Banana Bundt Cake With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

This delicious Banana Bundt Cake is moist, tender like a pound cake consistency, and an amazing cream cheese cinnamon icing drizzled over the cake and pecans to top it off makes this cake perfect. This is perfect for a morning breakfast, dessert, parties, holidays that everyone will love. I always buy bananas, I love them when they get overripe that means something is being made a cake, muffins, bread, or something else I can dig up to use these bananas.

I love to make bundt and pound cakes, now this is not fluffy, it is dense like a pound cake. Which is perfect for me because I love pound cakes. When I saw this recipe I made it right away because I always have bananas and the ingredients are what you will have at home, this is perfect if you are having un expected guests and need a quick delicious dessert. Go ahead and go find some brown speckled bananas and make this amazing Bundt Cake you will want more than one slice, believe me.





Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup  butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups  granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups  mashed overripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 1 cup sour cream, 8 ounces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired 
For The Icing:
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, to your taste
• 2 - 4 tsp milk

Directions:

• 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt then set aside.
• 2.Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter and beat until slightly pale and fluffy about 3-4 minutes on medium-high, then add sugar and mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, with the second egg add the vanilla. Pour in mashed banana and beat just until combined. Mix in half of the flour mixture, then mix in sour cream. Stir in remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture just until combined. Scrape down sides to make sure combined, do not overmix.
• 3.Spray a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray then dust with flour, shaking out excess. Pour batter into bundt pan, spread the mixture using a spatula to make a even layer. Bake in oven until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 38- 55 minutes (12 cup pan will be a lesser time). Cool in pan 5 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled spread icing over top and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Store in a container.
• For the icing:
• 4.Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or if you dont have you can use a hand mixer, add together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Then add in enough milk, 1 tsp at a time, to reach desired consistency.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Recipe source and photo source : cake adapted from Taste of Homehttp://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/03/banana-bundt-cake-with-cinnamon-cream-cheese-icing/

Spinach Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta With Grilled Chicken

This amazing pasta dish is perfect the lemon, ricotta, spinach pair perfect together for a delicious meal.with the addition of chicken, ricotta cheese, lemon, chicken, pasta and spinach is the perfect combination of flavors that has a creamy sauce with a hint of lemon grilled chicken and wilted spinach is so good, this dish is perfect to make for dinner or a crowd. These ingredients pair perfectly together and you will love it just like my family did after I found this recipe I knew this one was going to be good and it was delicious. Simple to make and not many ingredients.

• 1 pound grilled chicken breasts, sliced into strips, or you can use tenderloins cut in half
• 1 pound dry linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 6 -7 ounces fresh baby spinach, steamed just until beginning to wilted
• 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the chicken, brush a little olive oil onto the chicken and place onto a grill or grill pan and cook chicken until no longer pink. Set aside and cut into small strips
• 2. Cook pasta in salted water according to directions listed on package, reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining pasta. 
• 3. Drain water and after cooking reserve 1 cup and return pasta to pot. Place pot over medium-low heat and add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta, 1/2 cup hot reserved pasta water and parmesan and toss to evenly coat. Add in more pasta water as desired to thin and season with salt and pepper to taste, cook and toss, about 2 minutes, until ricotta is heated through. 
• 4. Toss in spinach and grilled chicken. Serve warm topped with more parmesan if desired.
• 
  

photo and slightly adapted recipe source:http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/03/lemon-ricotta-parmesan-pasta-with-spinach-grilled-chicken/

Energy Bites No Bake

These no bake delicious energy bites are packed full of protien and fiber. The combination of peanut butter, coconut, oats, flaxseed, chocolate chips, and honey are just perfect together. Not to mention have some chocolate chips because everything is better with a little chocolate. They taste just like a granola bar.These are perfect for a snack at night, grab on the go, take to work of give to he kids for school. I saw this recipe and all of these ingredients are always on hand. So I whipped up a lot of batches of these because everone loves these, they crave your sweet tooth yet healthy and so easy to make. No bake, no mixer. All you need is a bowl so simple.



