Roasted Banana Bread + Maple Buttercream Mini Cupcakes

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I’ve got a little treat for your Friday.

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And, I know these cupcakes have a long name.

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They can’t just be banana cupcakes because roasting the bananas take these to a different place than non-roasted bananas would. And, they can’t just be roasted banana cupcakes because they kind of remind me of banana bread. A little. In a good, delicious way.

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The maple buttercream is delicious. I want you to try it soo bad!

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And I made mine mini. Because they are cute, and pop-able. And yes, eating three at once is okay. Because they are mini!

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Now, if you desire a true cakey cupcake, these may not be for you. BUT they are so delicious and worth a try if you’re a little scared. They are moist and a little dense, packed with flavor — incredible. The combination of roasted bananas + maple buttercream = wow. So, so good.

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Also, don’t be intimidated by the ingredient/step list. I have it broken down into sections, so it looks more complicated than it really is.

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I think you are really going to enjoy these!

Method

Banana Cupcakes:

To begin:

Place 24 mini cupcake liners into two mini cupcake pans. Grease liners.

Start with:

2 bananas

Preheat oven to 400*. Cut bananas in half, lengthwise, and place on a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until soft and skin is black. Set aside and let cool completely. Reduce oven heat to 350*.

Next:

1 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Place all four ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well with a whisk.

Then:

1/3 c. milk (I used almond)
2 cooled, roasted bananas (from above)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together in a bowl.

5 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg, at room temperature, beaten

Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add half the egg to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat until just combined. Add half of the banana mixture to the butter/sugar. Beat until just combined. Add remaining egg and banana mixture and mix until combined. Add to dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined.

Fill the muffin liners with batter, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake in 350* oven for 8-12 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, very soft
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1.5 tsp. pure maple syrup
Small dash of salt

Beat butter until soft, fluffy and completely smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat well. Add maple syrup and salt and mix until combined.

Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes.

*Notes
-This made 24 mini cupcakes for me.
– Decorate cupcakes with sprinkles, chopped pecans or even sliced bananas!

Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with a Crumb Topping

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I’m really, very lucky when it comes to food.

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I am surrounded by people who are great cooks and bakers. My grandma and both of her daughters — my mom and my aunt — are masters in the kitchen. There is never a lack of delicious food at family gatherings because of them.

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With Greg, I am even lucky. His mom and his sisters share a love of food, cooking and baking, too, and they make so many amazing things.

This recipe is from Greg’s mom. She made it two Thanksgivings ago and also a couple of times since. I am so in love with this dish, I just had to get the recipe.

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I have always loved sweet potatoes. My grandma makes the best sweet potatoes — simply cubed, cooked and then sauteed in a little butter and brown sugar. So good. They have always been a favorite of mine.

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And I’ll be honest. I’ve always been afraid of sweet potato casserole. I just love the taste of sweet potatoes so much, that, I’m afraid a lot of extras (marshmallows) will conceal the taste. And, something else you should know, I don’t love the word casserole.

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But this — this slightly sweet, creamy, smooth dish is just so good. The topping is slightly crunchy and adds just the perfect flavor and texture to the sweet potatoes — which still taste like sweet potatoes.

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I could have this dish with every meal for the rest of my life and be a happy girl.

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I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you to Greg’s mom for such a delicious recipe!

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9-inch baking dish or 12 ramekins, as shown in photos.

Start with:

4 c. cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Spoon mixture into baking dish or ramekins.

Next:

2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, cubed

Combine ingredients in a bowl and, using the back of a fork or a pastry blender, mix the ingredients until “crumby.” Spoon crumb topping onto sweet potato mixture, either in a baking dish or ramekins.

If using a 9-inch baking dish, bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven. For the ramekins, bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Enjoy!

A Short Walk: Philadelphia

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Today I am going to share some photos of a beautiful city with you.

Last week, I talked a bit on Philadelphia. I got to spend a month there over my winter break and had the chance to take this lovely walk one day. So, while these photos are not new, they are worth sharing, I think.

Enjoy, a brief look at this city.

Bridge

ArtMuseum

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Building

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30thStreet

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Skyline

Tracks

Penn

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It is amazing to think of all that I got to see in such a short amount of time and also what I have yet to see. Expect more, soon.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Blueberry Chia Seed Jam

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Do you love jam?

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I do. I’m in love with jam. And jelly. And marmalade. And preserves. Any thick fruity substance spread over any bread product = love.

And, I love any flavor. Strawberry, raspberry, marionberry, apricot, orange, pineapple. You name it,  I love it.

Except mint jelly. Actually, I never tried mint jelly. I don’t think I’d like it though. I’d try, but I just don’t think so.

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When I was younger, I would spend the night at my grandparents for a week or a weekend at a time. Every single night, like clockwork, my gram and I would have toasted bread with butter and jelly. And let me tell you, my grandparents never had a shortage of jam and jelly to choose from. And they still don’t! Maybe that is where my love came from. I have good memories with jam.

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Now, this jam. This jam is delicious! It is not overly sweet, it tastes just as it should. Like real blueberries.

And chia seeds. These are new to me. But I’m loving them.

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I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Four simple ingredients, that’s it!

You can find the recipe here — Oh She Glows

Thank you, Oh She Glows, for the great recipe!

Enjoy!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

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For the longest time, I was not an oatmeal lover.

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I just couldn’t do it. Nothing sounded more bland to me than a bowl of oats cooked in water. Even topped with some fruit, it just didn’t do it for me.

Lately, I’ve been all about the oats. Cooked in some almond milk and topped with nut butter, honey and a chopped apple. Yes, please.

But now?

Now, I have a problem.

Oatmeal Ingredients

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this stuff.

The soft oats, the plump raisins, the crunchy pecans in a warm pool of almond milk? With a sprinkling of cinnamon? I can’t even.

I quickly devoured that entire bowl right after the photos were taken. I already had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Two bowls of oats in two hours? Oops.

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Looks like I’ll be making this every week. That’s not such a bad problem, right?

I’m so excited to share this with you!

Method

Preheat oven to 375*.

Start with:

2 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Next:

1 1/2 c. milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix wet ingredients. Then, add to dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined. Place in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

*I served mine in a bowl with almond milk and extra cinnamon. So good!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Mint.