ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

After Christmas, our family rented an RV and took a trip down South. We stopped for lunch in Tupelo, Mississippi and visited the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Having to explain to the kids who he was took a little of the fun out of it, and they really couldn't have cared less about the King of Rock and Roll.
It is rumored Elvis's favorite food was a peanut butter and banana sandwich, here is an interesting take on the combination. I roasted 3 bananas, but was short on butter so decided to make 1/2 the recipe - the bananas by them selves were absolutely delicious, and made for a sweet treat for breakfast.
My husband commented on how moist these scones were and my daughter just kept correcting my pronunciation of scones! I am sure Elvis Presley never had his accent ridiculed.

ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

3 bananas, sliced
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
GLAZE
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325F. Place bananas in a medium baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and caramelized. Let cool.
Increase oven temperature to 375F. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/3 cup light brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs, the ricotta cheese and the roasted bananas with a hand mixer until mixed. Mixture will be lumpy. Add banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand until just combined.
Drop dough into 12 equal mounds on baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Brush tops with the beaten egg (I skipped this step). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
About 5 minutes before scones come out of the oven, make the glaze. Place the peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. When scones come out of oven, place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet and drizzle with the glaze (my glaze turned out to be more of an icing consistency, so there was spreading instead of drizzling).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide, July 2012
www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/jul/01/diy-delicious/

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN EYEBALLS

I made these spooky treats for my sons Cub Scout meeting, and from what I hear, they were very popular. My kids loved helping me taste test, and add the candy pupils.

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN EYEBALLS

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons shortening
2 drops blue food coloring
eyeball candy or chocolate chips

Beat the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll chilled dough into small, eyeball sized balls and place on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Melt the white chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl, in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, for 1 to 3 minutes.
Dip each eyeball into the white chocolate and transfer to the waxed paper until the chocolate has set.
Stir a few drops of blue food coloring into the remaining melted white chocolate. Make a round "iris" on the top of the cooled eyeball and press a candy or chocolate chip in the center for a "pupil".
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from all recipes.com
allrecipes.com/

SULTANA CAKE and VANILLA CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM FROSTING

My Uncle was visiting from New Zealand - he wanted to travel along some of route 66 while he was 66 years old! Once he had achieved his goal, we were honored that we were able to share his 67th birthday with him!

I discovered that my Grandmother would always make a sultana cake for him on his birthday, and I was excited to continue the tradition, even down to the recipe, which was from the Edmonds Cookery Book - the definitive New Zealand cookbook.

Our whole family loved the moist, delicious, light cake. I especially enjoyed the hint of almond, and thought it was wonderful with a cup of tea!

I also made this recently for a friend, who gave me the intriguing idea of soaking the sultanas in rum instead of water - I will definitely try that next time!

SULTANA CAKE

2 cups sultanas (raisins)
250 grams butter, chopped in small pieces
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Heat oven to 325F.
Put sultanas in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Add butter. In a bowl beat sugar into eggs until well combined. Add sultana mixture and essence. Sift flour and baking powder together. Mix sifted ingredients into fruit mixture. Spoon mixture into a greased and lined 20cm square cake tin.
Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooking rack.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Edmonds Cookery Book, 1992
www.edmondscooking.co.nz/

It has been weeks since I have had a bite of this delightful vanilla cake, but my tastebuds still tingle at the thought. Moist and dense, the richness of the cake and the sweetness of the icing was such a wonderful, mouthwatering combination.
It does take a bit of time to make this cake, but it is well worth it, and made me realize I need a lot more practice making layer cakes.

VANILLA CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM FROSTING

FROSTING
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

CAKE
3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
7 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced, divided

FROSTING
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in sugar, then jam. Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover, chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.

CAKE
Heat oven to 325F.
Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, beat 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean about 50 minutes.
Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides, then true out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
Using large serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake half, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread 2 tablespoons strawberry jam over, then 3/4 cup frosting. Top with 3/4 cup slices berries, arranging in single layer. Repeat 2 more times with cake layer, jam, frosting and berries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
Cut cake into wedges, serve with remaining sliced berries.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2009
www.bonappetit.com/magazine/toc/may_2009_toc