Double Banana Pie Krispie Treats #SundaySupper

Sometimes I'm amused by the food "jags" I go on as a cook. Usually it's because I'll be fixated on one ingredient, trying to use up the last of a bag or carton or what have you, and I'll be inspired by so many things (spotted on Pinterest, food photo feeds, TV and even in magazines and books) that I wind up buying more of that key ingredient to try as many as I can!

This happened to me most recently with my bag of brown rice cereal. I had a tiny bit left over from the Grown - Up Crispy Treats and was browsing my way around the 'net when all my senses were struck dumb by Mallow and Co.'s Chocolate Covered Banana Rice Krispy Treats. Even though I'm not a fan of banana pudding (my dad ironically loves it, especially mixed with butterscotch), I love the idea of melding the crisp airiness of the standard cereal with the creamy custard mix, and topping it all with a thick schmear of chocolate never hurts. For a bit of extra texture and flavour, I tossed in some home-dried bananas, and wound up thinning the marshmallow mixture with a splash of milk (not surprising, since my marshmallows were rather dried-out). Spread thick with a milk chocolate coating, they looked every bit as innocuous as their standard Krispie cousins - but the first bite screams otherwise! They're sophisticated enough for adults but simple enough for the youngest child, bringing everyone together for the experience.

We're crunching our way though #SundaySupper this week from granola to salads, courtesy of Susan. There's no shortage of texture with these entries! 

Crispy Appetizers:
Bitterballen from The Urban Mrs.
Caprese Wontons from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner
Crispy Broccoli Cheddar Bites  from Curious Cuisiniere
Waldorf Salad from Noshing With The Nolands

 Crunchy Entrees and Sides:
Crunchy Baked Chicken with Homemade Shake and Bake  from Growing Up Gabel
Crunchy Crusted Chicken Strips with Chipotle Honey Mustard from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure
Flautas de Rajas con Queso (Cheesy Poblano Pepper Taquitos) from La Cocina de Leslie
Penny’s Taco Salad from Webicurean
Popcorn Chowder from The ROXX Box
Rosemary Garlic Croutons on layered Savoy Cabbage Soup from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Strawberry and Mozzarella Flatbread from Family Foodie

Munch on Snacks:
Crunchy & Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Granola from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Crunchy Granola Bars (Better than Nature Valley) from Shockingly Delicious
Crunchy Pumpkin Pie Spice Roasted Chickpeas from Daily Dish Recipes
Duck Fat Chex Mix from The Texan New Yorker
Easy Vegan Granola from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Fried Veg Momos with Cheese Recipe from Masala Herb
How to Make Homemade Sweet and Salty Trail Mix from  Neighborfood
Orange Spiced Cashews from Hip Foodie Mom
Peanut and Pretzel Popcorn Balls from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Hezzi-D’s Cooks and Books
Slow Cooker Bar-B-Q Party Mix from Hot Mamma’s Kitchen Chaos
Sourdough Grissini from girlichef
Spicy Lentil Crackers from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pepitas from Alida’s Kitchen
Sweet Potato Chips from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Unbaked Healthy Oatmeal Sesame Bars from My Trials In The Kitchen
Vanilla Almonds from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Crisp Dessert:
Boo Berry Cereal Treats from Pies and Plots
Choco-Caramel Squares from Basic N Delicious
Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Rice Krispie Treats from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Chocolate Pecan Biscotti from The Food Army Wife
Cookie Brittle from Juanita’s Cocina
Double Banana Pie Krispie Treats from What Smells So Good?
Honeycomb Crunch Candy from Food Lust People Love
Momofuku Chocolate Chip Cornflakes Cookies from Ninja Baking
Nutty Wedges with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream from Magnolia Days
Salted Caramel Cashew Cookies from Mess Makes Food

 

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking: Sunday Supper Movement.

How do you like to add crispy crunch to your lunch (or supper)?

Fruity Ricotta Chocolate Cake

I'll let you in on a secret - I hate mixing fruit and "other flavours". To me, I'm totally good with an apple, peach, plum or orange all on its own, mixed berries or chopped pineapple in a bowl and even scooping mango or kiwi out of its skin. But unless it's a piece of my mom's apple pie or squares or a warm slab of banana bread, I generally avoid adding things to it (and don't get me started on fruit salad! That one's a texture thing). Food combining aficionados love me.

That said, my mom and grandma love mixing fruit with stuff, especially chocolate. My mom's favourite stocking stuffer is a Dark Terry's Chocolate Orange, and my grandma's weakness is chocolate-dipped berries and cocoa-banana smoothies. The stylists I bring treats to every time I go for a haircut like anything chocolate, so I always know where to look for inspiration!

A while back I made a good deal of creamy Richer Ricotta after buying a few cartons of half & half on sale on a whim. Around the same time, I came into a basket of mixed blackberries and raspberries which I originally was going to put in a pie... until Mom started mixing a handful of them and a scoop of ricotta with her yoghurt pudding at night. For some reason, that became a "lightbulb" moment for me, and I immediately zipped over onto Pinterest where I knew I had saved a chocolate and berry cake made with ricotta cheese.

A brief scan of Playful Cooking's recipe and a few tweaks later (namely adding whole grains, using Pure Via Granular Stevia for half the sugar and making my version an eggless one), a decadent mixture of ingredients found their way into the oven. While it was baking away, I whipped up some Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting and let it chill while the cake cooled.

