A New Standard

Uh oh. I think I've created a new monster, and it's still in my house! Two thirds of these new fruit and nut bar "cakes" may be wrapped up tight in Cling Wrap and foil, but they still call out. I guess this is what happens when you create something, maybe just out of boredom or to use up leftover ingredients (guilty!) and it turns out magnificently. Andrew gave into the pleas of the pan (even with a stomach bursting with sushi from our New Year's Eve dinner) and actually hovered over my shoulder as I was cutting them.

"I'll have one tomorrow, or maybe closer to midnight."

Blink once, full pan, blink twice - two squares gone!

"These are my favourite thing you've ever baked me, Sar" (through a full mouth and "yummy sounds"), "they're better than good.". This is high praise anyways... but he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth so I definitely know when I've hit on a winner!


Well, okay honey, if you really mean that - they're easier to make than your 21st birthday cake and cheaper than cheesecake, at any rate!


Like I said, these came about from a desire to use up some very black bananas, sparked by a blog post that I can no longer find and at any rate heavily modified! In addition to the ingredients I have in my "official" recipe, I figured I would toss in some leftover walnuts and raisins from our Christmas morning brioche. The honey has such a rich sweetness that not much is needed and the bars bake up thin and chewy... though if you're looking for cakey bars put the batter in a 9" pan and play with the baking time a bit.


Honey - Banana Bars
Makes 24
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
½ cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla
3 large over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup each Thompson raisins and chopped walnuts (optional - add 17 calories and 1g fat to each serving if using)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease and flour a 9×13” pan.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
5. Beat in honey, milk, vanilla and mashed bananas.
6. Gently mix in the dry ingredients.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 100.3
Total Fat: 4.0 g
Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
Sodium: 30.5 mg
Total Carbs: 15.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 1.1 g