Showing posts with label walnut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walnut. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Banana Bread Truffles


Pin It!

Sometimes I buy too many bananas. And sometimes I forget about them and then realize they're all brown and spotty and have to bake up something tasty. My mom told me the other day that I should move beyond the dark chocolate and try some new ideas...I may or may not have a slight dark-chocolate-addiction at the moment. And sometimes I also have very limited self-control


So bite-size truffles seemed like the perfect dessert! I can eat a few and, hopefully, share most of them! And you're gonna love the banana filling--it's pretty much an extremely moist banana bread combined with a brown butter (anyone else going weak at the knees?) glaze and smothered in dark chocolate and topped with toasted walnuts. Seriously delicious.

Banana Bread Truffles [click to print]
Makes about 5 dozen

  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 3-4 bananas, mashed (about 1 c.)
  • 1/3 c. water
  • 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1-2/3 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
For brown butter glaze
  • 1/4 c. browned butter
  • 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 3 T. milk or water
For dipping
  • 2 pkgs. (12 oz) dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or coat generously with nonstick -cooking spray; set aside. 

2) In bowl of stand mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating well between each addition. Stir in bananas, water and vanilla. 

3) In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, soda, salt and powder. With mixer on low speed, gradually add to banana mixture in about 3 additions. Pour batter in prepared dish and bake 30-40 minutes or until top springs back. Allow to cool completely in pan. 

4) For glaze, heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat until it turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir butter and milk/water into powdered sugar until well combined and no lumps of powdered sugar remain. 

5) When bread is completely cool, crumble with a fork or your fingers into pea size crumbs. Pour glaze over crumbs and stir until evenly moistened. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop 2 or 3 teaspoons of truffle filling at a time onto lined cookie sheet. 

6) In deep bowl, melt chocolate at 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring well between each nuke. Using a fork, dip each filling in melted chocolate, gently tapping fork on edge of bowl to get off excess chocolate. Place on cookie sheet, top with a sprinkle of chopped nuts and allow to set. Note: If your filling doesn't hold together very well while dipping, chill in freezer about 15 minutes before dipping. 

Source: Inspired by Vanilla Kitchen

Thursday, June 7, 2012

German Chocolate Lara Bites (GF, no sugar added)


Pin It!
Happy National Running Day! A day late...sorry. But I made you this great and fast and easy and chewy and moist treat that's also great for you and great to refuel on a long run! You're welcome. 


The first time I ever ate a Lara Bar was last fall when I ran my first race ever---The Baltimore Half Marathon. Woot! I saw these bars in the store before and thought they looked kind of suspicious and overly healthy, but when they're giving them away for free, I might as well at least taste them. So I did. And it turns out they're so good it's worth


Turns out they really do taste like cookies! And trust me, as the girl who can practically inhale a jar full of charming Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter in fewer days than I care to admit, I don't throw that compliment around lightly. Plus, I love the fact that the sweetness in these little bites comes from the dates, no added sugar, so it doesn't cramp up your stomach when you're running. But running or not, these are pretty great. My favorite is straight out of the freezer. Yum!

German Chocolate Lara Bites (Gluten Free!) [click to print]
Makes 10-12 bites
  • 3/4 c. pitted dates
  • 1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, toasted
  • 2 T. cocoa powder
  • 2 T. shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/16 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until well combined. Firmly press heaping tablespoons of mixture into bite-size silicone mold (I used a brownie bites mold, which I thought was silly until I got one, so don't judge) or roll into balls. 

Source: Slightly adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...