BANANA MINI MORSEL BARS and BANANA AND GINGER MUFFINS

We have a new rule in our house - no electronics during the week. My youngest son asked about playing on the Wii, so I redirected him with baking. I asked him to help me make these bars, and we had great conversation while in the kitchen. These were very tasty right out of the oven, and were still delicious and moist a few days later.

BANANA MINI MORSEL BARS

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (about 3) mashed ripe bananas
1 egg
2 cups mini chocolate morsels
powdered sugar, to serve

Heat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in bananas and egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture, stir in morsels. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Nestle
www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/

I was using up the pile of ripe bananas we happened to have lying around the house, and loved the idea of this recipe. With the honey and ginger I thought it would be fabulous. However, these muffins turned out drier than I expected, and the frosting was kind of skimpy.

BANANA AND GINGER MUFFINS

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Heat oven to 425F.
Grease a muffin tin, or line with liners. Sift the flour and ground ginger together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and chopped ginger, and make a well in the center of the mixture.
Place the butter and the honey in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted.
Remove from the heat. Whisk the milk and eggs together.
Add the butter mixture, egg mixture and the bananas to the well in the dry ingredients.
Stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.
Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes then lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely before spreading with the topping.

FOR THE TOPPING
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
crystallized ginger, to decorate

Beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and grated lemon rind until light and creamy. Spread onto the muffins and decorate with chopped ginger.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking.com
www.cooking.com/