On supermarket shelves today, there is an extremely wide variety of food products to choose from. Food items now come in every size, shape and flavor we could ever imagine. But it is still difficult to beat the taste of homemade baked goods. One of the reasons I have so many things to post on this blog is because I make many of the foods I eat. I am not completely opposed to store-bought goods, but there are some things that I do refuse to eat store-bought versions of, just because I think homemade tastes so much better! However, there are some store-bought items that have perfectly acceptable quality, in fact, there are even a few specific items where I think store-bought actually taste better than homemade. Of course, everyone has their own opinions, but here are some of mine.
- BREAD There is nothing like homemade bread, and there are so many different kinds to choose from. Some breads are very easy and quick to make at home, and they taste amazing still hot from the oven. I do prefer commercial bread for most sandwiches though, because it is sturdier, uniformly shaped, hold up well, and has a mellow flavor and texture. It is also more convenient to use store-bought bread for sandwiches, as we would have to make bread every day at this house to keep up. I also have yet to master the art of even bread slicing.
- COOKIES Usually I prefer homemade cookies, especially fresh and hot from the oven. There are some pretty good brand-name cookies out there that you just can't duplicate at home.
- CAKE You've got to go homemade with cakes. Stores can make good cakes, but I find homemade cakes just taste less artificial and more realistic. I don't even really like to use boxed mixes for cakes - it has to be from scratch. And I definitely do not like store-made or ready-made canned frostings.
- MUFFINS Although you can get some pretty delicious-looking, giant muffins at the grocery store, I much prefer homemade. Homemade muffins are often fresher, moister, and more tender than commercial muffins. Besides, who can eat a muffin that big anyway?
- SQUARES I find that stores don't tend to carry a wide variety of choices in bars and squares. Homemade are usually tastier and are so easy to make.
- PIZZA I like to make homemade pizzas and panzerottis with dough from scratch, but there are also some frozen pizzas, store-made pizzas, and restaurant pizzas I enjoy. There are also some that I absolutely hate. Pizza, which seems to be such a basic food, can differ in so many ways from place to place. Overall, I am not very picky when it comes to pizza, and I will eat pizza from most places, although I do prefer some kinds over others.
A little bit of spice can go along way to adding flavor to any dish. Breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks could all use a little spice in them. A dash of cinnamon on your oatmeal in the morning, a little pepper on your chicken sandwich at lunch, and lots of chili powder in your tacos at supper! Spices are quite beneficial to health, many contain large amounts of antioxidants and other good nutrients. And there certainly is no shortage of variety on spices. Don't be afraid to experiment with some new and exotic spices. Most spices come in a fine powder form in either small jars or resealable bags, but some come in larger forms, which may need to be crushed before using to reduce the intensity of the spice. Spices never really go bad, and can last for years, but they lose their flavor after a year or so. It is best to buy spices in small quantities more often for a fresher flavor. It is always nice to have a variety of spices on hand. Some spices are much stronger than others, so always add a little at first and then taste to see how strong your dish is. You don't want the spice to overpower your dish. When paired with complementary foods, spices do wonders! Ginger and orange, cinnamon and chocolate, and honey and mustard are three perfect examples. Here is a list of all of the spices I can think of!
- Ginger, Allspice, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg, Black Pepper
- Red Pepper, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Five Spice, Turmeric
- Mustard Powder, Thyme, Saffron, Tarragon, Poultry Seasoning
- Chinese Spice Mix, Paprika, Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Anise, Cayenne Pepper
- Cilantro, Dill, Mace, Marjoram
PHOTO CREDIT:"spices1.jpg"
http://rakhealthmatters.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/check-your-spice-rack/ . Health Matters, n.d. Wednesday, May 2, 2012.
