Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The first time I had this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread was at a breakfast where I used to work.  My friend Omi had baked it for us and I really loved it.  I love banana bread, but I had never had it with chocolate chips.  This is absolutely delicious.  The bananas with the chocolate chips taste really good together.

This is another way you can make banana bread when you have those ripe bananas sitting on your counter.  The recipe is really easy.  You can enjoy it for breakfast or just as a snack anytime of the day.

When you cut into the chocolate banana bread you can see the melted chocolate chips all over, the walnuts and little pieces of banana.   The bread is super moist, perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. 

The banana breads were in the oven for exactly 65 minutes. Make sure to check the banana bread before taking it out of the oven because temperatures vary depending on oven.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 eggs

3 ripe mashed bananas

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Mix on medium speed all ingredients except the walnuts and chocolate chips.  Then stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a wooden stick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from  pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Blueberry 'n' Cheese Coffee Cake

This delicious mouth watering Blueberry 'n" Cheese Coffee Cake gets its moistness from the fresh blueberries and the cream cheese.  The crumb topping has lemon zest and it smells delicious.

My mom loved coffee cakes, and I wish she was still around so that she could help me make and enjoy this one with me.  I'm sure she would have loved it. 

 

Giant Sunday Pancakes

The best thing after going to church on a Sunday morning is coming home to some home made pancakes.  These Giant Sunday Pancakes are not only fluffy and buttery but they are amazing.  Why buy a box of pancake mix when you can make your own at home.

Get in your kitchen this weekend and make your family these delicious, satisfying, fluffy pancakes, they will thank you for it.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup of milk

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

butter for cooking

maple syrup

To keep pancakes warm heat oven to 250 degrees F.  Mix together the eggs, sugar and butter in a bowl.  Add flour alternately with the milk in 3 additions, whisking to blend after each addition.  Whisk in baking powder and salt.

Melt enough butter in a heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium heat just to coat bottom.  Ladle scant 3/4 cup batter into skillet, rotating skillet to spread batter to about 6-inch diameter round.   Cook pancakes until bubbles form and break on surface and bottom is brown, about 2 minutes.

Turn over pancake and cook until bottom is brown and pancake is cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to large baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to skillet as necessary.  Serve with maple syrup.

Source:  The Bon Appetit Cookbook

Sorullitos de Maiz (Cornmeal Sticks)

I grew up eating Sorullitos de Maiz (Cornmeal Sticks) for breakfast with coffee.  As a Puerto Rican, drinking coffee as a kid is part of our culture.  Even as an adult the only way I eat these is with a big cup.  My mom's sorullitos were the best.  Her recipe is totally different than this one.  Her recipe has milk and vanilla in the ingredients and we also add cheese in the inside, as you bite the cheese oozes out.  I will make that recipe another day.

I decided to make this particular recipe because I didn't have milk to make my mom's recipe and this recipe was really easy.  Since they turned out so good, I decided to share the recipe with you. These are perfectly fried, nice and golden brown. Crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. 

This recipe does not have cheese in the inside.  But you can certainly add some.  Cut a few pieces of your favorite cheese and when rolling the mixture into sorullitos make an indentation and place a piece inside. I like to use Velveeta because it melts really quick.  Make sure that you cover it so that the cheese does not come out while frying.

Ingredients

1 cup fine cornmeal

1 1/2 cup water

3 tbsp sugar or to taste

pinch of salt

oil for frying

In a pot on medium heat add the water, sugar and salt.  When it boils add the cornmeal and continue to mix with a spoon (wood) until it forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Let cool down a little bit.  Then form the sorullitos.  Add about 2 tbsp or so of the mixture into the palm of your hand, make a ball then roll to make the sorullito shape.  Add enough oil to a frying pan and fry on medium heat.  Fry until golden brown. 

Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread

This is a savory Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread.  Cornbread in the South is usually made without sugar and flour. I wanted to make a cornbread that was savory, with hearty corn flavor and after looking through one of my favorite books, I found this recipe.  

I love eating cornbread right out of the oven with a little butter on top and a nice cup of coffee.  This is not a mix from a box, this is made from scratch and it's really yummy.  

Cornmeal (Arina de Maiz)

After a weekend of eating all kinds of things, I woke up this morning craving some Cornmeal. I can have cornmeal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Once the cornmeal cools down I like to add a little bit of cold milk.  That is the way I grew eating it. 

The cornmeal is not too sweet, you can add as much or as little sugar.  I added 5 tbsp, which makes it just right for me.  It makes about 4 servings, so don't feel bad about adding the sugar, you can also substitute for Splenda. 

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup evaporated milk

2 cups whole milk

2 sticks of cinnamon

10 cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4-5 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal

In a pot on medium heat add all of the ingredients except the cornmeal.  Once it starts to boil add the cornmeal, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, keep stirring.   Once the cornmeal is done take out the cinnamon sticks and the cloves.  Enjoy!

Best Coffee Cake Ever

This is the Best Coffee Cake Ever.  This sweet and delicious coffee cake has a rich crumbly topping that is perfect for breakfast or even as a dessert right after dinner.  I love desserts that I can enjoy with a cup of coffee, and this is one of them.

