Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

I always have over-ripe bananas. Does this only happen to me? I don’t eat the things anyway. The kids and hubby love them, but if I get an off batch…they are left to rot. So I’m always looking for new banana recipes. These are by far the best things I’ve ever made with bananas! The thing that makes them so delicious is the brown butter frosting. Sweet and a little salty, with a deep, dark flavor. DELICIOUS!! The frosting would be to die for on a cake – that might be my next adventure:)

So if you have over-ripe bananas, try these!! You won’t be disappointed!

Banana Bars:
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk (I use buttermilk)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until top springs back.

Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately. Butter can go from browned to burnt VERY fast.

Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk to the browned butter.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a rubber spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

*From Life’s Simple Measures

Pizza Rollups

I had this genius idea one day. ANYTHING can go in a crescent roll:) So lately I’ve been trying all sorts of things!! My favorite combo is the pizza one. I made it once and then made it 3 more times. It’s also a KID FAVORITE. Is so easy, so delicious and perfect for those nights that your short on time and patience for dinner. I also recommending making more than you think you need because I ran out VERY quickly all the times I made them with people wanting more.

Crescent rolls

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni

Unroll the crescent rolls into each individual roll. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the whole triangle except for the very tip. Then add cheese and a few slices of pepperoni. Rollup and place on a cookie sheet and bake as directed on the package of crescent rolls. ENJOY!!

IHOP Pancakes

I love trying new recipes for pancakes. I haven’t bought a premade pancake mix in probably over a year. Over that year I’ve probably tried about 10 different pancake recipes. These are by far the best! And just like the title indicates…they taste JUST like IHOP pancakes! No joke. I’ve had several guests comment on how great they are too. So if you’re looking for an easy, delicious pancakes and don’t want to go out, try these!

1 1/4 cup flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 T melted butter
1/4 c. sugar

Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt. Mix the egg with the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture, stirring only until incorporated. Add the melted butter and sugar. Fry on a greased griddle.
*From cookinupnorth.blogspot.com

Butter Shrimp

This is my new favorite dish. I’ve been on a crazy seafood kick lately and this just hits the spot! YUMM!! It’s also so easy and fast to make, which this momma ALWAYS loves. It goes perfect atop warm, parmesan noodles also…just FYI.

Do you want to splurge and make a decadent meal that super quick, but delicious? Then make this. Oh, and it was DIVINE as leftovers the next day for lunch!!

1 pound medium raw shrimp (fresh or frozen, but thawed – I like to buy the frozen at Costco)

1 lemon

1 stick butter

1 packet Italian Seasoning Mix

1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked

parmesan cheese

Line a jellyroll pan with foil. Slice a whole lemon VERY thinly. Place a layer of lemon slices over an entire jellyroll pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.

In the meantime, add a layer of shrimp to the top of the lemons, making sure they aren’t overlapping.  After the butter is melted, add the seasoning mix and stir. Pour over shrimp.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Either eat alone or with spaghetti. After I cooked my spaghetti, I added a dash of olive oil and then about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Don’t forget to pour a little butter sauce on top of the noodles…TO DIE FOR!!