Banana Bread with Walnuts...and maybe Peanut Butter Frosting

So I know this isn't what you picture when you think "Banana Bread," but the Peanut Butter frosting added a rich & creamy layer of flavor that pairs so well with the banana.

 It was a rainy, somewhat gloomy day and I felt like baking something new that would be good to snack on but wasn't too sweet. Banana bread sounded like the perfect treat and it was something I had never made before, so I decided to give it a try. When I Googled it, I looked at several recipes and decided to go with this Food Network one because it looked pretty simple and didn't involve too many ingredients. It smelled so delicious in the oven and filled the house with a sweet banana scent that started to make Jimmy a little impatient. After pulling it out of the oven, he said "I want extra frosting on mine," and I explained that banana bread traditionally doesn't get frosted. I told him I didn't have the ingredients to make a frosting right then, so he opened the fridge and pulled out the leftover Peanut Butter Frosting I had used in my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes a few days before and said "what about this one?" At first I thought, "yeah, but that one is peanut butter," and then it clicked...peanut butter & banana is such a great combination! What a genius my husband is! I just used a round cookie cutter (or small glass) to cut out little cake rounds, piped the frosting on & topped it with a fresh banana slice. It was such a rich flavor pairing with the frosting, so the fact that it is small works out perfectly. On its own though, I could (ok, so maybe "did" is more accurate) eat slice after slice of this delightfully comforting treat at breakfast, lunch or dinner...yikes!

This banana bread is so moist and perfect served as is without any extras.  The crunchiness of the walnuts adds a nice variety to the texture and the heartiness of it makes it truly comforting. 

If you want to step it up a bit, pipe some Peanut Butter Frosting on top and you have a lovely little dessert.

 Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
1 cup toasted walnut pieces (use less or omit walnuts to suit your taste)

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled, so don't worry), and remove the bowl from the mixer.

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack. Wrap in plastic wrap. The banana bread is best if served the next day but of course we ate a few slices immediately. If you like crusty pieces though, don't wrap it in plastic because it gets very soft.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used a honey peanut butter)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk)

Beat the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese, and continue to beat until smooth and fully combined with the butter. Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth. Add in the cream, and beat another 30 seconds. Frost cakes with piping bag & top with a fresh banana slice immediately before serving to avoid turning brown.

Frosting Recipe adapted from Glorious Treats

Heavenly Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Jimmy and I were in cupcake heaven with these rich Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes today. The chocolate cake is so moist and the frosting is not too sweet (with some adjustments to the recipe). I only wish my brother could have one because he and I have a long history of love with Reese's. Pieces mostly, but cups were a close second. I remember he loved getting the bag of Reese's peanut butter baking chips and still does now. Hopefully we will live closer some day, but for now, I have another excuse to bake these bad boys next time I go home to visit. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter tends to be a favorite of men in general, so this would be the perfect dessert for Father's Day!

This cake is so rich you'll almost NEED a glass of milk to wash it down with!

What the heck am I gonna do with all of these tempting treats?!

It starts out so innocent, but before you know it you've got a sweet new addiction!

Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 24-27 standard sized cupcakes)

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available)
1 cup boiling water

Directions-
1. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
4. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be very thin, don't worry, this is right).
5. Fill liners about 3/4 full with batter.
6. Bake cupcakes for approximately 18-20 minutes.
7. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.



Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used a honey peanut butter)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk)

Beat the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese, and continue to beat until smooth and fully combined with the butter. Add the peanut butter and beat until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth. Add in the cream, and beat another 30 seconds. Frost cupcakes with piping bag & top with Reese's Mini Cups or Reese's Pieces.

Frosting Recipe adapted from Glorious Treats
Cupcakes Recipe Adapted from Hershey's