This is a dessert I made a long time ago, but I decided to share it today because it reminds me of summer and today is May 1st. I am really looking forward to some warmer weather, and the season for fresh, juicy fruit! This dessert is just as it is named: a crispy fruit pizza. The crust is basically the same mixture you would make for crisp rice cereal squares, but it is pressed into a round pizza pan instead of a square or rectangular pan. Once chilled, it is spread with a chocolate mixture. I believe the cookbook where I found this recipe idea called for a mixture of chocolate, cream cheese,butter, and icing sugar, or something similar to that, but I simply spread the crust with chocolate pudding, because that is what I had on hand. Same consistency and same chocolatey flavor, yet slightly less work and a taste preferred by my family. The rest is the fun part - decorating the pizza! I cut up bananas and fresh strawberries, but any fruit imaginable could be used in any combination. Fruits such as bananas, apples, and pears should be brushed with either a little lemon juice or a mixture of jam thinned with a little water to prevent them from becoming brown. Jam will add a pleasant, sweet, fruity taste instead of a sour lemon taste, and works equally as well as lemon juice. Just lay the fruit on the pizza in any pattern you want, and decorate the remainder of the pizza with whipped cream. Using whipped cream from a spray can or spooning it into a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip makes a more attractive appearance. This dessert is light, fresh, and delicious. I cannot wait for the summer days to come!
Here is the delicious dinner I enjoyed tonight with my family. It consists of slices of a simple baked ham, corn, green beans, and cheesy scalloped potatoes. Simple, but tasty. Actually this plate represents the ideal plate: half full of vegetables, one quarter lean meat, and one quarter starch or whole grain. Ok, I admit there could be a few more vegetable piled on there, but that's okay. They say you should eat one green and one orange or yellow colored vegetable everyday, among others. Well, this plate has both. Although a leafy green vegetable would be preferred, and brighter oranges such as those of sweet potatoes or squash are probably more beneficial, green beans and corn are a very good match for ham. Peas and carrots are also a good pair with ham. If you want to add some fruit into the mix, both pineapple and apple are good with ham. You can eat these fruits fresh, or make them into a sauce for the ham, using either canned pineapple or applesauce. Scalloped potatoes also go very well with ham, but other potato dishes as well as rice or noodles are also good matches for ham. The cheese in this dish also adds another food group! Overall, this is a tasty, nutritious, and well-balanced meal that is pretty easy and quick to prepare.
Spring weather is starting to appear, and before we know it, it will be time to start our vegetable gardens outdoors. For now though, while there is still frost and the ground is too frozen to dig up, vegetable gardens can be started indoors. By beginning planting now, your vegetable plants will already have a great head start and produce vegetables sooner after they have been transplanted outdoors. You can begin your indoor planting in small pots or wooden boxes, but containers work very well too. Water, pop, and juice bottles that have been cleaned and cut open actually work very well for beginning plants. Empty yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, and other similar containers also work well, as do jars and even tin cans. When I was young, I planted a few bean seeds in a pile of dirt in a clean two-liter pop bottle with the top cut off, and a small door cut into the back. I couldn't believe how quickly the plant grew, and how large it got. It quickly outgrew that pop bottle, and its stalks were spilling out the small door and out of the top. It was an easy plant to care for as well, it could easily be placed in sunlight, and was easy to water. It was also easily transportable. I think I even took it on a trip to my grandparent's house a few hours car ride away, and it still survived well.
Indoor plants that are started with seeds will need a nice amount of soft dirt, lots of light, from sunlight or lamps, and water. They will also require some temperature control, room temperature is fine, but ensure that it is not too warm or too cold or drafty. Dedicate a spot in your house where the plants won't be disturbed by temperature changes, won't be accidentally knocked over, and can access light and water easily.
Herbs are always good plants to have indoors. Aside from those, here is a list of plants that are commonly started indoors before the springtime, and they benefit from this quite a bit.
- Cucumbers, Peppers, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Carrots, Broccoli, Eggplant, Celery
These vegetable are suggested as starting indoors either because they require longer growing periods, grow better when transplanted outdoors as a plant instead of a seed. or require a bit more TLC.
