Bananaoatchoco Cookies for All

G'morning lovies (I guess its afternoon now, I have beent trying to post this since 9am - ooph!) The treats that I made last night are still top of mind so I had to share them ASAP.  These babies are unreal. A combo of a recipe from Tina and Gina's (O hey rhyming), they really hit the spot!


D came over last night for Pretty Little Liars and left over Proscuitto Pineapple Pizza.  Is anyone else traumatized by PLL? I had to watch an episode of Sex and the City after because I was to scared and it was too close to bed time. Apparently I am 4. No shame. ABC Family decided to really fighten the crap out of its 11-14 year old girls audience with this one. I do not hate it.


Either way, another amazing dinner out on the balcony (one of these days its going to rain and I am going to be devastated) and two dozen cookies later, here is the amazing Bananaoatchoco Cookie recipe!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup of quick oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (These would be equally good and healthier with 1/2 cup of apple sauce instead but I didn't have any in the apartment)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg


Steps:
1) With an electric mixer mix sugar and butter until light and fluffy
2) Add all remaining ingredients and mix, on low, with electric mixer.  If you go to high its going to look like you had a flour fight... all over your kitchen
3) Scoop onto a pam-ed tin-foiled pan in tablespoon sized portions.
4) Bake for 7 to 9 minutes on 350 Degrees F
5) Enjoy!


These cookies are pretty bomb.com.  Only suggestion that I would have is to make sure to add a pinch of cinnamon as well. I forgot them and they were still delicious but 1/2 tsp of cinnamon would have really brought them over the edge.

How ooey gooey do these look?

Assuming cinnamon is included, I would starfabulusly rate them an 8/10. Gooey, sweet- but not too sweet- and anything involving chocolate and oatmeal in cookie form is a given.

Star Fabulous Rating: 8/10

My Mom Wears Pink Converse

Hi Guys! So sorry it has taken me forever to post today I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning trying to get things situated for the move, handling some personal stuff, and get ready for my fabulous weekend with the boyfriend in Delaware on the beach.  This girls needs some color like WOW. Legit, see through.  Not kidding, look:

That's me in the white shorts and yellow top (super unflattering picture!). See. Through. O well, moving on. Hopefully this weekend I can come back and show you guys a tan pic! Fingers crossed!

Well, beside that, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders because Mama Nay Nay has decide to come to NYC to help me move. She always keeps me nice and calm and it definitely means a nice dinner and some girl time so, woot woot! Look at her adorableness:

Hot shoes Nay Nay- you so cute!

So last night I decided to make some treats for the lovely woman of AWNY for our 8:15 morning meeting.  I joined AWNY (The Advertising Women of New York) about 2 months ago and love it. I am on the Young Executives Committee so I the second Wednesday of every month we have a committee meeting to discuss events, networking, etc.  The girls are great and the community is wonderful.  I thought they deserved a little pick-me-up so Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins were made. One of the girls is Gluten Free and couldnt eat any of the cupcakes (I felt so bad!) Maybe next month I'll try and whip up a gluten free batch for her.  I believe I am up to the challenge :)

These muffins are so good.  Sorry for all of you who hate this word but they were moist (my bad but I think you're ok), light, and chocolatey to the extreme! I took some tips from both Gina and Amy and mixed and matched their recipes to make this lovely creation.   

Ingredients:

6 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt 

1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

2) In a medium bowl combine both flours, baking soda and salt and set aside 

3) In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy

4) Add egg whites, bananas, applesauce, vanilla yogurt and vanilla to the sugar mixture and combine with the electric mixer.
5) Add flour mixture and chocolate chips to the wet mixture and blend with the electric mixer at low speed until combined (if you go to fast the flour will go everyone and make a mess!)

6) Pour batter into muffin pans (with paper cupcake liners- whatever those are called!) and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. 

7) Let the cool and enjoy!

* Makes 24 cupcakes

I enjoyed one last night with a little bit of butter. Amazing.  Had one this AM for breakfast as well... AND I couldn't resist devouring one at around 3 for a snack. SO yup, made 24, 3 were eaten by me, in less than 24 hours. Well worth it.

