Banana Rum Bread

Thank you to King Arthur Flour ("KAF") for sending me their Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor to try – it’s delicious! - and for kindly sponsoring a giveaway on my blog.*  Like many home bakers, I'm a big fan of KAF and believe they've done so much to keep American home baking traditions alive, relevant and fun. If you are a novice or the most advanced baker, they have something for you - including a wealth of free recipes on their site. And, personally, I find it hard to resist all the cool specialty ingredients and tools for my home kitchen.

This Banana Rum Bread started with a recipe from Joy of Cooking that I’ve been making for my family forever. I had to go back to the original recipe to see how much I changed it over the years – significantly! I’ve made many versions of it, some of which I will post at a later date, and this one is the most sophisticated. Funny to use banana bread and sophisticated in the same sentence, because it is such a simple, baking repertoire staple. But, the natural rum flavor takes it to a new level.

I encourage you to follow the directions. I try and not be too bossy, but this is a dry batter (pre-bananas). You need ALL the bananas called for and you need to sift the flour mixture. You just do. You can go with the lesser or greater amount of rum flavor. I used 3 teaspoons - that's a lot, but I like how the rum stands up to the banana.

I use these bake-and-serve loaf pans quite a bit for home and work. Makes it so easy to slip a loaf in a cello bag or wrap one in waxed paper and tie with a pretty ribbon or twine for gift giving. Also, you can freeze and rewarm in these (a nice thing to note on a gift card as well). I like to double or triple a recipe, keep a bread or two for home, freeze some and/or give away to friends and neighbors. Why? Because part of the fun of baking is sharing!


King Arthur Giveaway:

King Arthur is generously sending one lucky baker a set of bake-and-serve quick bread loaf pans, a bottle of Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor and a coupon for a bag of King Arthur flour (redeemable at your local grocer).


To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me all about YOUR banana bread recipe or one you especially enjoy. You know how much I love hearing about your recipes and what you like! 


A winner will be chosen by random using random.org on Sunday, April 22nd and announced here on the blog. I will name the winner in the comments section below and he/she will have until Wednesday, April 25^th at 5pm EST to contact me at info@sweetandsimple.com with a *U.S.* mailing address. As in the past, if you don’t contact me, I will pick a second winner using random.org.

Warm Banana Rum Bread. Yum.

*Note about this post:

Recently, KAF contacted me about using their products in my home baking recipes which I talk about on my blog. As many of you know, I use KAF commercial flours exclusively for Sweet & Simple. KAF and I agreed on a few recipes for me to try with their products. For this recipe, KAF sent me a bottle of Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor as well as a set of bake-and-give quick bread loaf pans. I was not compensated monetarily, told what to write or asked to give a specific product review. Of course, as an overzealous home baker, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to use new products at home for fun! So, I've definitely been compensated in the happy department.

Banana Rum Bread 

4 - 3/4lb/12 oz Loaves

Preheat oven to 350° 

Set aside on a sheet pan, 4 bake-and-give quick bread loaf pans

Have all ingredients at room temperature

2-3/4 cups/370 grams/13 ounces King Arthur unbleached all-purpose white flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

11 tablespoons/5-1/2 ounces/155 grams unsalted butter

1-1/3 cups/266 grams/9 oz sugar

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2-3 teaspoons Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2-1/2 cups/500 grams/1 lb 2 ounces very ripe bananas (mashed)

4-5 small bananas

4 teaspoons sugar for sprinkling on breads (optional but very pretty)

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, then sift mixture and set aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, starting on low speed, beat the butter and sugar until combined. Switch the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy.

Scrape down sides of work bowl. With mixer set to low, add eggs in a slow, steady stream and beat until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, then turn mixer to medium-high and beat until well combined and light and fluffy again.

Add extracts and beat to combine.

Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low speed until just combined. Mixture will look dry for a batter. Do not over mix.

Add mashed bananas all at once and beat for a few seconds only. Remove work bowl from mixer and finish folding in the bananas with a spatula.

Evenly divide the batter between the bake-and-serve loaf pans (keep them on the sheet pan for baking). If desired, sprinkle one teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top of each loaf pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes using bake-and-serve loaf pans.  Remove breads to a wire rack and let breads cool completely before wrapping or freezing. If you like, serve Banana Rum Bread warm - you won't be sorry!

A sprinkle of sugar... a simple finish for a simple bread.