PHOTO CREDIT:"p1000812"
http://containergardening.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/gardening-ideas/ . Container Gardening, n.d. Sunday, April 29, 2012.
Mississippi Mud Pie is a special occasion dish my mother had been making since I was very young. It is my brother's absolute favorite dessert. It remains quite special and such a treat in the family because we don't have it very often. It is a bit of an expensive dish to make, as it contains four eggs, coconut, chopped nuts (although we often leave them out), marshmallow, chocolate icing, and lots of butter. Besides, if we had it often, it would lose its specialty. I am not sure where the name came from, I don't know if the dish originated in Mississippi or not, but it actually isn't really a pie at all. It is much more like a cake. In a 9x13 inch pan, a chocolate cake, adorned with shredded coconut and chopped nuts, is baked. Then, when still warm, it is spread with a jar of marshmallow fluff, which immediately melts on top of the hot cake. Then it is iced with a chocolate frosting, which also melts a little bit. The marshmallow and frosting layers are then swirled together to make an attractive looking top. A bonus of this dessert is that it is simple to make, just a basic cake batter and two toppings swirled together, and it is also fairly quick because you do not have to wait for the cake to cool. My mother and I quickly whipped up this cake together this morning. This cake is absolutely delicious, with the predominant flavor being chocolate, but with pleasant overtones of marshmallow and coconut. These flavors all pair together perfectly, so even if you aren't a fan of marshmallow or coconut in particular, you will enjoy them in this dessert. The cake is kept in the refrigerator, and is delicious cold, but just a few years ago we discovered a new trick. If you heat individual slices in the microwave for just 20-30 seconds, the marshmallow begins to melt, the icing turns into a lovely ganache, and the cake softens. It takes the entire dessert to a whole new level!
Today I made some whole wheat bread again, a different recipe I have never tried before of course. Although the bread did not rise as much as I had hoped it would, it still turned out very well. The lack of rise may be due to the little mini crisis situation I had. I had already started mixing up the bread dough when I realized that there was absolutely no yeast left in the house. Oops, poor planning and inventory checks, and especially unfortunate because a trip to the grocery store had been made earlier today. Oh well, good thing the store isn't too far away, so a quick trip was made. Meanwhile, I hoped the warm water wasn't getting too cold. The closest store only carried traditional yeast, not rapid rise yeast like I usually use, but I din't think that would be a problem, as I have used traditional yeast before. It wasn't until after I had arrived home and added the yeast to my now only lukewarm water that I realized the bread recipe actually called for instant yeast. To my knowledge, the only difference between traditional yeast and instant yeast is that instant yeast does not require a separate proofing and can just be added to the dry ingredients. Since the recipe called for the yeast to be added to the warm water anyway, I simply let it sit for 10 minutes to activate. After 10 minutes, the mixture seemed to be quite bubbly, so I continued on with the recipe. After the first rising of the dough, the dough seemed to be quite high, so I figured it would all work out. After the second rising, the dough was not quite as high as it probably should have been, and it did not rise much in the oven. Oh well, still tasty. However, take a few lessons from this fiasco: always check to make sure you have the ingredients you need, preferably before you go out, but definitely before you begin your baking. Also read the recipe carefully before beginning. Luckily this bread recipe is fairly forgiving.
Now, to the actual bread recipe. It is fairly simple, with not many ingredients. Just water, sugar, salt, yeast, butter, and flour. Of course I spruced it up a little to suit my liking. I added some ground flax seed and some sunflower seeds and used all whole wheat flour to make the bread more hearty and nutritious. The recipe simply calls for one large amount of all-purpose flour, but this could easily be varied with any variety of grains to suit your tastes. As I mentioned before, this is a very forgiving and versatile recipe. It is also fairly basic, and could probably be changed up by the addition of molasses, honey or brown sugar, and eggs and milk. The amounts of sugar, butter, and salt could also be varied to suit personal tastes.
