Bananas on a Friday

Friday's have turned into my baking days--no more like my therapy afternoons. After this week of school I felt I was going bananas! What sounded good? Well how about a Banana White Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nut cookie? Sold.

I searched high and low, on Pinterest, Google, Foodgawker, everywhere to find a recipe for just that. Nothing. Plan B: Find a good banana cookie recipe and add mouth watering goodness. Good enough for the Greek Gods. 

Success! Mwuahahaha.... I'm going bananas for probably one of my now most favorite cookies. EVER.

Banana Cookie Recipe from: Evelyn Brown

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour             2/3 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons baking powder             2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt                            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking soda                2 1/2 ripe mashed bananas (more brown spots the better)

1 cup sugar                                   1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips & 1 cup macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy, will look kind of like wet sand.

Add the eggs and vanilla till combined. Add bananas. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

Drop by the spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until light golden brown around edges and top.

The house is embraced with a smell so delectable, your neighbors will soon be arriving!

Momma T taste tested and gave the cookies a score of 11/10. Good gracious, I think I just bargained my way to a mini shopping spree in her eyes. That is the power of these cookies. If you don't like bananas before you taste this, you sure as hell will after one bite.

Banana White Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nuts cookie. My, my, my. How you have captured my soul. Enjoy the rest of your weekend family and friends.

Pinterest & Such

Let's just take a moment and let it sink in that when we all awoke from slumber this morning, we found that Mother Nature dropped a sweet bomb on the mountains. 20 INCHES. Obvi, we went skiing. It was amazing. 

Just one more thing to distract me from completing homework., or to distract me from wanting to slit my wrists because of homework? 

The other day I decided it was probably time to try one of the many food pins I pin on Pinterest. I chose the Strawberry Heart Pie.

I did attempt a simple pie crust from scratch and it was pretty flaking delish.

Pie Crust: 

• 1 1/4 cups flour                                      Mix salt & flour together. Then cut the butter into 
• 1/4 tsp salt                                             mixture to create a crumb like form. Add water one 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (chilled/cubed)      tablespoon at a time to create a ball.                         
• 1/4 cup ice water                                    Wrap with plastic and set in fridge for 4 hours or                                                                    overnight. 

This had been a process through out my day between class and running errands. Once it was ready I rolled out the dough on a surface with flour.

 The next step to the Pinterest speacial was to cut hearts out for the top part of the crust.

Slice, dice, and prepare the strawberry center...

Layer the hearts according to the recipe...Mine were a little skiwampus. Then add an egg wash and sugar atop to make it shiny and golden brown. 

It would seem that this Pinterest recipe turned out splendid for me...

Until... The girlies came over for little Valentine treats and a sappy movie. I went to cut the pie, my rookie mistake: I didn't cook it right and had a saggy bottom crust that was uncooked. My heart sank.

Good thing we had cream cheese frosting and sugar cookies to decorate and eat. Not to mention it was a festive pink frosting with many different bottles of pretty sprinkles!

There may be times when we get saggy bottoms but in the end it doesn't ruin a good rest of the time because there is plenty more in life to make up for it, like pink frosting and sprinkles. 

Chocolate Queen

I am a lover of baking. I have come across the BEST chocolate cupcake recipe. I can honestly say in my many days of baking I have tried probably over 20 chocolate cupcake recipes. I have found the one. Moist. Right amount of chocolate. Velvety. Delectable. It's everything you want. It's like finding the right man in your life. (I have yet to find him)

When you have a good chocolate cupcake base you have everything. Thank goodness for the smart peeps who invented the internet so we can share our baking tips and tricks. That is where I found this little chocolate devil. Right here at: The Best Chocolate Cupcake

I'm telling you friends and family, this is it!

In the arrival of sweet baby, Breck Jaron Knowles, I decided we needed to celebrate with cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Drizzle, Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting, and rimmed with crushed Pretzels to add texture. All from scrath baby!

Breck Jaron Knowles

Auntie Morgan 

Momma Chan skiing at 9 months prego!

First time holding the little guy. I fell completely head over heels.

And on a side note kids, take care of those teeth. I had a cavity filled earlier this week and it left my face looking like a stroke victim. This WAS smiling normal. I had kids and mothers run away screaming. Not really but it was a pretty awful Monday and look.

My face is back to normal. My sweet big bro, Ian, asked what happened to my face. My response? "I was dropped into a bowl of sexy." Have a happy Hump day everyone and when in doubt with chocolate cupcakes turn to this recipe and the Queen of England will show up for one with tea. Cheers.