Toffee Caramel Banana Crêpes

An unexpected guest dropped by the other day, and stayed far longer than I expected (read: he would not leave!). Yes, apparently, I am that delightful. I was in the midst of something, hadn’t had lunch, so during the last hour of our visit, my stomach growled uncontrollably. Finally, waiting for him to take a breath so that I could interrupt the onslaught of conversation, I asked if he would like a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Yes, he told me, he would like a cup of coffee, but since he’d had lunch, he’d prefer to have dessert with his coffee. Dessert? Who said anything about dessert?! Is the word “Bakery” stamped on my forehead? I was so weak from hunger that I agreed to serve him desert with coffee before I realized that I didn’t have any.

The entire time I was in the kitchen grinding coffee beans, slicing bread for my sandwich, and getting out lettuce, tomato, ham, and cheese, my brain was on overload. Dessert, dessert, what do I have that I could use as dessert? I scanned the room left to right, right to left. I spotted a rather sad bunch of bananas that had seen better days, grabbed them, and set them on the counter in front of me. What would go with bananas, I wondered? I started rummaging through the cabinets, as discreetly as possible, pulling out a package of Melissa’s Ready-to-Use Crêpes, a jar of salted caramel sauce, toffee bits, and, while grabbing the mustard from the fridge, pulled out a bowl of Devonshire cream that I had made the day before.

As I was slicing my sandwich and plating it, I laid a crêpe out on the cutting board, topped it with a dollop of the Devonshire cream, bananas, toffee bits, rolled it up, gave it another topping of everything, drizzled it with caramel sauce, plated it, and handed it to my wordy guest along with a fork. He didn’t bother with the fork, simply picked up the crêpe as though it were a hotdog, and took a big bite. Sounds of ecstasy emanated from deep within. Mutterings of “delicious,” “exceptional,” and “SO good,” followed. Obviously, he loved it. This was not the first time that I silently thanked Melissa‘s Produce for saving my bacon. Their crêpes have saved the day for me time and time again. They last a good while in the pantry, but also freeze beautifully, so it’s wise to have a couple of packages on hand. My friend added that peanuts would be good crumbled on top, so I made him another one and added peanuts. I think for a moment there he visited heaven.

I had considered calling these Emergency Banana Crêpes, but decided instead upon Toffee Caramel Banana Crêpes, because it sounded so much tastier. Don’t be put off by their austere appearance, there is decadent goodness contained within. These are good, folks, and easy, and cool, and perfect for summer. Consider using any fruit that you happen to have on hand such as strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Any one (or a combination) of those would be sensational. So cool yourself off, and treat yourself to this delicious, easy, last-minute dessert.

Toffee Caramel Banana Crêpes

1 Melissa’s Ready-to-Use Crêpes
1 banana (or fresh fruit of your choice)
2-3 tablespoons Devonshire cream (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon toffee bits (I used Heath Bits-of-Brickle)
1 tablespoon Salted Caramel Sauce

Place crêpe on a flat surface. Dollop Devonshire cream down the center, top with slices of banana, and about a tablespoon of brickle bits. Roll up, place on a plate, top with more Devonshire cream, bits, and a couple of slices of banana, and drizzle salted caramel over all. You may also consider adding chopped peanuts, or a sprinkling of fleur de sel to up the saltiness. Experiment and have fun, you simply cannot go wrong.

Devonshire Cream

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and salt. Slowly stream in whipping cream, beating constantly, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Chill for two hours before serving. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

NOTE: I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment to make this. I found it worked much better when streaming in the cream. As you can see from the photos, the results were beautiful.

PRINT RECIPE

A savory way in which to use these life-saving crêpes is this crowd-pleasing Chicken and Mushroom Crêpe Casserole.

This post is linked to:

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

This post contains affiliate links.

Kicked-Up Smoothies

Who doesn’t love a refreshing fruit smoothie? That frosty combination of fresh fruits and yogurt (along with 1 or 2 coconut water ice cubes…or 3 or 4) is a great summer drink. But, correct me if I’m wrong, they can get to be a bit boring. Am I right? Well, boring smoothies are a thing of the past, thanks to this mouth-tingling recipe from The Great Pepper Cookbook by Melissa’s Produce.

You will be stunned, STUNNED I tell you, at how zippy a smoothie can be when you add a Serrano chile pepper. You can crank the heat up a bit by leaving in some of the seeds, but as is, this recipe is perfect.

If you often have trouble opening your eyes in the morning, this breakfast is for you (in which case you can swap out the frozen yogurt for Greek yogurt). Yummy!

Kicked-Up Smoothies

From The Great Pepper Cookbook

2 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 banana

1 fresh Serrano chile pepper, stem & seeds removed, 

finely diced

Place all ingredients in a blender (I use a Ninja); process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

This post is linked to:

Share Your Style

Keeping it Simple

Creative Ways

Show and Share

Thursty Thursday

Banana, Coconut and Ricotta Pancakes with Ginger Syrup

I teased you yesterday with the recipe for ginger syrup, telling you that one of its delicious uses would be posted today.  Now, remember the luscious cocktail that was served in the coconut half that I showed you here?  Obviously, there was another half to that coconut, one with three holes in it for draining the water, but one that also had wonderfully fresh, moist coconut meat.  It was that meat, freshly grated in the food processor, that sent me on my quest for a breakfast recipe in which I could put it to good use.  Thanks to Epicurious.com, I found a decadently delicious recipe that is full of complex tastes and will make you feel that you’re breakfasting on a tropical isle.  The beauty of this recipe is that it, like the ginger syrup, can be made ahead, so you won’t have to labor in the morning to put a fantastic meal on the table.  I used a Cuisinart Griddler to make my pancakes, so there was no need for the butter as mentioned in the recipe.  Also, as I'm not keen on pineapple other than eaten alone, I eliminated it as a topping ingredient.  Personally, I don’t think the pineapple has a place here at all as it would have clashed rather badly, I think, with the ginger.

