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One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Imagine, if you will, a time years ago when mothers stayed home to raise children, cooked homemade meals, cleaned the house, washed clothes (and ironed them) all as part of the weekly chores. Evening dinner, or supper to some, was followed by a daily dessert. No exceptions. The cookie jar was always full, you didn’t dare ask for a bowl of cereal for dinner, and you cleaned your plate at every meal. About that time my mom decided mixing chocolate chips into a butter-based dough produced a loaf of banana bread that literally became the envy of all the neighborhood kids. Some things were meant to last. 

ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, peeled and crushed

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with a nonstick oil containing flour. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and crushed bananas. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir just until batter is combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips, if desired. Bake one hour or until tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and then remove banana bread from loaf pan. Cool longer on a wire rack.

Mixed Berry Marnier

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Mixed Berry Marnier! Throw together this amazing berry concoction when searching for a new idea for morning breakfast, afternoon appetizer, or dinner dessert. It’s that versatile. For less chunkier results, place half the fruit into the blender until smooth and then add it to the remaining mixed fruits. Once combined macerate the mixture, which draws out the natural flavors and slightly changes the texture of the sauce. A few hours of refrigeration magically transforms the berries and juices into a gourmet treat, no matter how you serve it. 

MIXED BERRY MARNIER 

Ingredients: 

1 pint fresh raspberries 

12 ounces fresh blueberries 

1 pint strawberries, halved and quartered 

2 tablespoons sugar 

1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur 

Instructions: 

Rinse and pat dry the fresh raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Place berries in a glass bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and Grand Marnier liqueur. Gently toss to mix completely. Cover and refrigerate up to four hours before serving. Allow the berry mixture to blend for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Serve the fruit over ice cream, waffles, cheesecake, yogurt, Brie cheese, or as a fruit compote dessert. 

Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies! Who doesn’t love soft, chewy, citrusy cookies?!?! Call me lazy or even quirky. Sometimes I keep ingredients on hand to create a bakery-like product in a pinch. Thus, these thumbprint cookies can be made in a snap. After all, cake mixes and lemon curd spreads are known for their consistency in perfection. The lemon curd is silky smooth while the lemon cake mix creates chewy cookies by lessening the baking time. Never over-mix the batter. Stirring too long actually makes cookies tough. When ingredients are room temperature beforehand, baked cookies are less apt to flatten out and harden, too. Make sense? Something tells me you are going to love these thumbprint cookies. 

LEMON CURD THUMBPRINT COOKIES 

Ingredients: 

15.25 Lemon Cake Mix

2 eggs, room temperature 

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup prepared lemon curd

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Place silicone baking mats on two baking sheets. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the lemon cake mix, two eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix well until batter is smooth. Scoop cookie dough, by teaspoons, onto a prepared baking sheet. Roll each scoop into a round ball and place two inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, place on a cooling rack, and immediately press down the middle of each cookie to create an indentation for the curd to be placed. Allow cookies to cool before adding a dollop of lemon curd. Once the cookies have cooled, spoon a small amount of lemon curd into the middle of each cookie. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Icewine Cream Cheese Frosting

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Icewine Cream Cheese Frosting! I have fond memories of a trip to Canada where my hotel stay included a decadent piece of Icewine chocolate every single night. I had never heard of such a thing. I soon learned that Icewine is a dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine before they are picked. The water in the grapes freeze, while the sugars don’t. When the juice is pressed from the frozen grapes, and then fermented slowly, they produce a naturally sweet concentration of flavor that tastes like frozen honey. Interesting, isn’t it? As you can imagine, dark chocolate, soft cheeses, and fresh fruits make Icewine a popular companion as a decadent dessert. A little cordial goes a long way in satisfaction. 

ICEWINE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 

Ingredients: 

8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

3 tablespoons Icewine Gewürztraminer wine

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and Icewine on medium-high speed until light and smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Drizzle frosting over slices of pound cake, angel food cake, or lady fingers. Garnish with diced strawberries. Serve. 

Espresso Dusted Compound Butter

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Espresso Dusted Compound Butter! Elevate your morning breakfast or evening bread basket with a gourmet twist to regular butter. This espresso recipe goes one step beyond whipped butter by adding another layer of deliciousness with enriched flavors. It requires minimal effort on your part. Butter, as you may recall, does offer nutrients that provide healthy fatty acids. This doesn’t make butter a health food, though. The key is moderation. If you’re looking for treat from time to time, compound butters are ideal. And this little number gives you a boost of caffeine. 

