Best Banana Bread

A neighbor brought me some banana bread for my birthday. It was really the BEST banana bread I have ever had- so moist and tasty. She made them as muffins but you could bake as a loaf too.

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream (i didn't have this so I used plain greek yogurt as a substitute)
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 c mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix well. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in sour cream, nuts and bananas. Bake for 50-60 minutes in greased bread pan.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I love the website www.ourbestbites.com. My mother-in-law made this and it was SO good! Its a good way to use up that garden zucchini. A sneaky way to get your kids to eat their vegetables! It tastes like a moist chocolate cake.

Recipe by OurBestBites.com

{makes 2 loaves}

2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips

Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8" disposable pan to give away and a larger 9" one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8" pans or slightly less full 9". Do one of each like I did!

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini.
Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.) If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so it's the size of mini chocolate chips. Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans. and sprinkle topping over each.

Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I set my timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on it for the remainder. Ya never know how different ovens handle things.

When it's done a toothpick or skewer should come out without goopy batter on it and the top will be gorgeous and cracked with sugar.


Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans. You definitely have to eat a slice warm. And slathered with butter.

New summer protein recipe!

Low Sugar High Protein Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar (or substitute)
1 cup Chobani plain yogurt (Greek)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg or 2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar.
3. Add yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla. Pulse until blended.
4. Combine whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
5. 1. Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.
   Makes a dozen muffins.

Out of This World Rolls

2 Pkg (2Tbsp) Yeast

2 tsp salt

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup shortening or 1 stick butter(melted)

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, well beaten

4 1/2 cup flour

1 cup warm water

Soften yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water. Combine shortening, sugar, eggs, 1 cup warm water and salt. Stir in yeast and 2 1/2 cup flour. Beat with hand mixer until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover and let rise until double. (approx. 1 hr) Punch down and refrigerate overnight. Take out 3 hours before baking. Roll out into 1 large rectangle or 2 smaller ones 1/2 inch thick. Spread with melted butter. Roll up jelly roll style and cut 1 inch thick. Place in greased muffin pans. Cover with a dish towel and let rise 3 hours. Bake 400 degrees 12 min or so.

PS. Can make cinnamon rolls out of these too. Just add cinnamon and brown sugar with the butter.

Healthy Whole Wheat Bread

By popular request, here is the recipe for the BEST and EASIEST homemade whole wheat bread! This recipe is very giving meaning add anything you would like (nuts, seeds etc.). You can't mess this one up!

6 c. warm water

2/3 c. olive oil

2/3 c. honey (or agave)

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

Blend 2 minutes then add:

2 Tbsp dough enhancer

1/3 c. vital wheat gluten

2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds

1/2 c. xylitol (natural sweetener)- I have used Splenda too

Note: If you want to add any other nuts or seeds now is the time.

Mix and add:

11 cups of whole wheat flour or until sides of bowl are clean.

Knead 5 minutes. Form into 4 loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Here we go...

I hope mom doesn't kill me for naming this blog Betsy's Recipes. Pretty much anything with "Johnson" in it was taken. But I like it! Let me know what you think.

Also I think it would be good if we label what we post (i.e. cookies, main dish, salad, etc.). I think will be easier to refer back to when looking for a specific recipe. I already made some up, but feel free to add as we go. Sound good?

Here is to the beginning. I'll go first.