BANANA ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD.
ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg; set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth surface with a rubber spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely before serving, at least 1 hour.
Yield: 1 loaf
APRIL 2ND
MMM :) have to make this..
Summer Fruit Tart
Click for Printable Recipe
Adapted from Mixed Berry Tart, Williams-Sonoma Recipes
Makes one 9" tart
For the pastry:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (more flour for rolling out the dough)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted COLD butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cream
For the custard:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 extra large egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons bourbon (you can omit the alcohol and increase the vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Fruit:
- 3/4 cup strawberries, halved
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 1 or 2 peaches, sliced
- 2 kiwis, sliced
Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (you can use water)
Prepare the Pastry - In a food processor combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until mixture looks crumbly. In a small bowl whisk the egg yolk with the cream until combined. Add the egg and cream mixture to the crumbly mixture, and pulse until just mixed. Dough will not be pulled together. Dump dough out on floured board.
Press together and knead 4 times. Pat dough into a round disk. Work quickly and do not over-handle.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Making the Custard - While dough is chilling, prepare the custard. Using the whisk attachment of a hand-held blender or mixer, combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornstarch. Whisk until mixture turns light yellow.
In a 1 1/2 or 2 quart saucepan, heat milk, vanilla and bourbon over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk half of the simmering milk into the egg yolk mixture. Continue to whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk that mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Whisk constantly while custard cooks over medium low heat and begins to thicken and bubbles begin to appear. This will take about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape edges and sides of pan while cooking because mixture can scorch easily.
When mixture has thickened, remove pan from heat and transfer custard to a bowl. Cut out a circle of parchment or wax paper to fit the inside of the bowl and lay it down directly on top of the custard. Allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour.
Making the Pastry Shell -Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pastry dough from refrigerator.
On a floured board, roll dough into an 11 inch circle. Transfer dough to a 9 inch tart pan. If dough breaks or tears, you can patch it in the pan.
Trim off edges. I like to lightly press dough into place with the bottom of a glass.
Line pastry with a sheet of parchment or foil (I ran out of parchment this time and foil worked fine). Fill with pie weights. (rice or beans make good weights too)
Bake in the lower third of a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take tart out of oven and remove weights and parchment (or foil). Pierce the bottom (randomly around the bottom) of the tart with a fork. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, return tart shell to the oven and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
Place baked shell on a cooling rack. Cool for at least an hour.
Glaze and Assembly:
Remove custard from refrigerator, remove parchment and stir custard.
Spread custard into cooled pastry shell.
Arrange fruit on top of custard starting from the outside edge and working your way to the center if you are using any sliced fruit. If you are just using berries, work from the inside out.
Brush top of fruit with warm glaze.
Serve and enjoy!
Remove custard from refrigerator, remove parchment and stir custard.
Spread custard into cooled pastry shell.
Arrange fruit on top of custard starting from the outside edge and working your way to the center if you are using any sliced fruit. If you are just using berries, work from the inside out.
Brush top of fruit with warm glaze.
Serve and enjoy!