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats 
• 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted and cooled
• 1/2 cup ground Bob's golden flaxseed meal, or grind flaxseed into a powder in your blender 
• 6 Tablespoons chocolate chips, mini or regular size

Directions

• 1. In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract and stir until completley combined.Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly coated. 
• 2. Place mixture to refrigerator or freezer and chill until set then after they are set remove from refrigerator, use your hands and shape into 1 inch balls.
• 3. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Recipe and photo source: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/04/bake-energy-bites/

Carrot Cake Cookies With Cream Cheese Filling

These delicious carrot cake cookies are irristable. They are soft, tender they have the perfect balance of softness with crunch and chewy. They have the perfect amount of warm spices, then to die for cream cheese frosting that is so fluffy and melt in your mouth. These taste just like a carrot cake. I love carrot cake and also if you look on my blog cookiescrumbsandchickens.blogspot.com look up carrot cake, it will be the best carrot cake you will ever eat. Back to these cookies, I love carrots and for some reason spring reminds me of carrots even though I do bake with carrots all year long. You may want to double this recipe because they make 12 sandwich cookies if you have a crowd plus these will be gone very quick, these are perfect for parties, Easter, or any occasion..



Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups grated carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

Cream Cheese Frosting
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 6 Tablespoons butter, very soft
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• 1. In a large mixing bowl add together the flour, quick oats, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and whisk until completely combined then set aside.
• 2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or hand mixer if you do not have a stand mixer, and add and cream together 1/2 cup butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in carrots, then fold in walnuts. Cover bowl and chill dough 1 hr 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 during last 10 minutes of chilling.
• 3. The dough will be sticky, that is normal. Then place dough 2 Tablespoons at a time, roll them into balls so the are even. Place on parchment paper or a mat onto baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 11-13 minutes until centers no longer look kind doughy. Allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then take one cookie and fill with cream cheese frosting then top with other cookie and sandwich the cookies together.  Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
• For the cream cheese frosting:
• 4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or you can use a hand mixer if you do not have a stand mixer. Then add and whip together cream cheese, butter until smooth and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to whip until smooth and very fluffy.

Recipe and photo source from:http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/03/carrot-cake-cookies/

Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

These Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins are so delicious having a moist muffin with a heaping scoop of Nutella in the middle then the muffin rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Cant it get any better, these are so good, you just cant eat one of these, perfect combination of ingredients.

These are great for all you Nutella lovers, now who doesn't love Nutella, well if you have never had it, try it you will love it. I have a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich all the time, I am always looking for recipes with Nutella, then I saw muffin, and cinnamon and sugar and said you cant go wrong with these, so yes I keep making these because my family loves them. To get a great price on Nutella Costco ha a great price you get 2 big jars for about 10 dollars and that is well worth it. Enjoy..





Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons) butter, softened 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 and 1/2 cups  white whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour or half and half of each 
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 teaspoons Nutella

Cinnamon sugar topping

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, then spray muffin pan with cooking spray and then set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk.

3. Using a spatula gently stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Just stir until combined. Do not OVER MIX 

4. Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of batter into muffin cavity. Layer with 1 teaspoon Nutella in the center and spoon another heaping Tablespoon of batter on top. The muffin tins are going to be almost completely full. That is normal. This recipe will make 8 muffins. Fill the empty muffin tins halfway with water for even baking.

5. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Leave the muffins in the oven, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and then bake for an additional 12-17 minutes until batter is set. Allow muffins to cool for about 10 minutes.

6. While the muffins are cooling, make the cinnamon-sugar topping. Melt the butter for about 40 seconds in the microwave or until completely melted. 

7. In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Swirl the muffins completely around in the cinnamon-sugar a bit until you get a good thick coating. Set on cooling rack. Store in a airtight container for about a week but they will not last..

recipe and photo source:http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/05/05/nutella-stuffed-cinnamon-sugar-muffins-2/

Honey Sesame Chicken

                           

                                       

This is the most amazing Honey Sesame Chicken you will ever eat the chicken cooked to perfection and comes out with a golden coating then a sauce made with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, honey, brown sugar, ketchup and garlic all simply mixed in one bowl, and after you bake this and this delicious sauce sticks to the chicken you have the most amazing delicious sesame chicken you will ever eat. Now move over P.F. Chang's and Chinese restaraunts. When you bake this chicken that makes the sauce thicken, the chicken brown and this dish will make you go WOW.. I could was amazed  how amazing after I took my first bite. This recipe has been made in my house all the time, I made it again last night and saaid to myself why havent I ever posted this. I am so glad I found this recipe because it is my favorite ever.
This is a 5 star recipe, And I usually do not rate recipes but this one is just to good, you have to make