Even without frosting, I could tell this cake was going to be a big hit - it was tender and moist without being soggy or dense, had a finely textured crumb speckled with berries and a present but not dominant sweetness. I was surprised that it was tempting even me, given that not only was it a fruity "quad-fecta" (banana, applesauce, blackberries and raspberries) but it was a fruit medley with chocolate and "other stuff"). My mom swiped my trimmings as I was frosting and cutting the cake and declared I was playing favourites by giving it to the girls at the salon and not her!

Strawberry Rubies #12WksXmasTreats

Yikes! Is it already time for the pre-holiday planning and cooking to start? Apparently it is - there's only 12 weeks until the real crunch begins and I am not going to let myself fall victim to the mad hordes at the mall. Like last year, the bulk of my gifts are going to be homemade preserves, pastas, bakes and spice/drink mixes - both because I'm trying to save money (being unemployed at the moment) and because it's been my experience that people truly welcome a jar, box or bag of homemade treats that were made with love.

Because I am giving most of these as gifts, I am more than willing to splurge on quality for the main ingredients. For these French-inspired, whole strawberries preserved in a caramel-like sugar syrup, it meant local, taste-tested fruit and vanilla-bean infused sugar. I discovered the recipe for the gem-like preserve (aptly named Strawberry Rubies) in a well-worn library copy of Food for Friends: Homemade Gifts for Every Season by Sally Pasley Vargas, and while it's a bit of a process (albeit a mostly inactive one of waiting) the result is more than worth it. Because I only had enough perfect, tiny berries for a quarter batch, I knew I'd be saving the recipe for next year's harvest!

I'm so glad to be participating again this year in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted at Meal Planning Magic - whether you need inspiration for your own table or for tucking into the holiday baskets of your nearest and dearest, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy! We're even set up on Pinterest - come join the over 2400 followers and see what's in store!

Blueberry Pomegranate Butter: Toast Topper #32

I love being able to blend the seasons when I'm making a recipe if I know that the result won't become a muted, muddled mess. Whether it's Winter figs and Spring strawberries, Fall carrots and early Summer radishes or this mixture of wild Summer blueberries and Winter pomegranate juice, the quality and longevity of the ingredients matters as much as what you do with them. I find some of the best applications to be preserves and sauces, especially those with berries, because their whole purpose is to be a flavourful creation for your morning bagel, and berries are freezer-stable enough that they can be found year round with all the flavour of fresh.

When I pulled my bag of locally harvested wild blueberries out of the freezer, my initial idea was to simply remake the Blueberry Butter from last year to include in a gift basket I was putting together. That's when I remembered that I had some pomegranate juice and lemons in the fridge, and on a whim I zested a lemon and added it with the juice to the pot along with the berries, apples, sugar and spices. I had forgotten how delicious the original smelled as it was cooking, but was soon reminded as the mixture simmered away. I made sure to save myself a little to taste before canning the rest, and immediately knew I had to make another batch ASAP to play with in the kitchen!

Shared with Marvelous Mondays

Maple Syrup Pumpkin Bars for a Fall #SundaySupper

Happy Autumn! The new season officially begins today at 4:44 P.M EDT, and to me that signals the arrival of not only colourful leaves and cooler weather, but the warmth and coziness of the kitchen heating up again. No longer is it too ridiculously hot and humid out to fire up the oven and stove, or break out the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, and while the cherries and blueberries that filled our bowls in July and August are gone for another year, the apples, figs, pumpkin and squash are starting to arrive.

I was actually surprised that I've made a few pumpkin desserts this year already - not due to their seasonality (since canned pumpkin and apples are essentially seasonless) but because the smell of cooking pumpkin and squash is absolutely stomach-turning to me. I was never a fan of eating pumpkin pie (though I do like pumpkin pancakes and doughnuts), but I've been told I make a mighty fine one. However, once it (or anything with Winter squash) is in the oven, I have to set my kitchen timer, take it with me and retreat to the far side of the house. I'm probably the only one with this weird issue, but there you are!

Anyways, these bars taste fantastic, regardless of their aroma when baking - in fact, I'd venture to say they're better chilled (or frozen, ice-cream sandwich style) and topped with a scoop of frozen yoghurt and maple syrup. Not only are they refined sugar free (thank you, Canadian maple syrup and maple sugar!) but they're also eggless - creating a rich, dense and fudgy cake that makes a great base for toppings (like I mentioned before) or, with a half teaspoon of extra baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda added and caked in a 9" springform, turns into a "snacking cake" or coffee cake perfect for any Fall breakfast table.

This week's #SundaySupper is a testament to the flavours of Fall. From apples and pumpkin to dates, sweet potatoes mushrooms and kale, the cooler weather won't make a dent in your home with all these warming treats to keep you cozy! This event is being hosted by Soni of Soni's Food. Thanks Soni!

Amazing Breakfasts, Brunches, and Breads

• Apple Spice Muffins from Pixie Dust Kitchen
• Skinny Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Donuts with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze from The Messy Baker
• Apple Spice Waffles from Treats and Trinkets
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
• Mini Pumpkin Pancake Kebobs from The Urban Mrs.
• Mini Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cinnamon Apple Crepes from Juanita's Cocina
• Maple Apple Bread from The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Ale Pretzel Buns from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Outstanding Soups, