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How To WOW Your Dinner Guests

First off, don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. I was determined to make this knowing it featured both bananas foster flavors and caramel – what could be more tempting? Plus I find, as I am moving along in the kitchen I enjoy gathering the ingredients and mixing them up. I put on some country music and sing as I go. Cooking can be a great adventure or a solitary escape.

Honestly the cake was quite easy and so good I couldn’t stop eating it. You may want to plan for this and have it be your breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one. I’m actually glad I had my husband and our friends to share or else I would have easily eaten it all! When the knife went through that first slice it was like butter, so soft and welcoming!

This is a cake that is fancy enough for any occasion, but I still love making this on a regular weeknight, as well. Dig in and enjoy every single bite – you deserve it!

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Quick Tip: You can also top this cake with whipped topping if you like!

This Pie Is So Good, It’s Almost Surreal

You can say what you want but to me, banana cream pie is always going to be The Number 1, ultimate dessert. My mother used to make it on Sundays; I can still remember the feeling of anticipation when we were driving home from church, getting ready for our weekly family brunch, and we would always have pie, too.

It was either chocolate pie, apple pie with double crust, or banana cream pie. Needless to say, the nanner pie was my favorite! I swear, I could have eaten the whole thing on my own – actually, I’m pretty sure I tried that once when I was very little, but someone found out about my plan before I could execute it.

Which brings me to this question; now that I’m all grown up, why haven’t I made this pie just for myself? Even for once? I’d probably feel guilty for not sharing it with my family – although, they won’t be sad if they don’t know about it, right? You did not hear me say that.

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Quick Tip: To make this even faster, you could use Cool Whip.

If This Isn’t The Most Scrumptious Banana Bread On The Planet, I Don’t Know What Is

I’ve never actually been quite sure if banana bread was dessert, breakfast or just a snack. Trust me – I’ve had it for all of these, but it’s one of those things that I just can’t put my finger on. This recipe changed it all for me. Because this is definitely a dessert in my book. A very delicious one!

This chocolate chip banana bread is taking your usual banana bread to a whole new level of yum. You still get that familiar, sweet flavor of the bananas, but this time it’s combined with the beautifully bittersweet dark chocolate. Unless you decide to go with milk chocolate or white chocolate – because, you know, it’s completely up to you!

I took this a step further and drizzled some caramel sauce on top of the loaf. It was store-bought, so I really didn’t have to go through any extra fuss to do that. Oh, em, gee – so amazing! I bet a scoop of ice cream would also go well with a slice of this yummy bread.

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Quick Tip: Try white chocolate chips for a change!

This Cake Is Absolutely Divine!!

When I was little, I used to watch in awe when my grandmother made her famous pineapple upside down cake. To me it seemed so amazing that she’d just flip the baked cake over, and suddenly you’d have this beautiful, delicious-looking cake in front of you. I thought it was pure magic, and I guarantee I could have eaten half the cake on my own, if they hadn’t watched me… I still hold on to her recipe and make it several times a year, but last week I wanted to try something different.

For some reason I always buy way too many bananas and they end up ripening too fast on the kitchen counter. I’ve turned them into banana pancakes (which are delicious – I should probably share the recipe with you) and banana bread, but lately I had gotten a little tired of both of them.

Fortunately, I happened to mention this to a friend of mine and she said she had just the right thing for me. Banana. Caramel. Upside down cake. I was so excited I practically ran to the kitchen to give it a try right away!

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Quick Tip: Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – heavenly!

You Don’t Need Magical Baking Powers To Make This Delish Cake!

My Mom bakes amazing cakes. Actually, she bakes just about anything, without even using recipes, and they always turn out so delicious you’d think they were from a pastry shop! I, on the other hand, can only bake bread and dinner rolls without a recipe. For anything else, I need to follow strict instructions – and even then things tend to go wrong quite often. I don’t know why! I’ve blamed my oven, I’ve blamed the flour, I’ve blamed the recipe creators… but eventually I’m going to have to admit it’s probably me.

This recipe seemed simple enough for me to make, so I gave it a try. I was prepared for another disaster, so you can imagine how happy I was when the cake turned out heavenly! That streusel topping is out of this world and it took all of my will power not to eat the whole thing right then and there.

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Quick Tip: Use a 9×13-inch cake pan for this recipe.

I think banana muffins are the first thing I ever learned how to bake. They were so easy with the “dump and go” mentality. All you had to do (at least in my mom’s recipe) was dump everything in a bowl, mix it up until well incorporated, put in a greased loaf dish and pop in the oven for an hour. DONE! I used to take pride in my banana bread and serve it to anyone and everyone who would come over. I loved seeing ripe bananas because I knew that would be my chance!

Nowadays, I still make banana bread pretty often- specifically banana muffins like these. Boy have I played with the recipe, too! I do not just mix up the classic recipe and go, oh no! I switch it up almost every single time. Sometimes I add diced pineapple, other times, some chocolate chips, and more often than not, a handful of diced pecans. They are what make this treat perfect by adding that little crunch to the end result. This recipe is so easy, and even better than the one I used to make as a kid with my mom. And the fact that they are muffins? Even better!

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Cozy Cook.

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Quick Tip: Stir in any of your favorite toppings

Nuts are my comfort food. Whenever I relax, I eat nuts instead of chips or popcorn. Whenever I get stressed, I eat nuts instead of chocolate. And it’s not because they’re healthier, but it’s more about the fact that they’re the best snacks that I can eat all day without getting tired of the taste. They’re not too oily – that would make me lose my appetite and stop eating. Moreover, I’ve noticed that they make me alert, enabling me to concentrate on my work better.

Walnuts are my favorite. Give me a pack of walnuts and a book, and I am ready to lounge on my favorite couch and have a relaxing day ahead. Walnuts are the easiest thing to eat, with them being soft and crunchy at the same time. They also won’t go bad easily. I don’t have to worry about stocking too much of them on my shelf. And of course, they go really well with my favorite fruit, the banana, when I am in the mood for a dessert that’s not too sweet or too rich.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Land O Lakes.

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Quick Tip: Banana bread is even better on the second day. Wrap cooled bread tightly in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate overnight.