Mom's Banana Bread

This is my Mama's own special recipe and is truly the best banana bread ever! I guarantee it will make your house smell warm and cozy, just like it did for me. It is so moist and delicious! My Mom may be all the way in FL, but making this recipe and smelling the familiar bread, sure made me feel closer to her! Thanks, Ma, for sharing your wonderful recipe with me and everyone else who views this! Here is one of my favorite pictures of us (from my wedding):

Adapted from my Mom's kitchen

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk or regular milk (I used 1 % milk)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used apple cider vinegar)
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup crisco all-vegetable shortening, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups well ripened bananas, mashed (about 3-4)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small box instant banana cream dry pudding mix (Mom's secret ingredient!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired (I omitted this)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat bundt or loaf pan with butter/flour baking spray. Whisk first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate cup, combine milk and lemon juice and set aside. Let sit a few minutes; this will appear to look curdled after sitting, this is fine.

In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, spices and vanilla. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, alternating with the shortening. Blend together with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add milk mixture, eggs and dry pudding mix; blend well for 2 minutes. This is what will help keep the bread nice and fluffy!

Once mixed well, stir in the chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired, and also sprinkle some in the bottom of the bundt pan. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on rack then turn out of pan and continue to let cool. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, if desired. Keep covered or store in fridge if warm weather.

New Pie Plate & Measuring Utensils!

Our friends at Thanksgiving loved my vegan pumpkin pie so much, they requested it again for Christmas! I made the pie again, but this time I had my awesome new pie plate that I got from TPOX! I am loving it so I just had to take a picture. 

P.S. Don't let the cracks fool you...this is a fabulous vegan pumpkin pie, cracks and all!! :) Recipe here.

Husband got me a few things for Christmas, including these awesome measuring spoons and cups. They are exactly what I wanted so I was totally excited to find them under the Christmas tree! Don't they look great with my KA mixer?? ;)

Soy Nog Cupcakes

Soy Nog is definitely a favorite of vegans and I am no exception. I love the stuff! So, when I saw a recipe for eggnog cupcakes on Annie's blog, I knew immediately that I wanted to try it out with the soy nog. I am so glad I did because these turned out perfectly! So moist and delicious with a great rum/nog flavor but not too much. This was one of three desserts that I brought along for our holiday celebration and I think it was my favorite! I will be making these each year at the holidays, I am sure of it. Vegan or not, you are sure to love these cupcakes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats


Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
1/4 cup dark rum
1 cup Silk soy nog
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened
3 tablespoons Silk soy nog
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 (or more) cups confectioners sugar

ground cinnamon and/or nutmeg
cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix together the rum, soy nog, oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, mix together the nutmeg, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide evenly between prepared muffin tins. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter, soy nog, rum, nutmeg and confectioners sugar. Add in more confectioners sugar if needed to make the frosting stiff, but spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or nutmeg and garnish with a cinnamon stick.