Banana Bars

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.

Claudia's Apple Sausage Mac and Cheese

4 TBSP butter, plus more for the dish
3/4 lb medium pasta shells
1/2 C diced onion
6 oz chicken- apple sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick (I would use a whole lb, this is the star of the dish)
1 TBSP mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 C flour
3 C apple juice
1 lb monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 C)
1/2 lb extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded (2 cups)
1/2 C sour cream
35 small butter crackers ( 1 sleeve ritz) crushed

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium- high heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring, until the sausage is golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apple juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 8 more minutes.
3. Slowly stir about three quarters each of the monterey jack and cheddar cheese into the sauce until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove for the heat. Stir in the pasta and sour cream.. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the crushed crackers and the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly, 25-300 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Caribbean Passion Smoothie

1 C passion fruit juice
3 scoops orange sherbet
4 frozen strawberries
6 frozen peach slices
1/4 C ice

Blend all ingredients together. Add more passion fruit juice if necessary to reach desired consistency.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Banana Cupcakes (better)

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 bananas (abt 1 1/2 cups) mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour

Cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in mashed bananas. Alternate sour cream and flour mixed with soda and baking powder. I use 1/4 cup batter for each cupcake and got 33 cupcakes. Frost with the Cinnamon Honey Frosting. These are more like cake. The previous post is more like banana bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Honey Frosting:

1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream (abt tablespoon)
Beat until smooth and creamy.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON-HONEY FROSTING

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
• 2 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe and I got 15 cupcakes. When making the frosting I only used ½ stick of butter and thinned with a little cream. I used a little more cinnamon and honey, too.

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons crème de cacao
• 1/3 cup rum
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

• Place butter in a 13- x 9-inch pan; place in a 350° oven for 5 minutes or just until melted. Remove from oven, and coat pan with cooking spray. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring well. Spread mixture in pan.
• Cut 3 bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on brown sugar mixture in 4 lengthwise rows; cover and set aside.
• Combine mashed banana and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to mashed banana mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Pour batter evenly over sliced banana in pan.
• Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 2 minutes; loosen cake from sides of pan with knife, and invert onto a large rectangular serving platter.
• Drizzle crème de cacao over cake. Heat rum in a small saucepan just until simmering; ignite with a long match. Spoon rum over cake with a long-handled spoon. Serve warm cake with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

From myrecipes.com