This is my new favorite supper alternative to regular pizza: Pizza Stromboli. These are faster, easier, less work, and in my opinion, tastier, than making my usual homemade pizza. Basically these pizza strombolis are simply an easier, softer, and fluffier version of pizza dough. The dough is rolled out into a thin rectangle, spread with sauce and sprinkled sparingly with toppings (so they won't fall out), and finished off with lots of shredded pizza mozzarella. Then it is rolled up, jelly roll style, sealed, and placed on a baking sheet. It is actually a lot easier and less elaborate than it sounds. The strombolis are then baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and they are ready to serve (although it helps to let them rest for a few minutes before cutting them, as they will be a lot neater, but this isn't necessary and is sometimes difficult).
The first time I tried out this new recipe was about mid March, and it worked out beautifully. This time I made two separate strombolis at the same time. Doubling the recipe and then dividing the dough in half would have also worked, however I wanted to try making one of the strombolis whole wheat. I really like whole wheat pizza crust, but I do find it can be a bit dry and a tad too wheaty. I did not find this at all with the whole wheat stromboli, even though I used all whole wheat flour, and not half whole wheat and half white flour. The whole wheat stromboli tasted very good and had a pleasant texture.
I will probably be making this again in place of the usual pizza, although I will turn to the trusty old pizza recipe again from time to time. This stromboli can use any of the same toppings that would normally be used for pizza, and can be varied to suit your personal taste. As you can see in the picture, the dough is quite forgiving and rises very well. If the dough tears in places, it can easily be patched up with the ends. You might also find that some of the filling may try to escape, but it's not a big deal. You can even sprinkle some extra toppings on the outside of the dough for more flavor. Be sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper for a much easier clean up!
Since it is still maple syrup season and maple products are still in abundance at the supermarkets, I decide to make another baked good with maple. I recently came across this recipe in a newspaper, and it looked good so I decided to try it. Maple and apple sounded like a good combination to me, especially with the addition of hearty oats for texture. The recipe uses a modest 1/2 cup of maple syrup, which is why only 1/3 cup of sugar is needed, as maple syrup actually has a higher concentration of sweetness than sugar (it varies also depending on the grade of maple syrup you choose). The muffins are brushed with some extra maple syrup while still warm, adding some extra maple flavor and a hint of stickiness to them.
Maple Apple Oatmeal Muffins
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely diced cooking apples (peeled or unpeeled)
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, for brushing the tops
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Lightly grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the oats and milk, set aside and let sit for at least five minutes.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the next five ingredients. Add to oat mixture, mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, stir until just moistened. Gently fold in apples.
Divide among muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are firm to the touch. Brush the tops of the muffins with some extra maple syrup while still warm.
Here are the biscuits we served with our soup yesterday, and today for that matter, since we had leftover soup, and both the soup and the biscuits keep and reheat well. These are called crunchy drop biscuits, because of the way they are made. They start with a standard biscuit dough, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, egg, butter, and milk, but instead of being kneaded, rolled out, and cut, the dough is simply dropped from a tablespoon. This makes these biscuits a lot quicker and easier than standard biscuit. The best part of all is, they are just as good, if not better! They are crunchy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the insides. They have a rich, buttery flavor. They can be made as big or as small as you would like, and as crispy or as soft as you like, depending on how close together you space them on the baking sheet. If you are really short on time, you can even just form the dough into one large mass and place it on the baking sheet to bake, then break off pieces to eat it.
There is nothing like hot biscuits straight from the oven, spread with a little butter or dipped into hot soup. These biscuits keep for about a week in an air-tight container at room temperature, and they also freeze well. I have enjoyed these biscuits in a variety of ways, including spread with butter, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, strawberry cream cheese, garlic butter and with cheese. They are nice reheated, but also fine at room temperature. My mother has been making these biscuits for a long time, and she taught me how to make them. I am sure we will both continue to make them for many years to come.
