  2. 1 tsp salt
  3. 1 lb Crisco
  4. 1 egg
  5. 1 tbsp. vinegar
  6. water
Instructions
  1. Put flour, salt and Crisco in a mixing bowl.
  2. Combine egg and vinegar in a one-cup measuring cup and add enough water to fill the cup.
  3. Add this cup to the flour mixture in the bowl and blend everything together well.
  4. Divide into five equal parts and roll into large balls.
  5. If using immediately, place crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before rolling out. To save for later, wrap crusts individually and freeze until needed.
Notes
  1. This pie crust can be made ahead of time, frozen individually and thawed as needed.
  2. photo credit: .imelda via photopin cc
https://www.smalltalkmama.com/
Christmas Cheer Chocolate

Christmas Cheer Chocolate

Posted on by Mama

This great recipe was a new experiment for the family this year. I found the original idea from a girl in Germany, but the measurements weren’t exact and the ingredients were a bit difficult to find so I gave it a try with some substitutions and guess-work. I’m happy to say the end result was a salty sweet chocolate dessert that appears to be sprinkled with holiday cheer.

Christmas Cheer Chocolate
Yields 8
A salty sweet chocolate dessert that appears to be sprinkled with holiday cheer.
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Ingredients
  1. 12 oz. white baking chocolate
  2. 3/4 cup Craisins
  3. 3/4 cup shelled pistachios
  4. cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Slightly chop the pistachios and Craisins into quarters and small bits, but do not over chop.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of pistachios and 1/2 cup of Craisins to melted chocolate and mix together until everything is well coated.
  4. Line an 8×8 or similar size baking dish with wax paper and lightly squirt with cooking spray.
  5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared dish and smooth.
  6. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Craisins and pistachios.
  7. Cover and cool in the refrigerator until solid.
  8. Remove from wax paper and break into bits for serving.
Adapted from a German recipe
Adapted from a German recipe
https://www.smalltalkmama.com/
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