Brown Butter Banana Bread Coffee Cake

I think I've died and gone to HEAVEN!

Now you may be asking why?  The picture above is just a normal looking coffee cake.
Well it's not...

I've discovered brown butter.

Yes, that's right brown butter.

This stuff is straight from the GODS!  I've seen so many recipes floating around the blogesphere about brown butter this and brown butter that....cookies, cakes, ice cream...everything you can imagine and I thought "ehh" "doesn't sound all that special"  Boy was I wrong!

So I came across this simple coffee cake that uses brown butter...and bananas.  I decided to give it a try and see what all the hooplah is about.  Once I got that butter in the pan and stirred and stirred, something magical happened.  It foamed, then turned golden, then the foam went away and the butter became nutty and fragrant.  I just stuck my finger in it for a taste and about swooned! Seriously, I had NO IDEA this tasted so good.  Where the heck have I been that I've not been on the brown butter train!

The rest is history.  It's my new passion.  I'll be making brown butter this and that from now on. You'll get sick of me and brown butter...

Now this coffee cake is a nice moist cake with a crumb topping and bananas inside...but let me tell you, on it's own it's good, but with the brown butter it is fabulous.  Best coffee cake ever!

So if you do anything at all, make something with browned butter (preferably my coffee cake here!). This is so good it should be a bucket list item.  Go forth and brown butter!

Enjoy!



Banana Bread Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
¾ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, browned and divided
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons reserved browned butter
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a 10” pie plate with cooking spray.  Add 6 tablespoons of butter to a small frying pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until it browns. It will foam up, and then turn brown.  The foam will diminish and the butter will become golden. Remove from heat. 

In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt.  To a large bowl, mix the sugar, 4 tablespoons of the browned butter, and egg.    Stir in the milk and mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients into wet and stir until just combined.  

To make the topping: stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, remaining 2 T. browned butter, and the pecans. Pour the cake batter in to the pan and top with the crumb topping. 

Bake for 25-28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.


source:  Crazy for Crust blog

Tomato Tabbouleh Salad

You know the rule about every time you bring in a new item of clothing or shoes that you should get rid of one?

That rule should apply to Pinterest!

My Pinterest postings are way out of control.  Way out...

I start looking and pinning and before long my "to make" board is so stuffed with items that I can't find anything, just like my closet!  They are filled with wonderful dishes that I've been saving an looking at saying "someday".

Well today is someday.  

First up is a great salad.  This is a variation of a Middle Eastern Tabbouleh salad. The main ingredient is bulgur, which is a cereal that is a whole dried cracked wheat. It's often used in place of rice and today it's the main ingredient in our Tabbouleh. Other common ingredients are parsley, mint, lemon juice and a variety of vegetables. Today it's all about fresh summer tomatoes and cucumbers to make a light summer salad.

We both love summer salads and this one is a winner!  We served it with Kabobs for dinner and then I had it with a sandwich the next day.  Delishhhh!

On to the next item in my Pinterest "closet"!  What will it be?



Tomato Tabbouleh Salad

serves 4


1/2 c bulgur
1 c boiling water
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved (I used orange and red)
1/2 medium hot house cucumber, small dice
1/2 c mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 c Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

To a medium saucepan add the bulgur.  Add the boiling water, cover and simmer on low about 20 minutes.  Check to make sure all the water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Add to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Meanwhile chop your tomatoes, cucumber, mint, and parsley.  Add to the cooled bulgur.  Stir to combine.

In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Add this dressing over the salad stirring to combine.  Refrigerate your mixture for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to come together.  Serve cold or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days in a airtight container.  

adapted from Averie Cooks

Red Velvet Berry Parfaits

It's time to celebrate once again, the last summer hurrah.   Labor Day weekend is almost here and boy do I have a wonderful dessert for you!

I saw a recipe on Rattlebridge Farm  for a Red Velvet Berry Crumble and was so wowed by it that I new I was going to do a variation of my own...parfait style.  It's the perfect red, white, and blue dessert to go along with many holidays such as Memorial Day, 4th of July (Independence Day) and especially Labor Day.

Since I only wanted to make a few of these parfaits, I took some help from my grocery store and bought 2 slices of red velvet cake and deconstructed them for my parfaits.  You could use red velvet cupcakes, brownies, or pound cake.  I've seen most of these in our local Ralphs market.  Add some vanilla or cheesecake flavored pudding, some berries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream all layered in pretty dishes and you are set.  Easy as pie!

The taste is unbelievable too.  I mean, who doesn't love red velvet cake?  There are whole books just on the stuff.  It's the bomb, and is highlighted in this dish!

So if you are planning a get together, BBQ, or any family gathering for the weekend, this is the perfect dessert.  Hope you enjoy it...we gobbled it up!



Red Velvet Berry Parfaits

serves 4

1 pkg. sugar-free vanilla pudding (or cheesecake flavored)
2 c 2% milk
2 store bought red velvet cake slices (or cupcakes, brownies, pound cake, etc.)
handful of fresh blueberries
handful of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
handful of fresh raspberries

vanilla ice cream 

Make the vanilla pudding according to package directions using the milk.  Allow to set up in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before using.  

Cube the red velvet cakes and place several in the bottom of 4 dishes or glasses.  Top with a large dollop of pudding.  Add a few more pieces of red velvet cake and divide all the berries among all the glasses.  Top each with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Place a blueberry on top.  Serve.