This is a crumbly topping with cinnamon and pecans.  Super moist and flavorful,  perfect for the holidays.  It's a Christmas morning breakfast cake that everyone will enjoy.

Oatmeal

Eating a bowl of Oatmeal in the morning is the perfect way to start your day. I grew up eating cornmeal, farina, grits, but Oatmeal was always my favorite. My mom made it creamy and full of flavor. I like to add cinnamon and cloves to the oatmeal, it gives it a fragrant, sweet and warm taste.

I enjoy eating oatmeal anytime of the day. I love to eat it on those cold winter days, sitting by my fireplace under a blanket, relaxing in front of my television. 

Oatmeal is not only delicious, but it's really good for you.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup water

5 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

8-10 cloves

2 sticks of cinnamon
1 pinch of salt

In a sauce pan on medium heat add the whole milk, evaporated milk, water, sugar, ground cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon sticks, vanilla and salt.  Bring to a boil then add the oatmeal.  Cook and stir for about 15 minutes or until the oats are cook through.  Before serving make sure to take out the cloves and cinnamon sticks and discard.

Cornmeal Tortas

Cornmeal Tortas is a Puerto Rican fritter made from cornmeal usually eaten for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee.  I grew up eating cornmeal tortas and flour tortas.  My mom used to make the best.

My nephews and nieces love them too. My husband enjoys eating them but with a little bit of maple syrup.  Sometimes late at night I get the cravings and I just have to make a batch.

Onion and Pepper Frittata

This morning I wanted to have a meatless frittata.  I had a heavy eating weekend and I really didn't want to have anything too heavy for breakfast.  This Onion and Pepper Frittata is really easy to make, and you can add anything you want to it.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Pancakes

Woke up this morning craving some home made pancakes. I made these Cinnamon Pumpkin Pancakes and they are delicious.  If you like pumpkin like I do, you are really going to enjoy these.

The Apple Cider Syrup makes these pancakes even better and the pumpkin flavor comes through with a nice cinnamon taste. The apple cider syrup and the pumpkin pancakes are just an amazing combination.  I highly recommend this recipe.  You are going to be in love!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Good Morning!!  The best thing about breakfast for me are the home made Buttermilk Biscuits.  There is a big difference on the biscuits you get at the supermarket and these.  

On the weekend my husband usually makes breakfast for us, specially on Sundays right after church.  I figure, let me make the biscuits and let him make the eggs and bacon.

This recipe is from the book I selected this week, Big Book of Home Cooking by Gooseberry Patch.  This recipe is super easy and the biscuits are delicious.  They are crunchy on the outside, but nice and soft in the inside.

Variety-Pack Doughnut Muffins

These muffins offer a grown-up version of one of childhood's greatest pleasures, the variety pack of doughnuts.  My favorite one has always been the powder sugar doughnut.  I remember as a kid, my brothers and I would eat a whole box in a couple of hours.  

I made 24 doughnut muffins and took some over to my neighbors.  I can't keep this many doughnuts around..they are trouble.  

 

French Toast

I made a Challah Bread the other day and I made sure I had some left for French Toast.  The Challah bread  is perfect for french toast because it soaks up the egg custard, and it holds together pretty good.

I am not a fan of soggy french toast, something about the texture is just not appealing to me.  A good french toast is nice and soft in the inside from the custard, but still holding it's shape. 

Blueberry Danish

I wanted to make something with the fresh blueberries I bought at the market.  First, I thought blueberry pancakes..and then I saw this recipe for danishes, perfect!! I took a shortcut on the pastry dough and bought it at the market. I cooked down the blueberries, with water and sugar.

The danishes came out delicious, nice and flaky.  These danishes can be made with raspberries, blackberries and strawberries too.  You can also mix the fruits and make them even better. 

Pastelillos de Guayaba y Queso (Guava and Cheese Pastries)

On every trip I have taken to Puerto Rico, the first thing I run to the bakery to eat are the Pastelillos de Guayaba.  Pastelillos de Guayaba are made with puff pastry dough, guava paste and cream cheese. You can omit the cream cheese if you like, but for me they taste even better with it.  Puff Pastry is really easy to do, but it is time consuming.  So, why not get a little help from the supermarket.  Get the puff pastry from the freezer isle in your supermarket.

Old Fashioned Doughnuts

My sister and nephew came to visit us.  We were kind of bored and hungry, so we said.."Lets makes some donuts".  Even though we are trying to eat healthy, we thought why not.  We had a great week, we deserve a treat.  These donuts are fun to make and taste even better the next morning.  Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

The Simple But Perfect Pancake

There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of homemade pancakes.  This recipe is my go to recipe, is really simple but delicious.  You can add  blueberries, sliced bananas or even apples. The pancakes are fluffy and really tasty.

Banana Nut Muffins

If you don't know what to do with those ripened bananas you have sitting on your counter, why not make some homemade banana nut muffins.  They are really easy to make and perfect with a cup of coffee as your morning breakfast.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas mashed well

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven at 350 degree

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or butter or spray with a non stick spray.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nuts.  In another bowl combined the mashed bananas, eggs ,melted butter and vanilla. 

 With a spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky.  Do not over mix the batter.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place on a wire rack and cool.  Makes about 12-16 muffins depending on size.