Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Bread! ♥

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, grounded
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Beat bananas, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla.
2. Combine the dry ingredients and add into banana mixture.
3. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour into two greased 8-in x 5-in loaf pans.
5. Bake at 350F for 45-55 min or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Easy Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Follow up post to my fondue party!

For those of us that don't have a double-boiler, a very basic chocolate fondue, the college way aka microwave style.

Popular Dippers:

2 pints of Strawberries

Pretzels rods (especially good with toasted coconut)

Oreo Cookies

Bananas

Graham Crackers

Marshmallows

Popcorn

Pineapple Chunks

Potato Chips, ridged

Ingredients:

2 cups (12-oz pkg.) of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup of heavy cream

2 tbsp of butter

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.

3. Microwave on at high power for about 1 minute.

4. Take out and stir (it will look lumpy but keep stirring)*.

5. Put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.

6. Stir until smooth (if it still looks lumpy put it in the microwave for another 20)*

7. Set the pot over a candle or canned heat and serve hot with dipping items.

(Optional) Pour into cute ceramic hershey kiss fondue warmer

*all microwaves are different, it's best to make to microwave less as chocolate burns easily and milk forms a film if over heated

Additional ingredients you could add are 2 tbsp of Cognac, liqueur, or brandy.

I also love using some of this sauce for sundaes!

Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie ♥ Deep Dish

Happy July 4th!! Where would I be if I didn't bake a Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie for America's Birthday! And Deep Dish Mind you. Not the prettiest picture, but certainly delish! ♥

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, chopped
3 eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup corn syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Bake crust in preheated oven 5 minutes.
3. Remove to rack and cool completely before filling.
4. Sprinkle the pecans evenly on the bottom of the cooled pie shell and set aside.
5. Beat softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
6. Add in cocoa and salt and espresso powder
7. Add eggs in one at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth.
8. Pour in corn syrup and mix until thick and custard-like.
9. Pour mixture over pecans in pie shell.
10. Let stand 5 minutes; clear any remaining air bubbles by running a fork though.
11. Bake in oven for 45-55min or until edges pie center still only gives slightly.
12. Remove from oven
13. Cool on rack before serving (apx. 15min).

Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Easiest recipe you'll find and it only requires TWO ingredients!! Strawberries & Chocolate!

Baker's Dipping Chocolate to be exact, they come in a 7 oz microwave-safe container with classic flavors as Dark, Milk, and White Chocolate. Sometimes you can find it in a store brand and chocolate is chocolate so why not save a dollar, it's college! Dorm approved! No mess, no fuss, just delicious!

Ingredients:
Baker's Dipping Chocolate (or any brand)
1 pint of strawberries (varies, depend on how much chocolate you use)

Directions:
1. Wash strawberries, and be sure to dry them off completely! Otherwise the chocolate won't stick to the strawberries :(
2. Microwave dipping chocolate as directed on package.
3. Dip strawberries, place on a plate for 1-2 minute for it to harden (plastic wrap does make the clean-up easier).
4. Serve and enjoy!

If you have leftovers, which I never do, let remaining chocolate cool then cover with the lid and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups of oatmeal, grounded

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 a stick of butter

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and butter cupcake pan.

2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl beat eggs, then stir in bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon juice.

4. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

5. Fold in in chocolate chips.

6. Fill muffin pan cups 2/3 full.

7. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned.

8. Remove muffins from pan, cool on wired rack.

Benanna chocolate oatmeal chip cookies!! ♥

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 stick of butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats, grounded
2 cup (12oz-pkg) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Cream together bananas, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. 

3. Sift in the flour, powder, soda and salt. 

4. Mix together dry and wet ingredients.

5. Scoop a spoonful 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly golden.

7. Remove immediately from baking sheets onto wired rack.

Espresso Double Shot Brownies!! midterms week ♥ good luck!

Need a shot of esspresso but Starbucks is closed? Solution! I've created Espresso Double Shot Brownies!! midterms week ♥ good luck!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of espresso powder (2 packets of VIA)
1 1/4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cups of AP flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
1⁄4 cup water
2 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8x8" baking pan with butter.
3. Bring 1⁄4 cup water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan. Whisk in espresso; let dissolve. Whisk together espresso, beans, 1 cup sugar, chocolate chips, flour, oil, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and eggs in a bowl.
4. Pour batter into pan; spread evenly. Bake until set, 45–50 minutes. Let cool slightly.