Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!

 

We eat a lot of bananas at our house or really, I should say, my husband eats a lot of bananas.  Therefore, every time I want to make a recipe with bananas it's a struggle to keep them long enouigh to get good and ripe to bake with..  He will eat them up every time!   This recipe uses two very ripe bananas and I think I bought bananas three times to get two to use.   I am going to have to find a good hiding place for them next time!

When my husband finally got the finished product he loved these and was glad I made him leave the last two bananas.   If you love banana bread, these are even better!   They are also really easy which is always nice!   

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1  1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped (optional)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

4 Tbs. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, sour cream, cinnamon and vanilla, and beat just until incorporated.  

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  

Gradually add to the wet mixture and mix with the mixer until well blended. Stir in the bananas.

 Fold in the nuts if you are using nuts!

Spray a 10" x 15"  jelly roll pan with nonstick baking spray and pour the batter evenly in the pan.   Bake for 20-25 minutes.   This bakes fast because it's thin so don't over bake.  Test with a pick at 20 minutes and if it comes out clean it's done.

Cool the bars completely before frosting.   While they cool makes your cream cheese frosting.  Beat the cream cheese and the butter until fluffy in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.  Add the vanilla and gradually add the confectioner's sugar.   Frost the cooled bars!  

Cut in squares and serve!  These are great for breakfrast or brunch, an afternoon snack or dessert after supper!   

These won't last long, but what is leftover, store in the fridge overnight! 

Creamy Quiche Lorraine!

 

 

This creamy quiche makes the menu even more suitable for an Easter Brunch.  If you are using the menu for a bridal shower or baby shower, you could bake the quiche mixture in the mini muffin tin and make the bite size quiches.   This is a lighter quiche than some I have made and bakes up very nice. 

Ingredients:

4-5 slices of bacon cooked up crisp and drained
4 eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 Tbs. finely diced onion
2 cups cheddar or Swiss cheese (either works fine)
1 cup half and half cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 8 inch pie shell

Crumble the bacon and place in the bottom of the pie shell that has not been baked.  Beat eggs with wire whisk.  Add in half and half, onion, green pepper, salt, and pepper and whisk together. Place cheese in pie shell on top of bacon and pour egg mixture over this.  Before you pour the egg mixture in the pie shell,  place it on a cookie sheet.  Place the quiche on the cookie sheet in a 300 degree preheated oven.  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until the center is firm and not jiggly.