Fun Fall Treats

No matter how old my children get, they never get tired of holiday treats. I still make them hand made Valentines, Shamrock cookies, and Easter baskets, and Halloween is another favorite holiday for festive treats. Here are a couple of fun ideas that travel well, so they are perfect for sending to kids who are off at college, or a friend who you know would love a little holiday spirit. Both of these are coated in candy melts which help to seal them and keep them fresh during their travels.

These mice cakes are also a chance to use the egg cake mold that I only use at Easter. They are easy and cute and my kids have loved these since they were little, Make your favorite cupcakes and bake them in the egg mold pan. I like to chill the fully baked cakes in the refrigerator for an hour or so to help firm them up before dipping in grey candy melts. I use 80 % white to 20 % black candy melts to make gray. Once they are dipped, use sliced almonds for the ears, mini chocolate chip for the nose, and licorice whips for the tail, with red non perils for the eyes. when dry use a food writer to draw on the whiskers, and you have yourself the only mouse you ever want to see in your kitchen.

We all love anything involving peanut butter, so when I saw these a few years ago I knew they would make the perfect addition to a Halloween care package to send to Mini Me. The pumpkins are Ritz crackers with peanut butter sandwiched in between and dipped in orange candy melts. Once they dry, draw on the face details with a food writer or  black candy melts.

In addition to these, I usually tuck in some caramel corn, granola and spiced nuts for a great package of homemade treats that gets everyone ready for fall!

Link foodie Friday

Banana Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

After all that holiday baking, it seems like the January Improv challenge came around way too soon. The ingredients for January were bananas and nutmeg, and the first thing those flavors brought to mind was breakfast. Pancakes are a breakfast staple around here, but for Boy Mimi's last day of winter break from school, something a little more special was in order. Light and crispy waffles, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of home buttermilk syrup, were just the thing. 

The waffles were good, but the real star of breakfast was the buttermilk syrup. It was sweet but not too sugary, and had a nice mild flavor, with hints of vanilla. It was a nice change from the usual maple syrup found on the breakfast table. This syrup is definitely worth making for a special breakfast, and makes an everyday breakfast seem special. 

Banana waffles
Adapted from Sunset magazine January 2005

1 cup flour
1 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup milk
1 ripe banana mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  In another bowl mix together egg yolks, milk, banana, sour cream and butter until well blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Bake in a Belgian waffle iron until well brown about 6 to 9 minutes. Keep warm on a baking sheet in 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream and warm buttermilk syrup.
Serves 4-6


Buttermilk Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Light Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt


In a deep pot combine the butter, sugar, buttermilk, salt and Karo syrup and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir till combined. *The baking soda will cause the mixture to foam to twice its volume, so be sure to use a big enough pot* The color of the syrup will turn to a golden brown. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the syrup thickens. Let it cool and serve immediately, or store in the fridge in an air tight container. It will thicken as it cools, but you can warm it up in the microwave to thin it out.

printable recipe

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana muffins are a great way to eat fruit. At least that is what my children tell me. I've been making these muffins long before I had children, and they are still the most requested breakfast treat. I'm not sure where the recipe originated, but I think I got it from a co-worker long ago. My original is written on a scratch pad from the office where I worked, and it is just a list of ingredients, no directions. It is an old recipe so don't be surprised at the use of margarine or Crisco. I have made them using all three types of fat and whichever you chose, the muffins will be delicious. Of course, the key to good muffins is not to over mix the batter.

Bananas are so versitile, and they go well with many flavors. For years I made these muffins with chocolate chips, but Mimi Jr. got adventurous one day and used blueberries instead of the chocolate chips, and as they say, the rest is history. Pecans and walnuts are good for a bit of crunch, and adding a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter with a sprinkling of cinnamon chips adds a subtle warmth to the sweetness from the bananas. I haven't tried peanut butter chips, but that might not be a bad idea either. Overall, this is the best banana muffin base, with unlimited possibilities in your own kitchen.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 cup butter, real margarine or Crisco
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 tablespoons buttermilk, or sour milk*
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare standard muffin cups, either spray with non stick cooking spray or use paper muffin liners.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time followed by bananas and buttermilk, mix until well combined.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix only until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
4. Gently fold in chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts etc.
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown around the edges and top springs back when gently touched. Don't over bake.

printable recipe

*If you don't have buttermilk  you can make sour milk by adding a  1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup whole milk. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to curdle. Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt for the buttermilk.

Cocoa-Nana Bread

TWD: Cocoa-Nana Bread

It's Tuesday  and Steph of Obsessed with Baking chose Cocoa-Nana Bread, an easy to make  chocolate banana bread, with  loads of chocolate chips. I made both a loaf of bread and muffins, and they were both good, but not great. I love both chocolate and bananas, and I thought the combination would be a sure winner. I'm not sure where the problem lies, but the banana flavor was barely noticeable and neither the bread or the muffins were as moist as I would have like them to be.  Since cocoa has a drying effect,  next time I would do one of two things with the cocoa; replace some of the cocoa with melted chocolate or dissolve the cocoa in hot water, which releases the cocoa butter.  Or possibly, dare I say it, use less cocoa in order to get more banana flavor.

Cocoa-nana Bread
Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup store-bought
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled -- it's okay. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes) or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temp right side up.

To see what the other TWD bakers  did  visit our blog roll at Tuesdays with Dorie.