Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Whoopie pies have become the latest trend. Actually, they were the latest trend half a year ago, so maybe not so trendy anymore but perhaps a staple? I really have no idea but I make things that appeal to me, no matter the trend. When I saw these little babies, I knew I had to make them. Bananas and Nutella have to be about the most classic combination ever and one of my absolute favorites.

These babies weren't hard to whip up at all, just a quick not-much-of-a-fuss batter and a simple cream cheese and Nutella filling. The cake tops were moist and full of banana flavor while the filling was creamy and oh-so-Nutella-y! Though these were delicious, the filling was a bit too sweet for my taste (although my friends loved them). I think next time I will try it with less powdered sugar but I added the full amount for fear of the filling being too runny. Also, the cake tops are quite moist so you pretty much should eat these right away as they attach to any surface you put them on. I recommend separating each with some tissue paper or parchment paper.

Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields: about 20 mini whoopie pies

Original recipe here.

For the banana cakes:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup mashed banans (1 large extra-ripe banana)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed lightly

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

For the nutella cream cheese frosting:

1/2 stick butter, room temperature, cut into cubes

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, cut into cubes

1/2 cup nutella

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, set aside. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside. In another small bowl, stir to combine the mashed bananas and sour cream, set aside. Beat the butter and sugars on medium high for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the banana mixture and flour to the butter mixture in two separate additions, alternating between wet and dry. Using a scoop or a piping bag fitted with a large tip, form small mounds on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 - 1 1/2 inches between each. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes and let cool before filling.

To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium high for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the nutella and vanilla until completely incorporated. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until desired consistency, until stiff peaks are reached. Using a piping bag or spoon, spread a small amount of frosting onto the bottom half of the cakes, and top with another cookie. Roll in sprinkles, if desired. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Ready to bite into this thing!

Pretty little things:

Strawberry Banana Muffins

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I simply just love these muffins. First of all, they're healthy; full of whole wheat, fruit in three forms, and a bit of agave to sweeten. Second of all, this recipe is a small batch which I love because muffins I usually bake for myself and I can never finish 24 muffins before they go bad. Thirdly, they're easy as can be. And lastly, they are freaking delicious! Sweet enough, perfectly moist and full of flavor; mmm I can't get enough of 'em.

About the lime glaze, it's definitely not necessary since the muffins are perfectly sweet on their own, and quite delicious nonetheless but, I happen to just looooove the lime in the glaze. It gives the muffins a nice zing-y taste and a pop of flavor.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Yields: 6 muffins

Each muffin is about 100 calories and less than 1 g fat.

Original recipe here.

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

2 tbsn. agave

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 banana, mashed

2 tbsn. applesauce

Optional glaze:

1 strawberry, finely chopped

1 tbsn. lime juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners, spray the paper liners with non stick spray (this MUST be done or else they stick to the liners like crazy), set aside. In a small bowl combine the chopped strawberries and agave, let sit. In the meantime, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine the mashed banana, egg, applesauce and vanilla. Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture. Mix with a fork until just combined. Fold in the strawberry mixture then spoon into the muffin tin, filling to the top as they don't rise much. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. If glaze is desired, mix all ingredients together and drizzle on top of the muffins. Enjoy!

Pavlovas with Bananas in Cardamom Praline Sauce

Have you ever just looked at something so splendid that it really just made your heart flutter, literally, flutter? A quick flap of the heart that makes you feel nervous yet calmed at the same time? Quite luckily, I've experienced this more than once in my life. Most of the time associated with something larger in life than something as trivial as a pavlova, but the matters of the heart and what it desires cannot be controlled.

Call it odd as you may, but Pavlovas have always had a spell cast on me ever since I laid eyes on them. As fluffy and as delicate as a cloud in the sky, they're just plain beautiful.

Pavlova with Bananas in Cardamom Praline Sauce

Yields: 1 large Pavlova or 4 mini ones (4 servings)

Banana recipe can be found here.

For the pavlova:

3 egg whites

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the bananas:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

4 bananas, haved lengthwise, then crosswise

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

pinch of ground cardamom

3/4 tsp. lime juice

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

To make the pavlovas, preheat the oven to 250 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, 1 tbsn. at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until the mixture is smooth to the touch and their is no graininess. Fold in the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla. Pour mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and form into a round (of four mini ones, if you want), creating a shallow depression in the center of each. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the pavlova is cream colored and the surface is dry and crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door ajar. Allow the pavlovas to cool in the oven until they can be handled.

To make the bananas, heat 1 tbsn. butter in a 10 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides. Then saute half of the bananas, cut sides down first, turning over once, until golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spatula to a bowl. Repeat with remaining bananas. Melt remaining 2 tbsn. butter in skillet over moderate heat, then add brown sugar, cream, cardamom, and a pinch of salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. When ready to serve, place the bananas on top of the pavlova, top with ice cream then spoon sauce over everything.

A gooey-ooey, sticky, delicious mess.

Nutella Banana Wontons

What to do with extra wonton wrappers?