Mac and Cheese

This was the first recipe I posted when I launched the original Sweet & Simple website. It was just a few recipes then and no pictures whatsoever. Two years later, I still don’t know anyone who will turn down mac & cheese. This one is a little “fancy” because you make a white sauce, add grated cheese, combine everything together then bake it in the oven until golden brown and bubbling. And one my fav family dinners is this Mac and Cheese served with a roast chicken and a simply prepared vegetable or salad. Easy peasy dinner for 5 with plenty of leftovers!

A couple notes:
Nutmeg is optional because some people do find the taste overwhelming. I happen to love the sweet nutmeg combined with the sea salt and slightly nutty taste of the Jarlsberg.
Traditionally, a white sauce is “white” and you would not use freshly ground black pepper. But it’s your mac & cheese, so you get to choose!
I used to to think a white sauce took much longer and then realized I was including the resting time between the sauce being finished and the combining of the ingredients before the casseroles go in the oven. This sauce should easily pull together in 10-20 minutes max.

Mac and Cheese

Makes two 8” round casseroles
Each casserole serves 6-8 as a side dish.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly butter two 8” round casseroles and set aside.

Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
4 cups 2% milk
2 1/2 cups Jarslberg cheese (grated)
Sea salt & freshly ground white and/or black pepper
Nutmeg (optional)

2 lbs mini rigatoni/mini penne (or whatever shape you like best) cooked al dente

In a large saucepan, gently melt the butter (do not brown it). When the butter has melted, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until well blended and starting to color (do not brown it). Season lightly with sea salt and pepper and nutmeg, if desired.

Switch to a whisk and add the milk slowly in a stream, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the mixture boils, then reduce the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10-20 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. Add cheese all at once, gently stirring the mixture to melt the cheese.

Cook the pasta al dente according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain but do not rinse the pasta then gently combine it with the cheese sauce, reserving 2 cups of the sauce. Dividing the mixture evenly between the two casseroles. Pour one cup of sauce over the top of each casserole and use a small offset or other spatula to spread it around evenly.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Almond Crackle Cookies - Two Ways

I clipped the original recipe for this post from a King Arthur catalog (2008). King Arthur calls them Almond Cloud Cookies, but they look like crackles to me. The original recipe is simple, calls for just a few ingredients and one mixing bowl. The cookies are slightly chewy and macaroon-ish and magically delicious. Some almond macaroon recipes combine the sugars, but here the confectioners’ sugar is sprinkled liberally over the unbaked cookies. I suppose you could also pipe this dough, but an ice cream scoop/disher works well and gives perfect results. For serving, I like these best with an assortment of other small cookies or little desserts. And they would be awesome with a fresh fruit salad for dessert.

The original recipe calls for an optional 1/8 tsp of bitter almond oil, or lemon or orange oil. Having tried the recipe several ways, I prefer it with straight almond extract so there is no distraction from the intense almond flavor. And I add a pinch of salt — that tiny bit makes a difference.

Almond Crackles I

20-24 cookies (depending on size)

Preheat oven to 325º.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment

 

10 ounces almond paste

1cup/7 ounces sugar

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp almond extract

pinch of salt

Confectioners’ sugar for topping

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, blend the almond paste and sugar until the mixture forms fine crumbs.

Add the lightly beaten egg whites in a slow steady stream while continuing to mix. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Add the almond extract.

Using a 1/2 or 3/4 ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared pans.

Using a flour sifter or a fine strainer, dust the cookies heavily with confectioners’ sugar.  I like to use the tips of 3 fingers (thumb, forefinger and middle finger) pressed together make a pattern on the top of each cookie. You could also use the end of a wooden spoon, or skip this all together.

Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until light brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet pans.

Vanilla, chocolate or a 50/50 sandwich.

This brings us to Almond Crackles II. And you're thinking, "Wait. What?".

I know. Why mess with a good thing, and if it ain't broke don't fix it... words to live by unless,  like me, you like to fiddle with recipes.

I had in mind a cookie for grown-up ice cream sandwiches. My variation has a more cake-like texture with the crunch of sliced almonds in the cookie and on top. I added whole eggs (vs. just whites), flour, leaveners and sliced almonds to the dough as well as on top of each cookie. The powdered sugar still gives a nice crackle.

Don't be turned off, the "dough" doesn't look pretty when it goes on the sheet pans, but that little problem is solved with baking them off - they will look lovely when they come out of the oven!

