Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate chips make everything better!  I always seem to have extra ripe bananas screaming, "banana bread" in my house lately.  I opted for an easy go to recipe and added some chocolate chips, PERFECTION! 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 -3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup of sugar ( I did 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add bananas, egg, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
3. Slowly mix in flour, soda and salt.
4. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour into lightly buttered bread pan.
6. Bake for 45 minutes.
7. Cool and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Almond Joy Dessert Cups

This started out as," Almond Joy Bark" however, the coconut filling never set.  The filling was way to amazing to throw out so, I scooped the filling into individual cups and topped with broken up pieces of chocolate.  Originally, I added the filling into a 9x9 baking dish lined with wax paper and topped with melted chocolate chips and slivered almonds.  To make it easier I would just add the filling to individual cups/mason jars and top with chocolate. 

 

Ingredients for Coconut Filling:

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Ingredients for Chocolate Almond Topping:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:  In a large bowl mix all coconut filling ingredients until well blended and creamy.   Add filling into individual cups/jars of your choice and set aside.  Add chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl and nuke for 1 minute at 1/2 heat, one minute at a time until creamy.  Pour chocolate over filling in each cup and sprinkle with almonds.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Butterscotch Turtles

Another great treat from my families recipe box!  As soon as I read the recipe list I was sold.  Butterscotch and Ruffles, how could it go wrong?  These are spectacular.  They are soft, chewy and crunchy.  Just the right amount of salt and sweet to make your mouth water!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 bag butterscotch chips
• 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 2 cups ruffles, crushed

Directions:  Melt chips in a microwaveable bowl on 1/2 heat, one minute at a time.  Stir in peanuts and ruffles and drop by the spoonful into muffin tins.  Let harden and enjoy!

Grandma Helens Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are hands down the most amazing chocolate chip cookies EVER!!  My Grandma passed when I was very young so, I only have a handful of memories with her.  Every one of those memories revolves around these cookies and French Vanilla ice cream.  My Grandpa had a serious sweet tooth that was definitely passed on to my Mom, who then passed it along to me!  My siblings and I will never forget dessert after ever meal, breakfast included when we stayed with the Grandparents.  We spent our summer days swimming in the lake, the nights catching fireflies followed by our nightly art show.  I will never forget the smiles on their faces as we played and laughed.  My Mom would make these cookies on a regular basis and I am reliving memory lane all over again, smelling and tasting these cookies. 

Grandpa and Us Clear Lake, IA

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour plus 3 tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup Criso (Cookies are meant to be delicious, not healthy.  USE CRISCO!)
• 6 oz chocolate chip cookies

 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together Crisco, sugars, egg, and vanilla.  Mix in all remaining dry ingredients until smooth.  Fold in chocolate chips and add my the spoonful to a greased cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Cookers Note: If you add just a pinch of cream of tartar to the dry ingredients you will have a little fluffier cookie!

 



White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I have been seeing a lot of recipes for pudding cookies and as you all already know I love cake mix cookies.  So I decided to mix the two and they are a match made in heaven.  My husband is supposed to take these to his Christmas party but he might not have any to take.  A perfect recipe for the holidays that will for sure be a hit. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box white chocolate pudding mix
• 1 bag white chocolate chops
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs

 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, pudding and brown sugar and mix together.  Add eggs and butter and beat together on low.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

Crockpot Chocolate Candy

I am an avid country music fan.  I am often laughed at by my husband for dancing in the kitchen while he is secretly watching.  Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are two of my all time favorites and like any fan I am addicted to her show.  This recipe was on over the weekend and it looked so easy and delicious.  So when my husband reminded me that he needed treats for his Christmas party in a couple days I was prepared.   I had to make a few changes because I could not find almond bark at the store.  This is one of the recipes you wish you didn't know how to make because it is so delicious and you can help but eat it up.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry roasted peanuts
• 1 bag milk chocolate chips
• 1 box bakers semi sweet chocolate squares (8 pieces)
• 1 10 oz container of vanilla melt able candy dips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:  In crockpot layer peanuts, chocolate chips, chocolate squares, and melt able candy dips.  Turn on low and heat for about 3 hours without stirring.  After 3 hours stir with wooden spoon until spoon.  By the tablespoon drop into cupcake pan liners and cool completely. 

Double Chocolate Cake Cookies

Cake cookies are the best and I always seem to have all of the ingredients at all times!  They taste like a mix between brownies and chocolate cake.  So incredibly easy and they taste fantastic. 

Ingredients:

• 1 box Devils food cake mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 bag milk chocolate chips (minus the handful you eat right out of the bag!!)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Drop cookies by the spoon full onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and let cool on cookie sheet.