Banana Whoopie Pies

Ingredients: 

Banana Whoopie Pie:

• 1 lb. (about 4) bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, ONLY IF buttercream is too thick

Instructions:

Banana Whoopie Pie:

MAKES 24. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Peel and mush bananas with a fork until there are only a few small lumps. Blend together the lemon juice and the banana with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla into the banana mixture. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. 

Using a pastry bag or  plastic dip lock with a hole, squeeze the banana whoopee pie mixture onto the pan with a 2 inch diameter. Leave at least an in between each banana circle. Immediately put the whoopee pies into the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool completely. 

Vanilla Buttercream:
Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until there are no chunks. Slowly, with the mixer on a low speed add the powdered sugar, very slowly. Increase the speed of the electric mixer and add the vanilla. Once the entire mix is well combined, continue to mix the buttercream for 2 more minutes to get the light and fluffy effect. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now if the buttercream is too thick add only 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired thickness is achieved. If the buttercream is too think and liquidly add more powdered sugar gradually until thickened.

Assembly:
To fill the whoopie pies turn half of them over. Using a pastry bag, pipe a good amount of Vanilla Buttercream into the center of each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies and slightly push down.

Banana Bread Bars With Brown Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1 1/2  cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups (3 or 4) ripe or browning bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup butter boiled to turned brown

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-5 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375º. Grease and flour a 15 by 10 inch jelly roll pan. 

Banana Bread Bars:

In a large bowl mix together sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Mush bananas with a fork until no lumps. Add in the bananas and vanilla extract to the sour cream mixture. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, blend for at least a minute. Pour the banana bread mixture into the 15 by 10 inch pan and let bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Brown Butter Frosting:

While the banana bread is cooking, start the brown butter frosting. Bring butter to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Let boil until butter turns just brown. Take right off the stove top after the butter turns brown, you don't want to burn the butter. (read on)

Butter Boiling

Butter Browned

Frosting Continued…. : 

With an electric mixer add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and  2 tablespoons of milk. Mix for an additional 2 minutes to make frosting completely combined. If the frosting is too think add another tablespoon of milk, and add one more if it is still to thick.

Spread the frosting on to the cooled banana bread. Cut about 32 big bars. If you want to frost like i did, cut the bars first and then frost. Use a piping bag or a plastic bag with a small hole cut at the corner to create the look i did!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:
Muffin:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed well
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Brown Sugar Topping: 

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temp

Preheat oven to 375º. Line 10 to 12 muffin cups with muffin paper or grease. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Slowly stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moist. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cup and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon mixing with a fork. Once mixed, start cutting in small pieces of the room temp butter. continue to mix and mash with a fork until butter is well distributed. (if butter is still a little clumy, it will melt in oven.) Sprinkle the brown sugar topping over each of the unbaked muffins. Bake for 18 to 20  minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.