Tag Archives: banana desserts

Cake, chocolate desserts, Cupcakes, Uncategorized

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Leave a comment
IMG_8131
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting by twocarolines.com

Oh bananas, chocolate and peanut butter, you have our whole heart!  We salute you here on two carolines with not, 5, not 10, but literally dozens of recipes and we’re not even done yet!  This is a wonderful mash up of 1.0’s famous banana peanut butter chocolate chip cake with my (2.0 duh) renowned peanut butter chocolate cake frosting – and trust me, it’s all that is right in the world to combine these two masterful recipes into one dessert.  Grab those spotty bananas and buy a big bag of pow sug because these are going to need to be added to your summer bucket list STAT!  -CK 2.0

For the cupcakes:
4 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup peanut butter (use creamy or crunchy according to texture preference, but probably creamy, and not the kind you have to stir)
2 cups chocolate chips

For the frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand like Jiff or Skippy

 

 

  1. Set oven to 350.  Line two muffin tins and spray just a touch of cooking spray (I use coconut for most bakes) into the bottom of each one.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon—then add to the banana mixture.
  3. Add the peanut butter and when that is combined, add the chocolate chips.
  4. Pour the batter into your lined muffin tin up to 3/4 full then bake one at a time for about 17-19 minutes (you know your oven, check for doneness with a toothpick).
  5. For the frosting -In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
  6. Put a large star tip (I use all of these large tips regularly for cupcakes, macaroons and all manner of sweets) into a big piping bag and seal the end with plastic wrap or a clamp then drape your bag on a very tall glass or I always use a vase.  Fill your piping bag with frosting then pipe a cute swirl of PB frosting onto each cupcake, once they’ve cooled.  This frosting and cake keep fine at room temperature but keep them in a sealed container for freshness.  If you don’t have a piping bag and tips just spread it on top of your cupcakes however you want.
Breads, sweet breads and muffins, Uncategorized

Banana Pecan Muffins

Leave a comment

IMG_2690
Banana Pecan Muffins by twocarolines.com
You guys as I tell you about these epic muffins there is an entirely different banana bread recipe baking in my oven, right this minute!  It’s fair to say we are not balanced in our coverage of awesome banana related recipes, but so far, there have been no complaints, because we only post the very best ones!  These are my Mother and Father in-law’s number one favorite from the genius kitchen of Tyler Florence.  They have SERIOUS banana flavor because of the method of pureeing some of the banana’s and leaving the rest in chunks that combined with the pecans make for an amazing texture.  The recipe is for a banana bread, but muffins are easier for my family so we often go that route.  If you choose to make the bread just bake until doneness about an hour and 10 minutes which makes for beautifully caramelized edges.  You will love them!

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans finely chopped

  1.  Preheat oven to 350 and line or spray a standard muffin pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
  3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.  With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream.  Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down sides of the bowl.  Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend.  Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling 3/4 the way or into your loaf pan.
  4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes for muffins an hour and 10-15 for loaf – until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Rotate a time or two for even browning.
  5. Cool the muffins in pan for 10 minutes or so, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.  If you make the bread, Tyler recommends you toast it and dust with confectioners sugar for a special treat.

Recipe adapted from Banana Bread with Pecans Tyler Florence Food Network

sweet breads and muffins, Uncategorized

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Leave a comment
IMG_0220
Double Chocolate Banana Bread by twocarolines

Don’t these cold rainy days make you want stay indoors and bake delicious sweets?  This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is a new King family staple because as you might of gathered, we are all for anything that gives us chocolate for breakfast.  We seem to always have extra ripe banana’s around so when my favorite food blogger Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen posted this bread last year I was totally game.  What makes it so decadently dark is the dutch process cocoa, but it totally works out with normal cocoa as well.  I added a bit more sugar than Deb because I thought it tasted better that way, but if you don’t like your sweet breads very sweet reduce sugar to 3/4 cup.  If you come to my house you can choose from a variety of breakfast chocolates: hot cocoa, nutella waffles, chocolate zucchini muffins and now we also offer this amazing double chocolate banana bread!

3 medium-to-large ripe bananas (the more ripe the better!)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar (Deb uses dark brown, but I never have that around)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips – I use a combo of bitter and semi-sweet

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a nonstick baking spray – I also put a little rectangle of parchment in the bottom for guaranteed easy turn out, but that’s up to you.

Mash bananas in the bottom of a large bowl.  Whisk in melted butter, then brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Place baking soda, salt, cinnamon (if using), flour and cocoa powder in a sifter or fine-mesh strainer and sift over wet ingredients. It’s okay if you don’t want to sift, but it will make any lumps in your cocoa go away.  Stir dry and wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks or chips.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free.  Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert it out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. I sometimes sprinkle with a little powdered sugar or a dollop of whip cream.

IMG_0219
double chocolate banana bread by twocarolines

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen Double Chocolate Banana Bread