Ignacia's Kitchen : Banana Bread (just mix it up!)

 No Rules Banana Bread

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Mix

·        ½ Cup butter OR ½ Cup oil (note from Hillary: I like oil, easy. Melted butter never seems to incorporate as well for me)

·        1 Cup sugar

·        2 eggs

·        2 Cups flour

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        ¼ tsp salt

·        1 Cup milk OR Buttermilk

·        2 Tbs lemon Juice (aprox)

·        1 Cup mashed bananas

Pour into chosen containers (I prefer cupcakes)

Bake

·        Bread Pan: 275 ºF for 1 hour

·        Cupcakes: 300 ºF for 35 minutes

Tips

·        Use a food mixer

·        Leave the pans in the oven after baked for a crunchier crust (pictured cupcakes are from the same batch, the darker ones stayed in the oven after oven was turned off)

 

·        Break eggs into a separate container to take out eggshells if you need, necessary if you are letting kids break the eggs

·        Add nuts if you want

·        Freeze bananas when they are getting too ripe for your taste, they will turn black outside while keeping the inside fresh

 

·        If you are using frozen bananas you do not need to mash them, they can be squished out of the peel

·        Cut frozen bananas into 1 inch long pieces and add to smoothies

 

My friend Ignacia returns to her home in Chile this week. She promises to send more recipes to me, especially for Chilean food as their Independence Day approaches in September.

I had planned a going away party for her, but my kids got sick, so all the moms in our group met instead at a Starbucks (so American of us). I wish we'd had these cupcakes to go with our espresso. 

Someday maybe - a dream but maybe - we'll all make it to Chile to visit her.

Ignacia's Kitchen: Homemade Pizza…or should I say artisan pizza or a fancy named rustic pizza?

I love cooking but there are only two dishes where I like my version more than anyone else’s. Sounds egocentric, but I think it is not a big enough “portfolio” for a career as a chef.

I am happy my friend Hillary is having me as a guest again, so if you like my simple pizza, I would love for you to post the link and share…so she invites me again J.

Anyway, all of that to say that this is one of those two recipes:

Quantities for one round 13 inches or 12x10 inches pizza

·        Mix ¾ cup lukewarm water with

·        3 Tb olive oil

·        1 tsp salt

·        Right after mixing (before the water and oil separate)

·        Add 2 cups flour

·        Mix and knead for a couple of minutes

·        Add more water or flour to get a soft dough

·        Roll dough into desired shape

·        Pinch with a fork

·        Bake it at 400F until golden, for about 10 minutes

Meanwhile, grab you favorites toppings…or the one you actually have…tomato sauce and cheese are highly recommended but actually you do not need them.

·        When the dough is ready, add the toppings and bake for about 7 minutes

Sit, eat and enjoy!

YUM! Cheesy goodness

 

Tips:

·        Add more I like to mix extra ingredients for the kids to play and make fun shapes, then we bake it with the rest of the dough.

·        Add about ½ teaspoon of  dry seasoning to the water, oregano, basil, etc.

·        Use parchment paper if you do not feel like scraping the countertop and do not have a fancy knelling thingy

·        Bake the dough longer if you like the dough crunchier or less if you prefer it softer


My dear friend Ignacia is likely moving back to Chile soon. I am bummed, but I am also happy for her family, that they get to return to their home and family. Their friends in the US will miss them badly, but it is times such as these when you truly thank God for the Internet in all its modern wonder. It is so much easier to keep in touch across continents, and I trust that we will. I hope that we will - always.

As well as some wonderful memories and a scarlet rose plant, she has given me (and you) some excellent, not-too-complicated recipes. She is always generous like that. :-) May her family always be blessed!

 

Mini Cupcakes (recipe guest post by my friend Ignacia)

Pop-cake-like Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients

1. 3 eggs
2. ½ cup vegetable oil
3. 1-cup milk
4. 2/3-cup sugar
5. 1 ½ -cup flour
6. 1 Tbs baking power
7. ¾ cup 2 cocoa powder

You can substitute the cocoa for 2 Tbs vanilla extract OR 2 Tbs orange juice OR just skip it.

Mix and Pour

Mix the first 5 ingredients until they are dissolved (it is ok to over mix so you cannot be found guilty of using a mixer).

Add flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix until fairly smooth.

Pour into pan (I love silicone ones).

§  ¼ cup for cupcakes

§  1 Tbs for mini-cupcakes

Bake at 350 ºF

Cupcakes and layer cake: 20 minutes

Mini-cupcakes:  8 minutes (For mini cupcakes you do not need the pan; just use paper cups, wait until the oven is at 350ºF, pour the batter and put them in the oven quickly)

To make fun treats you can pop in Popsicle sticks (they seem safer than kebob sticks).

Decorate using you imagination
 

For the pictures I used vanilla frosting and one raisin for plain cake and frozen berries for chocolate cake.

For the base I used a shoebox lid cover in foil.

Blogger's note: These pictures are beautiful! My friend did a wonderful job, didn't she? Makes me hungry, though...

I want to say a big, big thank you to my dear friend Ignacia for contributing this post, especially since she knows I am way too lazy to do recipes in this blog (you know, all those pictures and all that cooking while trying to remember to take pictures). She even scouted out what recipes people search most often and came up with cupcakes. She's a good friend, mom and cook (a dynamic trio!), and I really hope she'll come back to inspire us again, not simply to eat, but to bake! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and drop by her house to see if any cupcakes are left...

Bon appetit!