ESPRESSO DUSTED COMPOUND BUTTER

Ingredients For the Compound Butter: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 tablespoon hot water

5 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/3 teaspoon sea salt 

Ingredients For the Dusting:

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon regular sugar 

Instructions: 

Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the instant espresso powder with the hot water. Stir until completely dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool. Add the cooled espresso mixture to the softened butter. Sprinkle in the powdered sugar and sea salt. Using a hand whisk, beat the ingredients together until the butter is smooth, creamy, and well combined. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper. Form the butter mixture into a log; seal by twisting the ends; refrigerate until firm. For the outer dusting, tear off another sheet of parchment paper. Combine the instant espresso powder with the regular sugar. Mix well. Once the compound butter is firm, roll the entire log in it to coat all sides. Transfer the espresso dusted compound butter to a small dish. Serve on toasted bread, rolls, or bagels. 

Afternoon Bourbon Slush

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Afternoon Bourbon Slush! Whether you are a southerner or not, you can still enjoy this refreshing sweet-tart adult cocktail for one or for more. It soothes the mind and relaxes the body like a cool summer breeze. Brewed black tea is my choice of ingredients, however I have used green tea as well. The choice is yours. When it comes to bourbon there are many brands to choose from as well. 

AFTERNOON BOURBON SLUSH

Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar

2 cups hot strong tea, brewed

6-ounce can frozen orange juice, undiluted

12-ounce can frozen lemonade, undiluted

2 cups bourbon

6 cups water

Instructions: 

In a large freezer-safe bowl, combine sugar and hot tea. Stir to dissolve. Add orange juice and lemonade; stirring constantly until frozen juices melt. Add bourbon and water. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Cover tightly and freeze overnight. The beverage will not freeze solid, but forms a slush. Stir before scooping into cocktail glasses. Serve with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Store mixture in the freezer. 

*Serving Suggestion: 

For a crowd, empty contents into a punch bowl. Add a 2-liter bottle of carbonated lemon-lime soda drink, ginger ale, or sparkling water. Ladle this tasty beverage into cocktail glasses and you’ve suddenly become a very popular host for your next gathering. 

Yummy Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Yummy Sea Salt Caramel Cookie Dough Bars! “Honestly, you had me at Salted Caramel”, someone exclaimed to me recently. If you crave chocolate or adore peanut butter, this dessert will grab your attention. Although its golden caramel layer is dotted with mounds of cookie dough infused with white and dark chocolate, underneath lies a layer of peanut butter, oats, and toffee bits. Oh my! You may need a scoop of natural ice cream on top just to cut the sweetness. Trust me when I say, “A little goes a long way!”

YUMMY SALTED CARAMEL COOKIE DOUGH BARS

Ingredients for Cookie Dough:

3/4 cup butter, unsalted

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup instant oats

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

Ingredients for Caramel Topping:

11 ounce bag of caramels

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ pan with nonstick oil and line with parchment paper. Using a food processor, cream butter and sugar together. Add peanut butter and blend well. While running, add one egg at a time, thoroughly mixing in each egg. Add vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, unwrap caramels and place in a saucepan with butter and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are fully melted. The mixture will be smooth. Slowly pour caramel sauce evenly over dough. Flatten the remaining 1/3 dough like a pancake, cut into squares, roll into balls, and drop randomly over caramel sauce. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle coarse sea salt over all. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Xtreme Sloppy Joes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Xtreme Sloppy Joes! Some days you crave a sweet and savory warm sandwich over a lunchbox ham and cheese on wheat. Sure, it can be a little messy, but pile it high anyway and add a mound of shredded cheese. Then watch things melt together.

XTREME SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons pimento, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 cups ketchup 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and green pepper seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until meat is in crumbles. Reduce heat. Add diced pimento. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well. Transfer to an ovenproof covered dish and bake in the oven for one hour. 

Key Lime Pie in a Flash

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Key Lime Pie in a Flash! I’m Busy! When the hours fly by in a flurry of activity, it’s nice to know shortcuts don’t imply sacrificing flavor. After all, pre-packaged dessert mixes and sweet treats have gone the distance with culinary masters. Tried and true components can become the foundation for producing inspiring results, like today’s version of Key Lime Pie. By using fewer ingredients, preparation can be done in a flash! 

KEY LIME PIE IN A FLASH

Ingredients:

1 box Jell-o No Bake Real Cheesecake Dessert

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 tablespoon lime extract

1 drop green food coloring

1 lime, sliced

1 tablespoon toasted coconut

Instructions:

To make the crust, combine butter, sugar, and crust mix. Reserve one teaspoon of crumb mixture for garnish. Press remaining crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Next, pour milk into a medium bowl. Add filling mix and blend with a hand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape sides and beat on medium speed 3 minutes until filling turns thick. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of pure lime extract. Mix 30 seconds longer. Add 1 drop of green food coloring and mix another 30 seconds. Pour into the chilled crust. Refrigerate one hour. Garnish with fresh lime slices, reserve crumb mixture, and toasted coconut.