These deserve a solid Star Fabulous Rating of 9/10! The only thing that would make em better is if they were a little better!  Make sure to allow the batch to make 24 cupcakes and not be thrown off by size. Less cupcakes=larger portion. Larger portions changes the nutritional information.  (But then again, if I was going to eat three is just one day, maybe I should have just make giant cupcakes)

Star Fabulous Rating: 9/10

Rotting Banana's and Office Breakfast

 

Hi Everyone! So sorry to take so long to blog about this.  Busy, busy day, lots of apartment hunting going on over here- stressed out Jessica in the house!

Well on Sunday, after bf left and I was a smidge sad, I decided to not let my rotting banana's go to waste and I made a nice little breakfast for the office!  I felt like mini banana muffins was a great treat to bring in and a great way to take advantage of the perfectly ripe fruit. I find that every time I WANT my bananas to be ripe they are border-line green and every time I want my bananas to be perfect to eat, they are brown as mud.  This was a prime example- so Mini Banana Muffins here we come!

These are so easy to make.  The recipe was sniped, and adjusted from Gina's Blog- Gina knows how to do it right!

Ingredients: 

3 ripe medium bananas

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 325°

2) In a medium bowl mix flour, baking
soda and salt 

3) In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

4) Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla to sugar mixer with the electric mixture

5) Combine the flour mixture and the banana mixer at low speed until combined

6) Spoon batter into pam-ed muffin pans and bake for 20 to 30 mins 

7) Let cool and be the best employee ever and package them for work!

These can definitely be made into a loaf of bread as well- delish.  I promised you guys back in the day when I introduced you to the delicious My Mom Wants Me to Call This Banana-Applesauce-Bread... Bread that I would give you the general banana bread recipe so-  

You. Are. Welcome

 

 (Photo Source)

I give these a star fabulous rating of 8 out of 10- I wouldn't hate if they were bigger and I personally am not a super banana-y banana bread person! However, the consistency is amazing, they are moist (sorry to all you people who "claim" to hate that word), and they were definitely sweet.

Star Fabulous Rating: 8/10 

My-Mom-Wants-to-Call-this-Banana-Applesauce-Bread...Bread

Easter back at "the ranch" was as wonderful as I expected.  I ate more food than any one person needs to consume in a weekend and was comfortably stuffed for the solid 3 days. After a two and a half hour meal of Lo Mein, Chicken and Broccoli and Mai Tais, Sibling, BF, Sibling BF and Faj all went home to watch the Bruins kill it in over time, while mother and I took to the kitchen to create this scrumptious recipe to add to the Sunday Easter Brunch Buffet.  I have made this recipe more than once with the help of  Gina and decided that Mother could be allowed in on the secret of this scrumptious success. This recipe is easy and simple.  Unfortunately, "the ranch" was not prepared for the baking takeover that was about the commence, so we only had 2 bananas.  Because of this, Mother suggested that we heavy-up on the applesauce.  Similarly, she requested we call this  "My-Mom-Wants-to-Call-this-Banana-Applesauce-Bread...Bread" (I will post about the original, simple, Banana Bread at a different date).

We created half of Gina's recipe, to make one loaf, and strayed away from the nuts. After all, BF was at Easter and as you'll remember from my previous post BF has his Simple Ways to Easily Ruin a Sweet According to BF, and nuts are numero uno.

Ingredients:

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed (wish we had 3)

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps: (Easy Peasy)

1) Preheat oven to 325°.  

2) Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans with baking spray.

3)Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl and place aside.

4) In a separate, large bowl, with an electric mixer combine butter and sugar.

5) Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla to the butter mixture and and beat at medium speed until thick

6) Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and then blend at low speed until combined

7) Pour batter into pan bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8) Mother likes to serve with berries- I vote a nice dollop of I Can't Believe Its Not Butter- too each their own.

Considering this entire loaf was devoured before I even got a second piece, I would say its a hit. 

Star Fabulous Rating: 9/10 (Simple Banana Bread gets a 10/10- another post, another time)