Double Chocolate Banana Bread

We just had a Relief Society class on using wheat flour in our recipes and they had a sample of this banana bread there for us to try. YUM! YUM! I am not sure whether to put this under the title of Dessert or Bread, it is SO good, it tastes like a dessert but it has wheat flour in it. You can't even tell. I LOVE RECIPES LIKE THIS!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of an 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2.Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am constantly looking for ways to include wheat in recipes and this recipe is really WONDERFUL. I am not even kidding, it is SO good. I was happy this recipe was shared with me.

WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Step 1-Beat together:
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Step 2- Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Step 3 - Mix in:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, you may want to add another 1/4 cup to get a good cookie consistency.
1 bag miniature chocolate chips.

Scoop with a cookie scoop if you have one and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
I noticed that the miniature bag of chocolate chips is the key to making the recipe really good. Having the small chocolate throughout the cookie makes it so you don't even taste the wheat.
It is REALLY good.

LEONHARDT Favorite Chocolate Cake

I mixed two different recipes to make this cake and adjusted the oil. Most of the recipes just have powdered sugar on the top of the cake when it is complete but I found one recipe for the frosting and used a different recipe for the cake and it was a HUGE hit for our family. Even Nate said "That's easily the Best Chocolate Cake I've ever had". That is saying something for someone that doesn't necessarily love chocolate and doesn't impress easily.
This recipe is rich and very chocolaty.

LEONHARDT FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce & 1/2 c. veg.oil to cut down on the fat and it worked out beautifully)
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
3.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.


Fudge Frosting:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; stir in milk. Add butter; bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until spreading consistency.
Yields 2 1/4 cups.

Pour the frosting over the top of the bundt cake, there is so much frosting that it will make a puddle in the middle of the cake. We didn't use all the frosting, and it was still very tasty.

O Henry Bars

If you need a easy, quick, yummy treat recipe this is the one to try.

O HENRY BARS

1 c. Karo syrup
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter (can use creamy, but it is SO much better crunchy)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
4 c. rice krispies or cocoa krispies, Both are good.

1/2 bag Chocolate Chips
1/2 bag Butterscotch Chips

Cook Karo Syrup & sugar together until the sugar dissolves, take the pan off the stove and mix in the peanut butter & vanilla (if desired) until it is smooth. Pour mixture over the rice krispies and mix together until the rice krispies are well coated. Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

While the Karo Syrup and sugar are dissolving put the Chocolate Chips and butterscotch chips in a microwave safe bowl and warm them up until they are completely melted. The trick to not scorching the chocolate is to only do it in 1 - 2 minute increments and stir inbetween each minute.

Spread over the top and WHALLAH, you are done.

It is easiest to cut them when they are warm. You can wait until the chocolate is more solid to eat them or just eat them warm. My kids usually can't wait.

Eagle Brand Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I was looking for a good recipe for a Young Women activity and this one popped up. I don't think you can ever go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.

EAGLE BRAND CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Ingredients
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter

Directions

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until dough resembles fine crumbs. Stir in peanuts. Set aside 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture.
2.Stir egg into remaining crumb mixture. Press on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
3.In small bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter until well combined. Pour evenly over crust.
4.Stir together reserved crumb mixture and chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly over peanut butter layer. Bake 15 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 344 | Total Fat: 16.3g | Cholesterol: 35mg

Herb Chicken Marinade

We just got back from a trip to Utah for EFY training and we were able spend some time with our dear friends Willard and Dawn Gummersall. Every time we go there we are treated to great company and amazing food. She is a fenominal cook. I got this recipe from her.

HERB CHICKEN MARINADE

3/4 c. Miracle Whip
1/4 c. grape juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions
2 tsp. basil leaves crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinate for 4 hours and grill

This is SO good.

Spinach Crescents

I haven't tried this recipe yet but it looks like it would be a great way to have the kids eat some spinach because they LOVE crescent rolls.

SPINACH CRESCENTS

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 pkg (10 ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tsp light olive oil or canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pkg (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the almonds. Add spinach, Parmesan cheese, onion, oil, salt and pepper; cover and process until well blended. Unroll and separate the crescent dough into eight pieces.

Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough to within 1/8 in. of edge. Roll up and place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.