ROASTED BANANA PUDDING CAKE WITH HONEY CREAM AND MACADAMIA NUTS

After being out of town for the week, my husband arrived home around 4pm, just in time for my oldest Sons birthday party. It was one of the easiest, most laid back parties ever! Pizza and a cookie cake and a few friends to spend the night.
I took full advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, and having my husband back in town to supervise the 8 boys, and briefly popped out to meet friends for Magazine Club.
However, as undemanding as my child was, I couldn't NOT cook for my Sons birthday, so our family birthday dinner concluded with this masterpiece of deliciousness (plain whipped cream for the kids).

ROASTED BANANA PUDDING CAKE WITH HONEY CREAM AND MACADAMIA NUTS

CAKE
2 large ripe bananas, unpeeled
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

HONEY CREAM
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons Kahlua
2/3 cup cream

MAKE THE CAKE
Heat oven to 350F.
Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking dish. Put the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until dark and soft. Let the bananas cool, then open the peel and scoop the roasted banana pulp into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the roasted bananas with the sugar until a puree forms. Then beat in the eggs. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and baking soda, then add to the banana mixture. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. Gently beat in the melted butter, cream and orange zest.
Spread the batter in the prepared dish and bake for 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool.

PREPARE THE HONEY CREAM
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the honey, finely grated lime zest, finely grated orange zest and the liqueur. In a large bowl, beat the cream until softly whipped. Gently fold in the honey yogurt mixture.
Serve pieces of cake with dollops and honey cream and a sprinkle of macadamia nuts.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, November 2010
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

CREAMY CHOCOLATE MARTINI and CHOCOLATE MARTINI and dark chocolate martini

A friend and I were talking about food and cocktails one day, and she mentioned she used to have a recipe for a fabulous chocolate martini - I tried several chocolate variations before I found one that was similar to what she described.
She came over for cocktails recently, and I served the Creamy Chocolate Martini, delicious!!

CREAMY CHOCOLATE MARTINI

chocolate syrup
2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur
2 ounces vodka
1/2 to 1 ounce of cream
ice

Swirl the chocolate syrup around the inside of a martini glass. Mix the chocolate liqueur, vodka and cream in a cocktail shaker, over ice.
Pour into prepared glass.
Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE MARTINI

2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce creme de cacao

Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake well. Pour into a martini glass.
Enjoy!!

DARK CHOCOLATE MARTINI

3 ounces vodka
2 1/4 ounces Creme de Cacao
3/4 ounce Kahlua
1 dash Hersheys Chocolate Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food.com
http://www.food.com/recipe/dark-chocolate-martini-144945 

WINE CAKE and VODKA CAKE

I revel in travel and one of the things I always look forward to on a long journey is having the time to read a great book. I lugged three with me on a recent trip, sadly, none of which were very captivating.
However, I did appreciate "One Good Deed", by Erin McHugh. It was a book that provided much material for contemplation, and I concluded, if we were all a little more conscious of what was going on in the moment, immediately around us, we can make a big difference with small gestures. Even my 8 year old daughter and 65 year old mother enjoyed reading it whenever I put it down.
When there is a recipe featured in a book, I am always intrigued and usually want to try it, I love the stories surrounding food. This Wine cake was baked every year for the authors birthday, originally by her mother, and now by her cousin. I could not wait to try something that celebrated, and it was truly wonderful, and worthy of the tradition.
While looking through recipes after we had returned home, I noticed the similarities between these two cake recipes, and after the deliciousness of the Wine cake, I couldn't resist also trying the Vodka cake.

WINE CAKE

1 package yellow cake mix
1 small package vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup wine
1/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with electric mixer on medium for about two minutes. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from One Good Deed, 2012
Erin McHugh

VODKA CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix
1 large box of cook and serve chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs, room temperature, beaten
1 cup oil
1/2 cup kahlua
1/2 cup vodka
your favorite chocolate icing

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Combine in the bowl of an electric mixer, the cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, eggs, oil, kahlua and vodka. Mix until combined.
Pour into cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake sit in the pan for a minute or two, then flip it onto a serving plate. While still piping hot, spread the icing on the cake. It will melt into the cake.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, May 2007