Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Mom Comment: This is the most amazing banana bread, ever. And healthy. I reduced the honey to 1/4 cup and also substituted 1/2 cup of almond flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.  Note - you must use whole wheat pastry flour, do not use regular whole wheat flour, it makes the world of difference.  Also recommend coconut oil if you've never used, its great stuff.  And I add walnuts. 

Cookie + Kate 

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup hot water

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs and beat well.
• Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in the salt and cinnamon. Lastly, stir in the flour, just until combined.
• Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and swirl with a toothpick or the tip of a butter knife for a pretty marbled effect.
• Bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Source: Cookie + Kate

Submitted by: Caroline P. 

Peanut Butter Pie

Mom Comment: This is a desert my family literally asks for - it is so good and while it is rich, on a hot summer day, it is really refreshing.

Ingredients 

• 1¾ c. peanut butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• ½ c. milk
• 1 – 9oz. pkg cool whip
• 1 9’ graham cracker pie crust
• ¼ c. finely chopped peanuts

Directions

Whip cream cheese until soft and fluffy.  Beat in peanut butter and sugar.  Slowly add milk, blending thoroughly.  Fold in cool whip.  Pour into crust.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts.  Freeze until firm and serve.  For storage longer then 4-6 hours, wrap well.

Source: Mystery
Submitted by: Amanda T.

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Mom Comment: This is a great last minute/no bake/summer recipe.  

Source: TheKitchn.com

Serves: 8 to 12

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed 
• 3 1/4 cups whipping cream, divided 
• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional, I do not use) 
• 4 sleeves (about 19 ounces, or 24 to 28 whole crackers) graham crackers 
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped 

Directions:Take out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set them aside for the garnish. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices. 

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and rosewater (if using) and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a similarly-sized platter. Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

Source: TheKitchn.com
Submitted by: Sydney T. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Mom Comment: NO FLOUR, NO OIL, NO WHITE SUGAR!

Texanerin.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter  - can use PB2 (powdered peanut butter) to make healthier.
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (agave would be amazing too!)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder**
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons
** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

Source: Texanerin.com
Submitted by: Diane H.

Cherry Dump Cake

Mom Comment: Recently my mom was coming over for dinner and she has an extreme sweet tooth. It was a last minute gathering and I didn’t have time to run to the store to get items, so I opened up my pantry and saw two main ingredients and the third was in the fridge…butter! I got this recipe from a friend a long time ago…she calls it cherry dump cake.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of pie filling  (I use cherry)
• 1 box yellow cake mix  
• 1 stick of butter 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9x13 pan, put two cans of cherry pie filling (I think you could use any fruit pie filling…I’ve only tried cherry),  on top of the pie filling, place 1 yellow cake mix  on top.  Then cut up 1 stick of butter into pads and place on top of the cake mix. 

Cook for 1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Source: Susan

Submitted by: Susan S. 

Chocolate Biscoff Cheesecake Bars

Mom Comment: If you've ever flown Delta, you will recognized these yummy cookies!  If not, you are in for a treat.  There is nothing healthy about this, but its yummy. Courtesy of Bakerella - great blog!

From: Bakerella

Makes about 30 bars. 

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed Biscoff Cookies (about 27 cookies)*
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
6 Tablespoons melted butter

• Mix cookies and sugar together
• Add butter and stir until combined.
• Press mixture into a 13 X 9 pan.