Make dessert wontons!

These are really simple and impossibly easy. Stuff some wonton wrappers with anything your heart desires; mine heart happened to flutter with the thoughts of Nutella and banana combined. Mmmmm. Topped with some creamy vanilla bean ice cream and simple raspberry coulis? Simply divine. These are best, best, best fresh out of the fryer but they were still good warmed in the oven later on.

Nutella Banana Wontons

Yields: 20 wontons

Original recipe can be found here.

For the wontons:

20 wonton wrappers

2 medium sized ripe bananas, sliced

Nutella

Vegetable oil, for frying

Water, for sealing

For the raspberry coulis:

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed

2 - 3 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

Place a dollop, about 2 tsp. of Nutella in the center of the wonton wrapper, then place a slice of banana on top. Dip your finger in water and use it to wet the edges of the wrapped. Fold the wrapper in had and pinch the edges together to seal the wonton. In a pan, heat a 1/2 inch later of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 365 F. Place the wontons into the oil and cook them in small batches until golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Once golden brown, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate. To make the coulis, combine everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve and then refrigerate until used. Once they have cooled slightly, top them with ice cream, dust them with powdered sugar, serve them with the coulis, or do whatever you'd like!

Mmmm banana & Nutella filling:

Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

It's fall. The weather might not agree, but the mood just reads fall. Do you know how I know it's fall? I know when I start to crave all things pumpkin; when my mind won't linger off of the topic of pumpkin. I... can't... get... it... out... of... my... MIND.

That's why I made these. Fall also marks the beginning of school for me. Times when I need something that sustains me yet is easy to bring around. Muffins qualify as a school-friendly snack to me. You can grab them and just go. But these? These will keep you satisfied since they're filled with loads of oats and yummy fall-ish pumpkin flavor.

They're made with whole wheat flour, just a smidgen of sugar and oats. So that way you can snack and still feel good about it, well even feel great about it, since it tastes so yummy! Without the glaze it's more like a pumpkin bread but I think the glaze added the right amount of sweetness to qualify it as a muffin.

Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Slightly adapted from here.

Printable Recipe

For the streusel:

2 tbsn. pumpkin puree

2 tbsn. honey

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the muffins:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 1 large banana or 2 small

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsn. canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the glaze (optional):

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 tbsn. milk/ half and half/ whatever you have on hand

1 tbsn. butter

1 tbsn. pumpkin puree

1/2 cup powdered sugar, as much as needed

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with liners, set aside. In a bowl combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In another bowl combine the pumpkin, bananas, brown sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Stir together until incorporated. To make the streusel, combine the pumpkin, honey and cinnamon. Mix well, then mix in the oats, set aside. Divide batter evenly among muffin tin, top with streusel and bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. To make the optional glaze, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar is melted. Pour into small bowl, let cool a little then add in the puree and powdered sugar, mix well. Glaze each cooled muffin with 1 teaspoon of glaze. Enjoy!

Easy Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie ya'll.

Ya heard?!

This pie was B-A-N-A-N-A-S, as Gwen Stefani would say. This pie is simple, easy as hell and delicious. I used my all time favorite go-to custard recipe, which I have also used here and here. I'm not usually one for shortcuts, but this custard is so good and so easy that I don't see the point in attempting to make real pastry cream. One day maybe, but not today. Anyways... bananas, custard, cinnamon whipped cream and pie crust? Yeah I think that definitely qualifies as a winner.

Brown-flecked bananas are perfect for this dessert; perfectly sweet:

Time to arrange your bananas:

YUM, easiest and most delicious pie ever!

Easy Banana Cream Pie

Yields: 1 9-inch pie, serves about 6 - 8

Printable Recipe

1 9-inch pie crust, fully baked and cooled (I used store bought dough, but you could use this recipe)

1 large box of french vanilla pudding

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cup heavy cream, split

3 ripe but firm, large bananas, sliced

2 tbsn. powdered sugar, sifted

2 tsp. vanilla extract, split

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

To make the custard, combine the pudding mix, milk, 1 tsp. vanilla and 3/4 cup heavy cream and beat for 5 - 10 minutes until thickened and well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator. To make the whipped cream topping, combine the 1 cup of heavy cream, powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and whip until peaks form. To assemble, grab your cooled pie shell and fill with the custard about halfway (there might be some left over but just grab a spoon and shove it in your mouth!), then arrange the bananas in any way, top with the whipped cream and chill for about an hour or more. Enjoy!

If you're feeling on the decadent side, cover the entire thing in whipped cream!

Humminah, humminah, humminah:

Banana Nutella Muffins with Streusel Topping

I had some way-beyond-salvation-overripe bananas in my kitchen so I decided to make some muffins. I wanted to try something new and I remember seeing a recipe for Banana Nutella muffins so I quickly hopped to it! These were as simple as tying your shoes; mix, bake, enjoy!