Almond Crackles II

approx. 28-30 cookies

Preheat oven to 325º.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment

1 cup/4.8 oz all purpose flour (unbleached)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

10 ounces almond paste 

1 cup/7ounces sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp almond extract

pinch of salt

4 oz blanched, sliced almonds (for dough)

3 oz blanched, sliced almonds (for topping cookies)

Confectioners’ sugar for topping

In a small bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, blend the almond paste and sugar until the mixture forms fine crumbs.

Add the eggs  in a slow steady stream while continuing to mix. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Add the almond extract. 

Add the flour mixture until just combined then add 4 oz almonds and mix until just combined

Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared pans. The dough will be very wet and loose, even runny looking. Divide the 3 oz sliced almonds for topping evenly over the cookies.

Using a sifter or a fine strainer, dust the cookies heavily with confectioners’ sugar. 

Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until light brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans.

Early Spring, 2012

Cherry blossom.

It’s spring. To celebrate, this weekend I cleaned the house. By cleaned I mean I really cleaned. I scrubbed and polished and vacuumed and dusted and drank too much coffee - not necessarily in that order. 


A full Saturday in spring spent cleaning the house means I am already behind in the yard. And my garden, like all of New England, is waking up early this year. In addition to the usual suspects sprouting in all the right (and some wrong) places, the cherry trees are blossoming and most of the daffodils have bloomed. Past years, I have had daffodils blooming thru late April along with the lilacs. 


It's time to rake and put down mulch and edge and tidy up... If you garden even a little, you know how exciting spring is. The soil is warming up, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping. You look to see what survived the winter. You lament the loss of perennials you lovingly planted last year or years before. You make plans and you feel grand. Sweet & Simple has taken a toll on my yard and garden, after all there are only so many hours in a spring or summer season, and I've come to terms with a few more weeds and more containers for pops of color. But I love the simple peace and quiet of working outside and I've promised myself  a few extras hours of gardening this year.

To bring a little spring indoors, this morning I made the tiniest bouquet of violas. The weensy perfume bottle marked “Lazell’s Perfumes New York” is a thrift store treasure, the violas are from a planter at my front door.

I'm seeing dramatically fewer daffodils this year, so it looks like I’ll be busy planting more in the fall.  I like to order daffodil bulbs from a Connecticut company - Van Engelen Inc. 

Daffodils in my backyard.

Happy spring to you! I wish you all the joy of the renewal season.

Lemon, Pepper and Parmesan Sables - #baketogether

I was super excited about Abby Dodge’s March #baketogether project – savory sables. In my mind, French Sables are the ultimate, buttery icebox cookie. Ooooooh la la!

My variation on Abby's recipe is lemon, pepper and Parmesan because those are three flavors I especially enjoy together. The brightness of the citrus, the warmth of the pepper and the nutty Parmesan all balanced out by Maldon, currently my fav sea salt. Maldon is expensive, but I use it sparingly as a treat. One box lasts a VERY long time.  My oldest said he loved "those parmesan cracker things" - I have to agree that they are delicious, whatever you call them.  I'd like to try a bleu cheese-bacon combo on my next pass (though I would omit the salt entirely in a bacon version).    

Sables just out of the oven - cooling on a kitchen window sill.

I will note, again, that #baketogether is open to all bakers. Simply follow the clear directions on Abby's site, get inspired and get baking! It's fun to participate and see all the clever spins on Abby's easy-to-follow, instructional recipes. I would definitely head over to Abby's site to see this month's technique in pics before you try this recipe. As a side note, I also use a food processor for pie dough and love the results - very consistent.

You can see that my sables are not perfectly cut - lopsided! - but they are a lovely, nutty brown color.
And that made a very happy baker.

Lemon, Pepper and Parmesan Sables 

Makes 29 cracker size sables or 40 coin size nibbles

1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) unbleached, all purpose flour

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 teaspoon sea salt (fine grain)

1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 medium lemon

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 7 slices, well chilled

2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons very cold water (if your dough is DRY (like mine) add water in 1/2 tsp increments until desired consistency is reached)

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling (optional, but recommended, and I prefer Maldon for sprinkling)

To make the dough:

1. Put the flour, cheese, salt and black pepper in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are slightly larger than pea size, about 10 to 12 pulses depending on your machine. Drizzle the water evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse until the dough begins to form moist crumbs that are just beginning to clump together, about 8 or 9 more pulses depending on your machine.