• 
  

For The Chicken Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 cup cornstarch
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Ingredients For Sauce:
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Additional Sesame Seeds For Garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture, a few pieces at a time. 
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until golden browned, do not over crowd the chicken. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and whisk until completely combined. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir the chicken and toss with the sauce every 15 minutes so it really coats the chicken in the sauce.

recipe from:http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/baked-honey-sesame-chicken/

Chocolate Garden Carrot Cupcake

These cute little carrot cupcakes start out with a moist tender cupcakes, the a delicious chocolate frosting, crushed oreos on top, then to top it off and make these over the top a orange chocolate coated strawberries. These are perfect for spring so easy to make, perfect for parties, you can make them in small mason jars or cupcake tins with liners, great for parties, favors for parties, showers, weddings.
I eat these at home because we love cupcakes in this house always have them here, I found this recipe and had to make them right away, all I needed to go buy was the strawberries and the strawberries, the rest of the ingredients are in your pantry. I always have oreos here. If you are going to make these as favors you can make them in the mason jar, that is a little gift as well as the yummy cupcake. Just wrap the cupcake in clear wrap, place an orange ribbon and there you go perfect and everyone will love it.

Ingredients For The Chocolate Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 C. oil 

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Frosting:

1 C. butter, softened

1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. milk

2-3 C. powdered sugar

Crushed Oreos

1-2 containers strawberries

1 Bag Orange chocolate melts, from AC Moore, or craft store

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners or grease the small mason jars and place on a cookie sheet.

2. In a large mixing bowl sift cake mix to remove any lumps and add the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, and the vanilla extract and whisk then stir until smooth. You do not have to over mix.

3. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full or jars 2/3 full and bake for 13-17 minutes for cupcakes or 16-22 minutes for jars. Check with a toothpick inserted into thhe center few little crumbs is okay

4. Remove from oven and if using liners take out after 2 minutes and let cool completely.

For The Frosting And The Strawberries:
5. Chocolate Frosting: In a large mixing bowl beat butter for about 2 minutes until smooth and a slight pale color. Then add cocoa powder, vanilla and milk and beat. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

6. Dip strawberries in melted orange chocolate melts and let let on wax or parchment paper. Drizzle extra chocolate over the strawberries to give a carrot look, tip: place the melted orange melted chocolate into a small ziploc bag, snip a tiny piece of the corner and drizzle, no fuss, no mess

7. Frost cupcakes and cover with crushed Oreos, then top with orange colored chocolate dipped strawberries

recipe and photo source:http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2015/03/cute-garden-carrot-cupcakes.html

Shamrock Cupcakes With Whipped Cream Mousse Frosting

These super cute moist, tender cupcakes are so good, with a melt in your mouth whipped cream mousse frosting, that is so good and the best part of these cupcakes. Then a cherry on top with a straw just makes these perfect. St. Patrick's Day is coming so grab the ingredients and have these for dessert  or to bring to a party.

I just love the looks of this bright and cheery cupcake, reminds me that spring is right around the corner, yeaa..Then when I found this recipe I made them fell in love with the moist cake and again the frosting, WOW..I learned by adding just a little bit of pudding mix to the frosting stabilizes it, wont melt or run, that is a great tip. Another great tip I always use buttermilk in my cake mix, it makes them so moist, spend the 2 dollars and it is worth it believe me.

Ingredients: 

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup buttermilk 

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

If desired for a mint taste you can add 2 teaspoons mint extract

Green food coloring ( dye)

For The Whipped Cream Mousse Frosting:

1 pint heavy whipping cream, cold from the fridge

2 Tablespoons Hershey's white chocolate instant pudding mix, or any brand you can find  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

3. In a large bowl sift cake mix to remove lumps then add eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract and and stir until smooth. Add as much green food dye as desired. 

4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. Then remove cupcakes from cupcake tin right away and set on a wire rack 

6. For The Whipped Cream Mousse. 

7. In your stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat whipping cream and instant pudding mix until the whipped cream is stiff. 

8. Pipe topping onto cooled cupcakes and finish with maraschino cherries and place any color straws.

recipe adapted slightly and photo source:http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2015/02/shamrock-shake-cupcakes.html