Overall I was liked these muffins but was not very impressed, sadly. If I hadn't already known there was Nutella in the muffin, I would have never guessed it. I think next time swirling in the Nutella into the batter before baking rather than mixing it into the batter would be the more genius idea! But an extra spread of Nutella really did do the trick to fix these in a snap.

Banana Nutella Muffins with Streusel Topping

Yields: 12 muffins

Slightly adapted from here and here.

Printable Recipe

For the muffins:

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, mashed

1 egg

3.5 oz. milk

4.5 tbsn. butter, room temperature

3 1/2 tbsn. sugar

3 - 4 tbsn. nutella

For the streusel:

2 tbsn. butter, room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

2 tbsn. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside. For the muffins, cream together the sugar, butter and egg. Once well creamed, fold in the nutella and the mashed bananas. In a small bowl combine the milk and the baking soda and mix well. In another medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour and milk mixtures to the creamed mixture alternatively. Incorporate well but make sure not to over mix as it can make your muffins tough. Fill the muffin tin about 2/3 full and set aside. For the streusel, mix all of the ingredients together and using your hands work the butter into the mixture until it is all combined and is crumble-y. Top each muffin with about a tablespoon each of the mixture. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool before eating and enjoy!

Banana & Nutella Ice Cream

I wish I had an ice cream maker or even the time to attempt making real homemade ice cream or sorbets, but I don't. Does that mean I should deprive myself of some really good, fresh ice cream? I think not. I've recently fell in love with Kirkland (or Costco brand) vanilla ice cream; it's so creamy and rich! And I've also been falling in love with little ice cream shops that serve up unique flavors, such as Bi-Rite Creamery and Scoops. So I decided if I didn't have the time nor the means to make such homemade goodness, I'd have to fake my way towards it. It's semi-homemade just like Sandra Lee (except much, much better than her if I do say so myself)!

The end product was really good! Of course it helped that I started with an already great tasting vanilla ice cream but the chunky bananas and nutella went really well together (I had no doubt) and it brought texture and freshness to the vanilla which was really nice. Every time I got a little chunk of nutella swirl I swear almost died, it was just THAT good!

Banana & Nutella Ice Cream

Yields: enough for 3 - 4

Printable Recipe

6 scoops of really good vanilla ice cream (I like Haagen-Daaz or Costco brand)

2 bananas, roughly chopped

3 tbsn. melted nutella

Leave the ice cream out for about 5 - 10 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, chop the bananas. In a medium bowl, fold in the diced bananas, softened ice cream, and nutella. Do not overmix! Remember to work quickly, this is imperative because if the ice cream melts too much, when it refreezes it will be icy and no longer creamy. You want the nutella to be swirled and the banana to remain chunky. Pack into tuperware and put back into the freezer until it hardens again. Once hard enough, serve with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, fresh bananas, or whatever your heart desires. You can even try caramelized bananas... YUM! Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Waffles

I love Trader Joe's, it is my all time favorite little grocery store. They may not have everything, but they sure do have what matters, like their multigrain pancake mix. It is so versatile! I've even seen recipes for biscuits for it. But this time my sister decided to make waffles. She just got a 3-in-1 sandwich press, grill, and waffle maker and thought she should put it into good use. To top things off, she added chocolate chips and mashed bananas, one of my favorite flavor combinations. Making waffles couldn't have been any easier or more delicious! It's great too because we like to pre-make them, freeze them and then grab them on the go whenever we're in a rush. It's a hearty and stress-free breakfast. 

Chocolate Banana Waffles

Yields: 15 - 20 Waffles

1/4 of Trader Joe's Multigrain Pancake Mix

2 - 3 overripe bananas, mashed with a fork

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

canola oil spray

In a large bowl, mix the pancake batter according to the directions on the box (you can make as much of this as you want, just make sure to fix the chocolate chip and banana amounts accordingly). Stir in mashed bananas and chocolate chips. Heat waffle iron and spray with canola oil before each time, cook until golden brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Enjoy!

My Sister's Famous Bread Pudding

For all of our family get togethers, my sister has established a tradition. That tradition is Banana Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding. It's simple, easy, moist, and delicious. I love it especially for the fact that it's not overloaded with sugar. Most desserts these days overkill the sweet factor but this one has it just right. 

Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chunks and Bananas

(adapted from Zov: Recipes and Favorites from the Heart)

Yields: Enough for 15 - 20

3 tbsn. unsalted butter

3 medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup sugar

8 large eggs

1 tbsn. vanilla extract

6 oz. of coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 lbs. of coarsely chopped challah, hawaiian bread, or croissants 

powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 13x9x2 baking dish with 1 tbsn. butter. Melt the remaining 2 tbsn. of butter in a small skillet. Add the bananas and toss to coat. Using a fork, mash the bananas, set aside to cool. 

Whisk the cream, milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Fold in the mashed bananas and chocolate. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Let mixture stand for 25 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake until center is set and the top is golden brown, about 35 - 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut, sprinkle with the powdered sugar, serve, and enjoy!

* Also great with vanilla ice cream or vanilla sauce!