Even though the weather is starting to get a bit warmer, and there are no longer snowy, cold days, it is still nice to have soup. Today was actually a pretty good day for soup, as it was miserable and rainy outside, with a slight chill and some dampness in the air. We also made this soup to use up the leftover turkey from Easter that we had in the freezer. This soup is basically just a standard chicken noodle soup recipe, but we used turkey because that is what was on hand. The soup contains chicken broth, ground black pepper, chopped onion, sliced carrots, potato, peas, turkey pieces, and spaghetti noodles. It is a nice, classic soup, hearty, but not too heavy, and is a great treatment for colds and the flu. This soup could be served with any hearty bread, biscuit, sandwich, or crackers, weather homemade or store-bought. Basically all you need is a little something for dipping and enjoying on the side, which could be anything from pita bread, to a croissant, to cheese crackers, to a grilled cheese sandwich. When we have the time, we like to serve our homemade soup with homemade biscuits, which I will feature tomorrow.
These are probably one of the quickest and easiest square recipes I have ever made. Only nine simple ingredients that are all mixed together and then pressed into a pan. Then they bake for 25 minutes, and are cut into squares while still warm. They cut very easily, and are quite neat bars that stay together well and hold up well at room temperature. They can be ready to serve in less than an hour. They also have a nice variety of flavors, that could easily be switched up, and are reminiscent of a candy bar. Try using a different type of chocolate chips or a different type of nuts. Instead of using butterscotch chips, I used miniature candy-coated chocolates, because that is what I had on hand. This seemed to have worked well. This recipe is from Company's Coming "Sweet Cravings", and I am sure it could easily be doubled to fit a 9x13 inch pan if this small pan just isn't enough. If you want to dress the bars up a little, a drizzle of melted chocolate or simple vanilla glaze would add a touch of decadence, although the bars don't really need anything.
Candy Bar Squares
1/4 cup hard margarine or butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line an 8x8 inch square pan.
In a medium bowl, mix first four ingredients. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Press into prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Cut while still warm.
Paré, Jean. "Candy Bar Squares." Recipe. Sweet Cravings, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2002. 147.
This is how I decorated the quick chocolate cupcakes I made last night. Decorating them was pretty quick as well. I made my standard vanilla buttercream icing, then piped swirls in circles on the cupcakes with an open star tip to cover the entire surface of the cupcake. I did not want to make tall swirls, as I was planning on adding some piping on top of the swirls, so I just kept the swirls at one level. I find this easier and more visually appealing than spreading icing on with a knife. Then I tinted some buttercream blue and used a plain, round open tip to pipe math related symbols and words on the cupcakes. I have a sin, cos, tan, theta, radical, multiply, divide, add, subtract, x, and pi . I kept the symbols simple and easy to pipe, as it is difficult to pipe out complicated math formulas on small cupcakes. I will save those for full-sized cakes.
Here is a really easy and quick recipe to use when you need just a small batch of cupcakes. The recipe calls for a yield of 14 cupcakes, although I only got 11, and I thought they were small at that. Keep in mind though, that these cupcakes do rise quite high. Also take note that this recipe is egg-free and dairy-free, so it is good for allergies.
Quickest Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients. Add remaining ingredients, mix just until combined and batter is smooth. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
West Side Publishing. "Quick Chocolate Cupcakes." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 126.
Tonight we had a quick and easy supper made from mostly leftovers in the fridge. The beef came from last night's roast beef. We had a few of several different types of vegetables kicking around in the fridge, so we used those. They consisted of onion, carrot, broccoli, mushrooms, and asparagus. We also had some leftover pasta, so we cooked up little extra rice to serve with it with our stir-fry. Pasta and rice are the best two options to serve stir-fry with. Stir-frys are quick and easy, just cut everything into bite-sized pieces and sautee in a little oil until tender, then add some seasonings and flavor. Since the beef was leftover, it was already cooked and only required a short time in the pan. I love having beef stir-fry because I am not really a fan of roast beef by itself. But when it is put into a stir-fry, especially paired with broccoli, which seems to be a classic duo, I enjoy roast beef a lot more.