Banana, Coconut and Ricotta Pancakes with Ginger Syrup

4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup whole milk

2/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 6 ounces)

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt

1 1/3 cups finely grated fresh coconut (about 4 ounces)

6 teaspoons (or more) butter

3 bananas, peeled, sliced on diagonal

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, thinly sliced, cut into triangles

 Whisk egg yolks, milk, ricotta, flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Stir in coconut. DO AHEAD Can be made 12 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff. Gently fold into ricotta mixture.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter on griddle or in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop batter onto griddle by 1/4 cupfuls. Cook until bubbles form on pancakes, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes; cook 2 minutes longer, adding butter to griddle by teaspoonfuls between batches. Arrange 3 to 4 pancakes on each plate. garnish with sliced fruit; pour warm ginger syrup over.

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Seasonal Sunday

Sunday's Best Party

Banana Date Nut Bread

 It’s National Bread Month and I celebrated this morning by baking up a loaf of my grandmother’s banana bread.  As far as I know, this recipe goes back to the late 1800’s, when it was made by my great-great grandmother, and passed along to my grandmother who since passed it down to the rest of the baking women in the family.  My favorite of all the banana bread recipes that I’ve tried, it is dense, chewy, full of flavor, and packed with nutrients like potassium, calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium thanks to the addition of the dates.  Dates are also an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber, and very rich in antioxidant flavonoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  Now I ask you, what more could you want in a delicious breakfast loaf?

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  You won’t be disappointed.

BANANA DATE NUT BREAD

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1 cup mashed banana (about 3)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped, pitted dates

1 cup chopped nuts

Cream sugar and shortening thoroughly; add bananas and lemon juice, mixing well.  Spoon flour (do not sift) into dry measuring cup, level off, and pour measured flour onto square of waxed paper.  Add soda and salt to flour and stir to blend.  Add blended dry ingredients, dates and nuts to creamed mixture, stirring just until flour is moistened. Spread into one well-greased and sugared 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.  Bake at 350° for 60 minutes.

This post is linked to:

These Chicks Cooked

What's Cooking Wednesday

Banana Crunch Muffins

It's been so noisy here all week with the roofers awakening us in the predawn hours that we've just been stumbling around the house muttering, "Coffee! Coffee!" able to do little else.  But this morning, having awakened to bird song, I figured it was time to get caught up with the weekend paper and have a nice hot muffin for breakfast.  This recipe is from Ina [Garten, the Barefoot Contessa] and is delicious!  Do NOT forgo the banana chips on top, they are wonderful.

BANANA CRUNCH MUFFINS

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup small-diced walnuts
1 cup granola
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

This post is linked to:
Real Food Wednesday
Cast Party Wednesdays
Wow Us Wednesday
Weekday Potluck

For more wonderful recipes from Ina, I highly recommend these books:

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

These may look like plain, old, unassuming pancakes to you, but don't let the simple appearance fool you.  These are delicious!  It's another winning recipe from Ina Garten, and she certainly knows her pancakes.  These are easy and flavorful, with just the right amount of banana so as to be tasty but not overwhelming.  Add more or less lemon zest to your taste (I added more), or if lemons aren't available, add orange.  Toss in some blueberries if you happen to have them, they go well with the bananas as do strawberries.  But before you get creative, try these just as they are.  Fluffy and satisfying, they are equally good as "silver dollar" pancakes. The perfect Sunday morning breakfast!

I got one of those Cuisinart Griddlers for Christmas and I LOVE it. It has interchangeable plates for either grilling/paninis or using as a griddle and it works just great. The plates come off and go right into the dishwasher for easy clean up. Here are a couple of banana pancakes awaiting flipping.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving

Pure maple syrup

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

This recipe comes from:

A Warming Winter Breakfast

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with a Crispy Maple Crust

Yesterday's temperature of 37 degrees was to be the high of the next week.  Days are turning colder and nights in the  mid-teens are absolutely frigid.  On days such as these it's important to start the day off right with a strengthening breakfast such as this delicious bowl of steel cut oats with a broiled topping and garnish of fruit.  McCann's Steel Cut Irish oats are the only oats for me.  They're deeply flavorful, hearty, and lend themselves well to any type of embellishment that you can manage to dream up while they're simmering away on the top of the stove.

 

To prepare this tasty dish, simply follow the directions on the oatmeal can (or box) to serve 4. While it's cooking combine 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans.  Once the oatmeal is done, divide it among four ovenproof bowls. Divide the brown sugar mixture among the bowls being certain to sprinkle the mixture over the entire surface of the oatmeal.

Heat the broiler to high and set the rack 5 to 6 inches from the heat source. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 1 to 3 minutes until dark brown and bubbly. Remove and sprinkle with dried cranberries, raisins, or dried cherries. Garnish with slices of banana. Serve with milk, if desired.

What a warm and healthy way to start the day.  Have a great weekend everyone!