Banana Nut Donut Muffin

Yes, donut muffins!!! I remember seeing these things on the Food Network show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." I don't remember which chef or personality mentioned it, but I was mesmerized by the thought of a donut muffin. I had written it down on post that was afixed on my desk among the dozens of other post-its that decorate it. I had almost completely forgotten about it until I saw something similar on another blog, I forget which one.

The original wasn't really banana nut flavored. It was more a nutmeg-y kind. That's my little twist to it. I was about to make banana nut bread because I just wanted the house to smell of baked goods. Have you ever done that? Just baked something because you loved the smell of it, not necessarily you had a craving or had a need to bake?  But I changed my mine and instead of a loaf, I made muffins instead. The outer coating is just simple melted unsalted butter and granulated sugar.What you get is a muffin that looks like a donut.

Makes 12 muffins

Banana Nut Donut Muffin

1/2 c unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c Brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons soda
2 cups flour
3 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
1/2 c sliced almonds

Donut Coating
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 c sugar


Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in each egg. then add the flour mixture.

Mix well and place mixture into a greased muffin pan.

Bake for 25-30min  in a preheated 325˚ oven or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10min, remove from muffin pan.

Once the muffins have cooled, basted them all over with the melted butter and then coat them with the sugar. 

Banana Nut Cookie?

I recently won a nice little silpat from Teresa over at A Blog About Food. (Thanks Teresa!!) I've been planning to break it in making some buttermilk biscuits, but I didn't have enough ingredients to really bake anything.  I did however have some over-riped bananas that needed to be eaten. I had just enough sugar and butter to make a half recipe for banana nut bread. Then that go me thinking once again. Why not try to form them into cookies?

I mixed up the ingredients and scooped out a tablespoon worth onto my lovely new silpat and baked away. I had to watch these a little carefully because I had not idea how long they would cook for. But it wasn't too long a wait. Roughly 10 minutes to get that dark color crust, but have that soft bread texture inside. With tiny chunks of banana with a mix of walnuts. It was really tasty. Perfect snack instead of have a big muffin ot huge slice of bread.

Makes roughly 2 dozen.

Banana Nut Cookie

1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c butter or margarine
1 c flour
2/3 tsp salt
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas mashed


Preheat your oven to 350˚F

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, cream both sugars with the butter. The thoroughly mix in the egg.  Slowly add in the flour mixture. Again thoroughly combine. The mix in the mashed banana and walnuts. Mix together.

Prepare your baking sheet lined with either some parchment paper lightly greased underneath it or a silpat. Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet. Make sure they are evenly spaced.  Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly dark brown in color.

Caramelized Plantains in Shaved Ice

When my mom told me about this snack she used to have as a child, I looked at her like she was crazy. My skepticism remained as she prepared this dessert/treat next to me, while I tinkered away at making another fruity smoothie. Yes, I've been in smoothie mode lately. It's summer. Anyway, it was kind of like the banana cue but with shaved ice and evaporated milk. It reminded me of a Filipino dessert called halo-halo (said like hallow). Don't worry I'll be making that very soon.

I'd glance over to her every once in a while as to how she was preparing it. No oil involved in this. The banana simmered in water and brown sugar until it was of a caramel color and the water has turned into a syrup-like consistency. She plates the bananas, while I shave the ice. I scoop a hefty serving over the bananas and drizzle some evaporated milk. I dig in.

POW!!!! Was this so good? You bet it was. The combination of the sweetness from the banana and the evaporated milk. The ice and milk are like a sauce for the banana. I devoured that very bowl you see in the picture. Well, the contents of it. It's great to enjoy the snacks and foods my mom grew up eating. Sort of makes me homesick for the Philippines. I actually want to make some more.

Oh, you can do this with sweet potatoes, too.



Caramelized Plantains in Shaved Ice

2 Large plantains (peeled and sliced)
2 c water
1 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
evaporated milk
shaved ice

Place the water, plantains and sugar in the wok or pan. On a medium, flame heat the contents until the water become a syrup-like consistency and the bananas have a caramel like color. Be sure to turn them every once in a while to avoid sticking to the pan. You may add more sugar, if you prefer it to be extra sweet.

Shave lots of ice.

Place the bananas in a bowl with a little drizzle of the syrup. Top with the shaved ice and pour over some of the evaorated milk. Again as to how much will be to your preference.

The heat of the banana will melt the ice.

Banana Cue

I'm still in my summer Filipino treats mode. You already saw my Sago at Gulaman concoction. If not, go check it out after you finish reading today's delicious dish. I had bought a couple of plantains from the grocery a couple days ago. They looked fresh and there was only a few left. I took the opportunity to take 'em. You want to get them just right before they turn ripe. It's the best kind when you fry these puppies. Banana cue is another common treat found from street vendors in the Philippines.

They are plantains that are fried with brown sugar giving it a firm caramel coat. Kind of like candied bananas or almost like a bananas foster in a way. In the Philippine language, a banana is called saging (sa-ging). It's close relative treat is the turon (to-ron), which is a plantain and a piece of jack fruit wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, fried and coated with brown sugar. The banana cue is similar but it's strictly just the banana and served on a skewer. Easy portability. I'll be making the turon soon.

You'd think that frying a banana would cook it inside and out. Yes and no. The key is to just brown the outer layer, then sealing it with a brown sugar coating until it caramelizes. The outside of it has a nice firm sugar crust. When you bite into it, it's got a little itty-bitty crunch then you get into the nice, yellow, soft and warm inside of the plantain. My mom once told me she used to eat these with her classmates during recess when she was a little child.

I didn't put any time measurements as you need to keep an eye out on them. You got to get a feeling for them while they cook. I think that's the secret to making delicious banana cues. Can you see that chunky piece of crystalized sugar?? Those are the best parts. It goes really well with ice cream.

I could eat these all day. Have a piece of fruit while satisfying the sweet tooth, what could be better than that, right?



Banana Cue

2 Large Plantain (nearly ripe)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
Skewers

Oil (canola, vegetable, peanut = You choice)

Remove the skins of the plantains, cut them in half.

In a frying pan, heat some oil. Just enough to go half way up the banana. When the oil is really hot, carfully drop in the plantains. You'd want the outside to have a slight browning. Turn, if needed.

When the bananas have browned slightly all around, sprinkle the brown sugar. You may add more. Keep an eye while they fry you want the sugar to melt and coat the plaintains. Roughly 5-10min. turn them ocassionaly to cook all around.

When the sugar has completely coated the plantains and looks firm, remove from then oil and insert a skewer lengthwise. Two will fit on one stick.

Serve warm.