This afternoon I whipped up a small batch of cake and was enjoying it within thirty minutes. I think this is the quickest chocolate cake recipe ever, although having a helper might have helped speed things up a little. Nevertheless, this cake recipe is very fast. It's great for when you need to whip up a cake on very short notice, get the sudden craving for cake, or just want a quick and easy recipe. Typically cakes are not eaten warm, but this cake is delicious straight from the oven. It can also be dressed up any way you want. We added chocolate chips to the batter, but you could also add chopped nuts, coconut, chopped fruit, or even mashed banana. We also served our cake with warm caramel sauce, but again, you could serve it with hot fudge sauce, chocolate sauce, ice cream, whipped cream, cherry sauce, glaze, or icing. You could also use cherries, toasted nuts, chocolate pieces, or sprinkles as garnishes. The possibilities are endless, and all of them work whether you serve the cake warm or cold. If you want something really quick, just sprinkle the top of the cake with some chocolate chips before baking, and when the cake comes out of the oven, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer with a knife for an instant icing.
Chocolate Snack Cake
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the first five ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 14 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Notes: I used chocolate milk in the cake, which seemed to work really well. I also added 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. I used an 8x8 inch square pan instead of a 9x9 inch, which made the cake higher, but increased the baking time by about 4 minutes or so. The cake actually cuts quite neatly, even when piping hot. The recipes comes from Company's Coming "Sweet Cravings".
Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Snack Cake." Recipe. Sweet Cravings, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2002. 22.
Here is another one of my alphabet posts, where I list as many different foods as I can think of that start with a certain letter. I am now on the fourth letter, D. Again, these are coming strictly from my head, I won't include any brand names, and I won't list every individual type. For example, a cookie is a cookie, I will not then proceed to list chocolate chip cookie, coconut cookie, cream-filled cookie, etc. I can't think of very many foods beginning with the letter D off the top of my head, so I have a feeling this will be a difficult one. All of the foods will probably come to mind after I finish this post. I think E might even be easier than D!
- Doughnut, Danish, Dressing, Drink, Divan, Dessert, Dinner, Dragonfruit
- Deli Meat, Dates, Dill, Dip, Dumplings, Drumsticks, Duck, Donairs
The weather is finally beginning to warm up, and that means it is barbecue season again! Some of our favorite things to barbecue are hamburgers, chicken drumsticks, and best of all, fresh salmon portions. Salmon is one of my absolute favorites! Here at our house, we like to keep it sweet and simple. We grill our salmon on maple planks on the barbecue, and season them with just a dash of brown sugar. The sweetness of the sugar goes very nicely with the salmon, and complements the smoked maple flavor from the planks perfectly. We like to serve our salmon with stir-fry, especially broccoli, and rice, noodles, risotto, or potatoes. Salmon is quick and easy to grill, and doesn't require to much attention. It is also really easy to prepare and handle. We have also been able to fit up to thirteen salmon portions on two planks, which both fit on the barbecue at the same time. Barbecued salmon is good as leftovers too, you can gently reheat it, but I like to eat mine cold. It is good the second or third day on its own or in sandwiches.
Here is the cake I made today for my family to snack on. It is something similar to the usually banana chocolate chip oat cake we often have around our house, but slightly different for a bit of a change. I took a recipe for a basic banana cake and changed it up to suit my family's tastes. The cake is fairly moist, sweet from the streusel, and contains just the right amount of chocolate. It is also quite quick to make, it would be a faster dish to make in place of banana chip muffins if you are pressed for time.
Banana Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake
STREUSEL
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted
CAKE
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup overripe mashed bananas (about three large)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
STREUSEL: Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside.
CAKE: In a large bowl, beat the first four ingredients. Add the banana, mix well. Add remaining ingredients, mix until fully incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with streusel.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
