Choco Choco Chocolate...and Banana

The last few weeks we've been trying to use what we've got in our house instead of running to the store every time we need something. It's time for us to be more self-sufficient! (I need a better depression era housewife/Rosie the Riveter "WE CAN DO IT!" attitude adjustment.)

The long and short of it is this: I needed to use up bananas that were sitting in our freezer, and I had to do it with ingredients we had on hand. I settled on~and this is a mouthful~Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Banana Muffins.

They happened to be on an OAMC list (Once a Month Cooking) and I thought we could freeze them for quick treats. Problem is, I was just putting the pans in the oven when my sister dropped by, and by the time she left we had already eaten a dozen! Really, these are hands down one of the tastiest things EVER. And don't be daunted by the extra long title. They are really easy to make.

Now you wish you had some over-ripe bananas, don't you? Or maybe you just wish you were here and could eat mine.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 extra ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-Use a little butter or pan spray to lightly grease the tops of two 12 cup muffin tins (to keep muffins from sticking in case they rise over the top) and line them with cupcake papers.
-In a large bowl cream together the butter, applesauce, sugar and vanilla.
-Add the eggs and mix.
-Add dry ingredients and mix well.
-Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream, and then the chocolate chips.
-Scoop the batter into the muffin cups using an ice cream scooper.
-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool slightly and remove from pans to cooling racks.
-To freeze, cool and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen, then put in plastic bags to store.

Makes about 24 muffins (depending on how full you fill your muffin cups)

Banana Fana Fo Fana

It seems like no matter how many bananas we try to eat, we always end up with a freezer full of spotty, over-ripe loners that are begging to be made into something tasty (except the ones that end up falling hard and frozen onto my TOES.)

Speaking of which, don't throw your speckled bananas away! Throw them in the freezer and they stay in ripe banana limbo for months! To defrost, just submerge them in a bowl of warm water until mooshy, then tear off the stem and squeeze the banana into a bowl.

This is my redux for my favorite Banana Pancake recipe, reducing the fat and adding fiber where I could without sacrificing the taste, since I'm trying to eat healthier. They're really good and very filling. I suppose, if you were feeling like you needed some say, extra anti-oxidants with endorphin inducing benefits, you could add a few semi-sweet mini chocolate chips to the batter.

This recipe makes a LOT of pancakes. But you could always make them and freeze them. Then they're ready to pop in the toaster or microwave for a quick breakfast.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

3 egg whites
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1-In a bowl beat the egg whites until frothy, then mix in bananas, applesauce, and buttermilk. Set aside.

2-In a large mixing bowl stir together the dry ingredients, then add the banana mixture. Beat together until everything is well incorporated. (You can add more buttermilk if you feel the batter is too thick.).

3-Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a preheated griddle. Flip over when the edges begin to dry and the batter bubbles on top.

4-Serve with sliced bananas and/or warm maple syrup.

A Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love

I made this cake today.>
It took me about 2 hours all in. Dana even helped stir the batter. Awww!

I thought I'd go with a chocolate cream cake...this is 2 previous recipes--
Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake and the cream filling recipe from the Banana Cake--juxtaposed on each other. I think it turned out really well. Or at least the decorating job did, if I do say so myself. I didn't actually get to taste any of it...though I did try some of each component as I was making it and they were all good. :)

I literally had 2 minutes to snap the pictures before we had to run out the door, so that's why the pics are not so great today...we had too many errands to run today and a trip to the swimming pool. Life!

I also find it's hard to get an interesting angle on a decorated cake when you want to get it all in. And I had to lean over it to get the top, which made the pictures dark because I was blocking the light. It was 8 layers if you count the frosting...alternating layers of chocolate cake and cream filling topped with milk chocolate buttercream. (Ooh la la! C'est manifique!) It's a shame that I didn't get a picture of the cake when it was cut. I was going to give Ray the camera to get a shot at work, but I forgot. Oh well...



The point I am trying make here is that experimenting in the kitchen is a great way to teach yourself to be a better cook. Just like sewing (which I also do, but not as much now that we have a wee kiddo who is far too interested in the mechanics of the machine and it's furiously fast needle...) you can take the parts you like and leave out the things you don't and make it your very own.

Another thing I wanted to say while I'm rambling on here is that anyone and everyone can feel free to leave comments...someone pointed out a glaring error (!) I had made on my brownie recipe the other night and I'm so greatful! (Thanks Cheri!) I love to get feedback and comments and anything else you might feel like sharing. It makes me feel that all this tomfoolery is worth it in the end.