Karen Gordon: Putting those ripe bananas to good use

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Regardless of having over 22 years of expertise shopping for bananas for my household, I nonetheless have hassle predicting the variety of bananas my household will eat on any given week. I’m both buying too few bananas which suggests, having to buy extra mid-week, or buying too many.

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There may be nevertheless, one fixed with bananas, I’m at all times left with ripe bananas begging for use. Listed below are two of my favorite recipes that assist me put these ripe bananas to good use.

Wholesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Doughnuts

Guess you by no means thought doughnuts may very well be wholesome. Right here’s the final word, low-added sugar, chocolate peanut butter doughnuts. In the event you love banana bread, then you definitely’ll love this recipe. Assume moist banana bread, with a touch of peanut butter and darkish chocolate chips, in doughnut kind. And if that wasn’t scrumptious sufficient, these doughnuts are then dipped in a peanut butter and chocolate glaze. Don’t they sound heavenly?

This recipe could be very forgiving as the quantity of bananas used is generalized; though it must be famous that bigger bananas will produce a moister doughnut whereas smaller bananas will produce a cakier one. As for the doughnut itself, it accommodates no added sugar. The glaze, nevertheless, accommodates 4 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar to glaze 12 doughnuts. Be aware that whilst you might omit the sugar within the glaze, do needless to say the peanut butter will stay sticky versus dry to the contact.

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3 ripe medium-sized bananas

1/4 cup (60g) easy mild peanut butter

2 massive eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze

1/2 cup (85g) darkish chocolate chips

1/2 cup (120g) peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbs confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit

In a medium measurement bowl, add bananas and peanut butter. Mash to mix.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and blend effectively.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder and sea salt. Whisk to mix.

Add the dry components to the moist components. Utilizing a rubber spatula, fold-in combination till no flour streaks are seen. Don’t over combine.

Switch batter right into a piping bag and pipe combination into well-greased doughnut pans, filling the pans about two-thirds full.

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Bake on the center rack of the oven for 13 to fifteen minutes or till a toothpick take a look at comes out clear.

Take away the pans from the oven. Permit the doughnuts to chill barely earlier than turning the pans over and letting the doughnuts fall out. Switch the doughnuts onto a baking rack to complete cooling.

Whereas doughnuts are cooling, put together the glaze.

In a microwaveable bowl, add the chocolate chips. Microwave on the defrost setting in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, till the combination is easy. Put aside.

In one other microwaveable bowl, add the peanut butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar. Microwave on excessive in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, till the combination is easy.

Instantly drizzle half of the melted chocolate over the peanut butter combination. Don’t stir.

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Decrease the doughnut into the chocolate peanut butter glaze, permitting the glaze to coat the floor of the doughnut. Don’t twist. Raise the doughnut, permit any extra glaze to drip again into the bowl. Place the unglazed aspect down on a baking rack for about 15-20 minutes for the glaze to set. Repeat with the stability of the doughnuts. If required, reheat the chocolate combination and drizzle extra chocolate over the peanut butter combination. Serve the doughnuts at room temperature. Take pleasure in!

Retailer any leftover doughnuts in an hermetic container at room temperature.

Makes 12 doughnuts

Swirled Banana Cheesecake Loaf

This banana cheesecake loaf is scrumptious. In the event you love cheesecake and banana bread, you’ll love a slice of this! Think about banana bread with a cream cheese frosting baked proper into the loaf. Each delicious chunk consists of banana bread and a little bit cream cheese. This decadent mixture could also be whipped up simply and goes from bowl to oven in underneath 10 minutes.

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The cream cheese makes this fast bread wealthy, creamy, and tangy whereas the banana makes it moist, tender and massive on that heady, fruity flavour. The bread itself could also be made with out the help of a mixer. Nevertheless, chances are you’ll need to use an electrical hand mixer that can assist you beat the cream cheese because it tends to be on the stiffer aspect even when it’s softened. However do you have to really feel notably sturdy and energetic, be at liberty to skip the electrical mixer and beat the cream cheese combination with a wood spoon. 

2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking energy

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nice sea salt

1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

3/4 cup (150g) packed mild brown sugar

2 massive eggs

1/4 (60ml) Greek yogurt, or substitute with bitter cream

1/4 (60ml) coconut oil, heated to liquefy after which cooled to room temperature

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2 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake Batter

1 8oz (250g) brick-style cream cheese, soften

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 massive egg

2 tbs all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit.

Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper in order that the paper overhands on the lengthy aspect of the pan.

In a big bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt till mixed.

In a separate bowl, add the bananas, brown sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to mix.

Add dry components to the moist components. Utilizing a rubber spatula, fold combination till no streaks of flour is seen. Don’t over combine. Put aside.

For the cream cheese batter, add softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs and all-purpose flour right into a mixing bowl. Utilizing an electrical hand mixer, beat till combination is full included.

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To create a marbled impact within the bread, add 1/3 of the banana batter into the ready loaf pan. Utilizing a rubber spatula, easy down the batter. Dollop 1/2 of the cream cheese batter on high of the banana batter. Don’t easy down the cream cheese batter. Add one other third of the banana batter in between the cream cheese dollops. Dollop the stability of the cream cheese combination on high of the banana batter then add the stability of the banana batter to the pan. Utilizing a rubber spatula, easy out the highest.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for roughly 60 minutes or till a digital probe thermometer, inserted into the center of the loaf, reads 200 levels Fahrenheit. Must you discover your loaf getting too darkish across the 40-minute mark, tent the loaf pan with foil and proceed baking till the bread is completed.

Take away the pan from the oven and place on a baking rack to chill. As soon as cooled, carry the loaf out of the pan utilizing the parchment overhang as handles. Slice and serve. Take pleasure in!

Retailer leftover bread in an hermetic container, within the fridge.

Makes 1 loaf

Karen Gordon is a Meals Blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations on-line at karentology.com and on Instagram at @karen.t.ology