2. Dump the moist crumbs onto the unfloured counter and gather into a pile. With the heel of you hand, push and gently smear the crumbs away from you until they start to come together in a cohesive dough. Two or three ‘smears’ should do the trick. Using a bench scraper, gather the dough together and turn it about 45 degrees and give it one or two more smears.  Gather the dough together and shape the dough into a 7 1/4-inch long and 2 1/4 -inch wide rectangle using the bench scraper to make the sides nice and straight.

OR, create a rounded log that can be cut into bite size coins. I prefer this size to serve with wine or cocktails. The video link is helpful, but I normally just place the dough in a sheet of waxed paper/plastic wrap and, using my hands, roll the log back-and-forth until I have a nicely shaped log.

Either way, wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, about 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut the rectangle logs, or round logs, into 1/4-inch slices and arrange about 1 inch apart (they don’t spread much at all) on the prepared sheets. If making “coins,” you will need to turn your log after each cut to ensure the shape of the “coins” is consistent.

If you like, sprinkle the sables with your favorite salt salt just before they go in the oven.

Bake, one sheet at a time, until nutty brown around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.

4. The dough can be shaped and frozen for up to a month and then thawed for about an hour on the counter or in the refrigerator overnight. Likewise, tuck the baked and cooled sables in a heavy duty zip top bag and stash them in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature and warm them for a few minutes at 325°F to refresh the flavors.

Happy Baking! 

Please Help Sweet & Simple "Get On The Shelf"

Sweet & Simple entered Walmart’s first-ever Get On The Shelf contest, and wants your vote! 

Get On The Shelf is an “American Idol” style competition where contestants create a video featuring their product(s) and the public votes online for the winners.


The grand prize winner’s product may be sold on www.walmart.com and may get shelf space in select Walmart stores. Walmart will also provide invaluable insight and advice on scaling up effectively. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Sweet & SImple!


Please vote for Sweet & Simple here or  from your mobile phone, text  2879 to 383838.

You can vote once per day via Facebook and text – so, please vote often!

Thank you for your support!

Every vote counts and is appreciated.

I believe... dreams can come true.

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Espresso Sauce

The original recipe for this post is from Paci Restaurant in Southport, Connecticut. I love Paci's Coconut Cake so much that I wrote to Gourmet for it in July, 2000. I was pregnant, out of work, and apparently had a lot of time on my hands.  I'm pretty sure if I had called, and asked nicely, they would have shared the recipe. Bob Patchen and his wife, Donna, are two of the nicest people in the entire universe. But I was SO excited to be "published" in Gourmet magazine I can hardly tell you. I blame it on pregnancy hormones and, of course, REALLY loving their coconut cake. You should make it - their version or mine. Honestly, I love both!

 Just out of the oven - golden brown!

My own version has some minor adjustments, a little less sugar, a little more vanilla and sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened (available at most health food stores).


Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Serves 10-12

2 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) (225 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (200 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs 

1 cup (8.6 ounces) whole milk

1 1/2 cups (135 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut

Grease a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment.  Grease paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess. Or, if you are in a hurry, use a cooking spray.

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the work bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy.

Add vanilla, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time. (Mixture may look curdled.)

Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk in 3 batches on low speed. Begin and end with flour mixture.

Increase speed to medium and beat batter 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth. Fold in coconut.

Spoon batter into cake pan and spread evenly with a butter knife or small offset spatula. Bang pan once or twice on counter to remove any air bubbles that may have formed.

Bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 1 hour, then invert onto rack. Remove paper and reinvert onto another rack to cool completely.

Serve with Chocolate Espresso Sauce (recipe follows and is a modified Paci recipe as well).

My version, with a little puddle of Chocolate Espresso Sauce.

Chocolate Espresso Sauce

Yield: 1 1/2+ cups

6 ounces espresso

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

12 ounces best quality semi-sweet chocolate 

In a small sauce pan over medium heat add espresso and sugar and cook to reduce by half.

Bring mixture to room temperature. When cool, whisk in vanilla.

In a double boiler over simmering water (I don't own a double boiler and instead use a stainless bowl that fits in a  medium size soup pot), melt semi-sweet chocolate with heavy cream. When melted, remove from heat and gently whisk in espresso mixture. 

This sauce is best used immediately or gently rewarmed prior to serving.