SMiLes by Meg

Tag: banana

Banana, Date and Walnut Tin Can Cake

This is a recipe I’ve been excited to make since getting the Sweet by Ottolenghi cookbook. I started saving tin cans as soon as I saw it, and finally had an extra banana and some time to give it a go. And I’m so glad I did – this is like banana bread but better. There’s banana. There are walnuts. AND THERE ARE DATES. Which I love, and think make all things better. So this one starts by briefly toasting the walnuts. Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. …

Granola Bars

Sometimes, when I lost track of time, I realize two days before I’m going on vacation that I don’t have a recipe lined up for the weekend. Occasionally, I get lucky and already have something saved that I can post. But most of the time I have to scramble and see what I can find that is fast and doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store. This recipe hits both of those requirements: It takes less than 30 minutes to put together, and as long as you have some staples on hand, you can probably find some granola at …

Chocolate Banana Pecan Cookies

Do you work with me? If so, these cookies will be in the kitchen tomorrow morning, and you should definitely try to get there before they’re gone. Plus, with banana as the first ingredient, they’re basically breakfast cookies. I’ve been at work for about a week and a half now, and still haven’t brought in any baked goods. It’s very unlike me, really. So hopefully this recipe makes up for it. They’re gooey, chocolatey, crunchy, and just a little banana-y, which is a combination I’ve never really thought of putting in cookie form. Fortunately, Ottolenghi did think of it, and …

Banana Muffins

Ever look over at your fruit bowl and realize your bananas have turned almost completely brown before you even had a chance to eat one? Looking for a quick recipe when you don’t necessarily have all of the ingredients on hand for the best banana bread ever? Good news: if you bake (from scratch) ever, you definitely have everything to make these muffins and feel like you didn’t waste food after all.

Best Banana Bread

I’m pretty sure my roommate buys bananas exclusively so that I’ll turn them into banana bread. They sit in our fruit bowl, largely untouched, until there are only three left and they’re all brown. At which point I don’t really have a choice in the matter, since my banana bread recipe just happens to call for exactly three overripe bananas.

Banana Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

For some reason, whenever I’m baking for fellow teacher friends (and the dessert is not going to school), I always turn to my Boozy Baker cookbook. You’ve seen a recipe from it before in my Nightcap Tart. Maybe it’s because it was Friday.  Maybe it’s because I have a pretty well-stocked bar despite not drinking hard liquor.  But I found myself reaching for it again this week after inviting some of those teachers over for a working Friday night.

Banana Bread

This post marks exactly (well, 2 days from exactly) 1 year of SMiLes by Meg.  In deciding what to make to mark this occasion, I wanted to go big.  I wanted to make something that was quintessentially me.  And I wanted it to be crazy complex and impressive to look at and eat.  But then I became paralyzed.  What would I make?  What recipe would fulfill everything I wanted it to do and more?  I couldn’t decide.