America's Test Kitchen Ultimate Banana Bread

Bring to boil: 2 stick melted and cooled slightly6 large very ripe bananas (about 2¼ pounds), peeled (see note)
¾ c. honey
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp table salt
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
2 3/4 cups flour (used GF substitute)
1/4 c br. rice flour
1/4 arrowroot "
1/4 coconut  "
2 tsp baking soda

1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan and a 8x13 in. pan.
2. Mix ingredients in order given.

6. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan.

Adapted: http://www.madeinmykitchen.com/2013/07/americas-test-kitchen-ultimate-banana.html

Cookie Dough Desserts

Honey Nut Oat Cookies

2.5 cups Rolled Oats

1/3 cup Natural Peanut Butter (listed ingredients, only peanuts, best with salt too)

5 tbsp Honey

2 tb cocoa

opt.: 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Mix and press into muffin tins. Allow to harden for an hour.

Paleo Cookie dough balls

Roll into truffles if desired...

from : http://friskylemon.com/2012/08/28/brace-yourself-again-new-and-improved-cookie-dough-truffles/

For GAPS, omit chocolate chips because of sugar.

Mix:

2 1/2 cups almond flour

3 Tbsp coconut flour/quick oats (see below)

8 Tbsp butter, softened

3 T nut butter

1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey

1 Tbsp vanilla (I omit)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 to 2 cups mini chocolate chips 

plus more chocolate for dipping (optional)

1. Combine the butter, sweetener, and vanilla. Cream these ingredients together with either a hand mixer or manually with a spoon.
2. Once the butter mix is smooth, stir in the almond flour one cup at a time. Then, add the coconut flour one tablespoon at  a time: the batter should be firm enough for you to form into balls, but not so dry that the balls fall apart. You may have to play around with the amount of coconut flour, so just add it one tablespoon at a time, mix and reevaluate.
3. Add the salt and mini chocolate chips and stir.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into balls about 1 Tbsp big and set them on the tray to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Dip in chocolate if you like, OR you can just eat them plain…they’re pretty good either way.

MAKE AHEAD FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

adapted: http://www.foodtasticmom.com/make-ahead-french-toast-casserole/


for the base
1 loaf (16 oz.) Supermarket French or Italian Bread, torn into 1" pieces (used whole grain)
1 T. butter, softened (+8, see topping)
8 large eggs (next time, use more eggs)
5 c. milk ((3 1/2 if bread not dried) or [2 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (substituted milk; one reviewer liked half & half)]
1 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg

for the topping
8 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c. light brown sugar (substituted 2/3 c. honey)
2 T. pancake syrup (skipped)
2 c. pecans, chopped coarse (substituted with almonds)

Adjust 2 oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. 

Spread bread out over 2 baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time. 

Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with the tablespoon of butter and pack dried bread into dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl and then whisk in milk, cream and sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread and press on bread lightly to submerge.

For the topping: Stir butter, brown sugar, and pancake syrup together until smooth, then stir in pecans.

To store: Transfer topping to airtight container and wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate topping and casserole separately for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

To serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position; 350 degrees. Unwrap casserole and sprinkle topping evenly over top, breaking apart any large pieces with your fingers. Place casserole on rimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour.

Double portions:
2 lb. Supermarket French or Italian Bread, torn into 1" pieces
2 T. butter, softened (+ more, see topping)
16 large eggs (used two dozen)

10 c. milk (7 c. if bread not dried)
1 T. honey
4 t. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

for the topping
16 T. butter, softened
1 1/3 c.  honey
4 T. syrup (skipped)
3 c. nuts

French Toast Biscuit Bake

• 16 biscuits 
• 10 eggs
• 3 Tbsp honey (roughly)
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon (roughly)
• 1 cup milk or cream
• 16 small pats of butter
• maple syrup for topping, optional
• powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Preparation:

• Grease two casserole pans (wax paper?). 
• While the biscuits are baking, beat the eggs, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, a few sprinkles of cinnamon, and milk or cream.
• Place biscuits on pan, and pour egg mixture. Be sure that the egg is coating all sides.
• Drizzle the tops of the biscuits evenly with honey and cinnamon.
• Place one pat of butter on top of each biscuit.
• Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until the egg is cooked through.
• Let this rest for about 10 minutes

 Adapted from https://longlivethenoms.com/2015/01/01/french-toast-biscuit-bake/ 

Baked Oatmeal - Martha Stewart

• next time triple, 9x13 pan and loaf pan; lasted __ meals
• adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/1050163/baked-oatmeal
• 
  
• DAY  BEFORE PREP: 
• Grease dish? Thaw fruit.
• Soak all afternoon in large pan:
• 6 cups fresh raw milk and water 
• 6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• and nuts, if not already soaked and dried.
• 
  
• In mixer: 
• 9 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 T. vanilla
• 3 large egg (try more?)
• 1 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Mix, set aside. 
• 1 T baking powder
• 5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 
  
• Set aside: 
• 6 ripe bananas, thawed, to mix in
• On top:
• 1 1/2 cup walnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped
• 4 1/2  cups huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

• Butter dishes.
• MORNING OF:  375 F.   35  minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake With Brown Sugar & Bourbon Cream

ATK recipe, adapted

Crust

5 ounces graham crackers, broken into large pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 1⁄3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1⁄2 lbs cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and left to soften at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 large eggs, left at room temperature
1 cup cream

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Cream
1 cup cream
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons Bourbon

For the Crust:.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan evenly with non-stick cooking spray.
Pulse crackers, sugar and spices in a food processor until evenly and finely ground, fiften 2-second pulses. drizzle melted butter over, and mix. spread crumbs into an even layer in pan.

Using a flat-bottomed ramekin, press the crumbs evenly into the pan bottom, and then use a soup spoon to press and smooth crumbs into edges of pan.

Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while making the filling.

For the Filling:.
Bring about 4 quarts of water to a simmer in a stockpot.

Whisk the sugar, spices, and in a small bowl; set aside. Beat the cream cheese at medium speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minutes.
To dry the pumpkin, line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels.

Spread pumpkin on paper towels in a roughly even layer.

Cover the pumpkin with a second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper towels are saturated.
Peel back the top layer of towels and discard.
Grasp bottom towels and fold pumpkin in half; peel back towels; repeat and flip pumpkin onto baking sheet and then discard towels.

Add about one third of the sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape the bowl and add remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each addition.

bAdd pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrap bowl.
Add 3 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl.
Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds; using a spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl by hand to make sure everything is incorporated.
Set the springform pan with cooled crust on an 18-inch square doubled layer of heavy-duty foil and wrap the bottom and sides with foil.
Set wrapped springform pan in a roasting pan. Pour the filling into the springform pan and smoothe the surface.

Set the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake until the center of the cake is slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken, and the center of the cake registers 145-150 degrees on an isntant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours (see description about baking times).
Set the roasting pan on wire rack and use paring knife to loosen cake from the sides of the pan.
Cool until water is just warm, about 45 minutes.
Remove spring form pan from water bath, discard the foil and set on a wire rack, continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours.
Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.


For the Cream Topping (skipped this but was plenty delicious):
Whisk heavy cream, sour cream, brown sugar, and salt until combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve cheesecake at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, stirring once or twice during chilling to ensure that the sugar dissolves.
When ready to serve cheesecake, add bourbon and beat misture with whisk attachment at medium speed until small bubbles form around edges, about 40 seconds; increase speed to high and continue to beat until fluffy and doubled in volume, about 1 minutes longer. Spoon Cream on individual slices of pie.