Wine Lover’s Cooking Diary

This past week I had some bananas that were definitely past their prime of being a side dish for my morning cereal.  I had seen this recipe for banana bars on My Kitchen Cafe blog and had been wanting to make them.  And I have my awesome new Kitchen Aid stand mixer (gloss cinnamon in color…B-E-A-utiful!) so I decided to whip this one up.  Oh man.  These did NOT disappoint.  And the icing?!  To die for.  I am going to use this icing again and again.  I think it would be yummy on pumpkin desserts, red velvet cupcakes…pretty much anything.  Even by the spoonful.  Not that I would ever do that…um.  Yeah.  Anyway.  These are AMAZING.  Make them.  NOW.  This recipe makes a lot – it makes enough for one 9×9 square pan and a rectangle pan.  I will probably cut it in half next time.

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe/Allrecipes.com

Bars -

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used three ripe bananas)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or one 9X13 pan and an additional 8X8 pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting <—- AMAZING

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup white sugar (you can use either granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar – the confectioners’ sugar tends to dissolve better and not be as grainy but either one works fine) (I used confectioners)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Pig Rating:  The Pig loved these!  He said, “Make sure to take these to work tomorrow or else I will sit here and eat all of them!!!”

Mrs. Pig Rating:  I will never use mushy bananas for anythign ever again!  So, it’s not the healthiest recipe ever, but oh man.  It might be one of my favorite desserts I have made in a long time.  The icing is TO DIE FOR.

Little Pigs Rating: In true fashion, the littlest pig just ate the icing off.  Sigh.  The other little pig though loved them – she asked for seconds and she isn’t much of a sweets person.