Victoria's Banana Nut Muffins

INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (12-16 bananas)
1/3 cup melted butter (1-1/3 cup melted butter)
3/4 cup sugar (3 cups - use brown sugar)
1 egg, beaten (4 Eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla (4 tsp)
1 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (optional) (4 tbsp)
1 teaspoon baking soda (4 tsp)
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour (6 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw) (4 cups)

No need for a mixer with this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.

Mix in the sugar, egg, espresso and vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.

Add the flour, mix until it is just incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Pour mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done. Cool on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.
simplyrecipes.com

Victoria's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS
6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate (24 Squares)
1/3 cup unsalted butter (1-1/3 Cups)
3/4 cup buttermilk (3 Cups)
1/2 cup white sugar (2 Cups)
1 egg (4 Eggs)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (2 tbsp)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (6-2/3 Cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda (1 tbsp and 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt (2 tsp)
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (4 Cups)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with papers.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the semisweet chocolate together with the butter. Let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg. In a small bowl, stir together the chocolate-butter mixture with the buttermilk, sugar, egg, and vanilla, until blended well.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, soda, and salt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the chocolate mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin tin from oven and let stand at least 5 minutes, before removing the muffins and letting them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cooled; can be frozen as well

Makes 12
http://allrecipes.com/

Shana's Apple Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 lg. eggs
3 c. granny smith apples, peeled, chopped (3 medium apples)

If the butter is soft, you won't need a mixer.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until well blended. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then add all, with the eggs to the creamed butter. Add the apples and incorporate well. Line large muffin cups or 1-c. capacity ramekins with paper liners and divide batter evenly among cups. They will be very full. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center is removed clean. Let cool in container/pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely before frosting.

They are tasty as muffins but if you want to add frosting:

For the frosting...
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 lb. box powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar over a bit at a time, and blend well before adding more. Stir in the vanilla. Fill a piping bag and swirl away. Makes enough to frost at least 7 big cupcakes very generously.

Mix some cinnamon and demerara and sprinkle over the frosting.

Original recipe at sassandveracity.typepad.com.

Ming-Wai's Chocolate Chubbies

I definitely need Santa to get me this cookbook too!

INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (no more than 62% cacao), finely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups (5 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
1 ¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts

Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a wide, heatproof bowl, and melt the butter over the hot water in the saucepan. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, stirring often, until melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly but still warm, about 5 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Whip the eggs in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are foamy and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, then the vanilla. Whip until the eggs are very thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the tepid chocolate, making sure it is completely incorporated. Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts, making sure the chunky ingredients are evenly distributed at the bottom of the bowl.The dough will be somewhat soft.

Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop (I use a cookie dough scoop), portion the batter onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake the cookies immediately—if you wait, they won’t be shiny after baking. Bake, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are set around the edges (if you lift a cookie from the pan, the edges should release easily, even if the center of the cookie seems underdone), 17 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on the baking pans. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, with the layers separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 days.)

Michele's Decorated Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies
INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla (can substitute almond extract)

Sift dry ingredients (use a real sifter), cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill for several hours.

Break off a piece of dough the size of an orange and pat it flat in your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll on dough on floured board (best to use a 2/1 ration of flour/sugar - 4 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp sugar) or between wax paper. (It helps if you flour both sides of the dought.) Roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out and put on silpat-lined or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-8 minutes at 400 F. Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as you see them turning color at the base of the cookie. Let cool completely.

Icing
INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush

Michele's Peanut Butter Blossoms

INGREDIENTS
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies.

Claire's Chocolate Truffles

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate such as Lindt
1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate such as Ghiradelli
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
1 tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder

Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.

Yields 60 truffles.

Thanks, Ina Garten!

It's That Time Again...

I'll be posting recipes as I receive them, but will not post photos until after the swap (unless you want to send a photo of your delicious baked goods with your recipe). 

Can't wait to see everyone at Vicky's place for cookie swap this year!