Banana Bread

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Cook Time:1 hr 15 min
Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. 

4. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

5. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. 

6. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. 

7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

8. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

*Note: we have baked it for about 45 minutes because our oven runs hot. 

Divinity

Ingredients:

-2 1/2 cups sugar

-1/2 cup light corn syrup

-2 egg whites

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1/2 cup chopped pecans

-Combine sugar, syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Clip on candy thermometer, reduce heat to medium, stop stirring, and heat to 260 degrees (10-15 minutes). Remove pan from heat. 

-In a large bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Slowly pour in hot mixture and beat on high speed for three minutes. Add vanilla. Beat on high speed until it loses its shine (5-6 minutes). When the beaters are lifted, the mixture should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself. 

-Drop a spoonful of candy mixture onto waxed paper. If it stays mounded, the mixture has been beaten sufficiently. If mixture flattens, beat 1/2-1 minute more; check again. If mixture is too stiff to spoon, beat in a few drops of hot water till candy is a softer consistency. Immediately stir in nuts. Quickly drop spoonfuls of the remaining mixture onto waxed paper. 

Fleur de Sel Caramels

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups heavy cream

-2 cups sugar
-1 cup light corn syrup
-1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 tsp fleur de sel sea salt, divided
-Line a square baking pan (I used an 8 x 8 inch) with foil and grease the top part of the foil (the part facing you) with a neutral-flavored oil, like canola oil. In a large saucepan combine cream, sugar, and corn syrup over medium-low heat; stir occasionally until the sugar has melted, then raise the heat slightly (to medium) and continue to stir until the sugar mixture boils.
-Once the mixture boils, stop stirring and cook until the sugar reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer; you'll want to stay close by during this time, in case the mixture starts to bubble up. (If it does, remove the saucepan from the heat until it quiets again.) Once the temperature is reached, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter; add in the vanilla and 2 tsp of the salt and stir again to combine.
-Pour the caramel into your pan and sprinkle with the remaining salt; let the caramel sit at room temperature until it sets and is cool enough to cut (this will take an hour or so). Cut the caramel into small squares and wrap them individually in wax or parchment paper. (Prior to wrapping them you may want to press a few extra grains of sea salt into each piece).
-Store the caramels in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes about 50 pieces (depending on your cuts)

Muscovado Fudge

This is probably my favorite fudge recipe:

Ingredients:

- 2 cups muscovado sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbs. corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
-1 tsp.vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 
-1/2 cup pecans, chopped, toasted, salted
1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugars, cream, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until the sugars have melted.
2. Attach a candy thermometer and increase the heat to medium-high. Stop stirring. Continue cooking until the temperature reaches 240 degrees.
3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the butter. Allow to sit undisturbed until the mixture is lukewarm and the temperature reads between 110 and 140 degrees.
4. Add the vanilla extract or paste and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and loses its shine. Fold in the pecans and pour the mixture into an 8-inch square pan.
5. Allow to cool slightly and cover with plastic wrap. Continue to cool until set, a few hours or overnight. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week.

Peanut Butter Fudge

-Makes 1 9x9 square layer

Ingredients:
-3 cups sugar
-1 cup half-and-half
-1 tsp. salt
-5 Tbs. unsalted butter
-1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 
-1 tsp. vanilla

1. In a large saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar, half-and-half, and salt and cook until the sugar has completely melted.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and attach a candy thermometer. Keep stirring until the temperature is 235 degrees.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat and immediately add the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and peanut butter have completely melted.
4. Stir the fudge vigorously for 15-20 minutes, until it loses its shine and starts to firm up considerably. Pour into non-stick sprayed pan. Allow to set for at least 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week.

Caramel Corn

-1 cup white sugar
-1 1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 cup Karo syrup (dark is better) 
-3/4 cup water
-Cook all ingredients until it forms a soft ball.

Add:
-1 tsp baking soda 
-1 stick butter
-2 tsp vanilla

-Stir into 2-3 large bowls.
-Optional: Spread popcorn on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Poppycock

-6 1/2 cups Golden Grahams 
-9 cups corn Chex cereal
-2 cups coconut
-1 cup sliced almonds
-1 cup corn syrup 
-1 cup sugar
-3/4 cup butter

-Mix first 4 ingredients. Bring corn syrup, sugar and butter to a boil and pour over the dry ingredient mixture.

Dinner Rolls (Better Homes and Gardens)

Prep: 45 minutes
Rise: 1 1/2 hours
Bake: 12 minutes
Note: You can freeze the baked rolls for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just till warm (120- 130 degrees) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Turn once. Cover. Let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour).  
3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Lightly grease baking sheets or muffin cups.

4. Shape the dough into desired rolls and place on prepared baking sheets or in muffin cups. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).

5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. immediately remove rolls form pans. Cool on wire racks. Makes 24-32 rolls.

Nutrition: 114 calories, 3 g total fat, 103 mg sodium

Shapes:
Butterhorns: Roll portions of the dough into 12-inch circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Begin at the wide end of a wedge and loosely roll toward the point. Place point die down, 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet.

Cloverleaf: Divide each portion of dough into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling edges under to make a smooth top. Place 3 balls in each muffin cup, smooth sides up.

Strawberry Shortcake

From Paula Deen:

Ingredients

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/4 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons sugar, plus 8 teaspoons
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
• 2/3 cup half-and-half, plus 1/4 cup
• Sweetened whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar together. Set aside until time to serve.
3. In the blender or a bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Then pulse in the cold butter cubes until a coarse meal is formed. Turn the flour mixture out into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in 2/3 cup half-and-half and gently mix it in with a rubber spatula or fork, be careful not to over mix the dough or the biscuits will be tough.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a couple of times until it just holds together. Pat the dough out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut out 8 round 3-inch biscuits.
5. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each biscuit with the remaining half-and-half and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits have risen and are a light golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Split each biscuit, spoon some strawberries on the bottom piece, then whipped cream and top with the other biscuit half. Garnish more strawberries.