Banana Bread with Crunchy Sugar Topping

I have one more recipe to share from the special baking book, Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever. (for now!) In the book, this recipe is titled “The Only Banana Bread You’ll Ever Need.” That is a little over the top for me- I always welcome new recipes for banana bread. 🙂

In this version, the super moist bread is topped with crunchy, snowy granulated sugar. The sugar is dampened and clumped together before sprinkling it over the prepared batter. I had never used this technique and I loved it. The topping looked beautiful and had a wonderful contrasting texture.

I weighed the bananas and all of the dry ingredients. I modified the recipe by baking it in a Pullman loaf pan, adjusting the baking time accordingly. We loved it!

Yield: One loaf, Serves 8 to 10

• nonstick cooking spray for the pan
• 1 3/4 cups (400g) mashed, very ripe bananas (I used 3 1/2 bananas)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T (196g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (112g) vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup (75g) well-shaken buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 T dark rum, optional (I omitted it)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 2 T (272g) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 T (38g) granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Spray a 9×5-inch or Pullman loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper with a couple of inches of overhang on the long sides. Lightly coat the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum (if using), and vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until just blended.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl.
8. Using your fingertips, sprinkle water over the top of the sugar. Work the water into the sugar, pinching it together, until it begins to resemble snow. (It should barely hold together when it is pinched together.) To add additional water, sprinkle water over the top using the opposite (clean) hand.
9. Sprinkle the dampened sugar over the batter, aiming to get it clumped up together in spots.
10. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes in a Pullman pan or 60 to 70 minutes in a standard loaf pan.
11. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: Bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap and/or placed in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Butter Pecan Blondies

Butter pecan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors. This flavor combination is also absolutely perfect in a buttery blondie. This easy recipe uses pantry staples to create a quick dessert without even using a mixer!

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I omitted the rum and substituted an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract in its place. I baked mine long enough to achieve light golden brown color but may increase the baking time next time to heighten the depth of flavor.

Yield: Makes 24 bars

• 1 1/2 cups whole raw pecans
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups light-brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dark rum, optional (can substitute 1 additional tsp of vanilla extract)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, 6 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then chop.
3. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter (or coat with cooking oil spray), then dust with flour, tapping out excess.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together butter and 2 cups brown sugar until combined.
6. Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture; whisk until combined. Add vanilla and rum.
7. Fold in flour mixture with a spatula until just combined (do not overmix).
8. Fold in half of nuts.
9. Transfer batter to prepared dish; smooth top with an offset spatula.
10. Sprinkle top with remaining nuts and 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
11. Bake until golden around edges and a tester inserted in center comes out with very few crumbs, 22 to 24 minutes. (Watching carefully- Next time I may increase the baking time up to 28 to 30 minutes.)
12. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Note: Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Variations: If you’d rather not use rum, increase the amount of vanilla to 4 teaspoons.

Pear and Almond Tart

I served this elegant tart on Thanksgiving Eve this year. It was very well received! The classic combination of pears and almonds was absolutely delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Dolester Miles’ recipe in Frank Stitt’s Southern Table: Recipes and Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill, via The Washington Post. The restaurant is located in Birmingham, Alabama. I used poaching liquid instead of rum in the filling and reduced the baking time. Wonderful!

Yield: 8 servings

For the Crust:

• 1 cup plus 3 T flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Pears:

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 cups water
• half a vanilla bean, split
• one 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 5 (large) to 6 almost-ripe, firm pears, such as Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored

For the Filling:

• 8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3 T Calvados, dark rum, or poaching liquid
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1/4 cup blanched/slivered or sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

To Make the Crust:

1. Use cooking oil spray to grease a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. Place the flour in a food processor.
3. Sprinkle the salt and cubes of butter into the flour. Pulse until the butter is pea-sized.
4. Pour the egg over the mixture; pulse just until the dough begins to come together.
5. Turn the dough out onto the counter, and then gather it into a disk.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 1 day.
7. Lightly flour a work surface. Unwrap and roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. (I roll the dough out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.)
8. Transfer it to the tart pan, using your fingertips to line the pan with the dough. Trim the edges even with the rim of the pan.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

To Poach the Pears:

1. Combine the sugar, water, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Add the pears; once the liquid begins to bubble at the edges, cook the pears for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender and the tip of a paring knife slips into them easily. Let them cool in their liquid. Discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean.

To Make the Filling and Finish the Tart:

1. When ready to assemble, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan occasionally to avoid scorching. Cool completely before using for the topping.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Reduce the speed to low; add the egg, ground almonds, flour, Calvados, rum, or poaching liquid and the almond extract. Beat for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
5. Remove the tart shell from the refrigerator. Unwrap and pour in the filling, spreading it evenly.
6. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid, placing them in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid for this recipe; reserve and refrigerate the rest for poaching more fruit later.
7. Place the pears cut sides down on the tart filling, side by side with the narrow ends facing in, until the entire surface of the tart is covered with pears. Cover the edge of the tart to prevent over-browning and bake (middle rack) for about 28 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, cook the reserved cup of poaching liquid in a small saucepan over high heat until it has reduced to a glaze – about 2 to 3 tablespoons total. Remove from the heat.
9. Once the tart comes out of the oven, brush it with the glaze, then scatter the toasted almonds evenly over the top. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Note: The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. The pears can be stored in their cooking liquid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The poaching liquid can be reused.

French Apple Cake

I’ve had baking a French Apple Cake on my bucket list for a long time. A celebratory Valentine’s Day dessert was my excuse! ❤ This version was custardy and absolutely wonderful. We ate it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream but it could also served with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

This recipe was adapted from Marie-Hélène Brunet-Lhotse, a top editor of Louis Vuitton City Guides (and a restaurant critic for the Paris edition), published in Around my French Table: More than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, via Epicurious.com.

Greenspan emphasized the importance of using diverse fruit in the cake to include crisp, soft, sweet, and tart apples for the best result. I used a combination of Fuji, Granny Smith, Envy, and Opal apples. I also increased the vanilla, and substituted apple cider for the rum. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 8

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of coarse salt
• 4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark rum or fresh apple cider
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• whipped cream of ice cream, for serving

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, preferably on convection.
2. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform on it.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.
4. Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy.
6. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend.
7. Whisk in the rum/apple cider and vanilla.
8. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter.
9. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter.
10. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.
11. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
12. Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.)
13. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.
14. To Serve: The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène’s served her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.

Note: The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature. (The flavor may even improve with time!) The cake is too moist to cover completely; leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

One Year Ago:

• Momofuku Milk Bar’s Crack Pie
• Momofuku Milk Bar Corn Cookies

Two Years Ago:

• Fudgy Brownie Cake
• Baby Sea Turtles, a Volcano, & the Perfect Spritz Cookies

Three Years Ago:

• Valentine’s Day Whoopie Pies

Four Years Ago:

• Cheesecakes with Raspberry Hearts
• Double-Chocolate Brownies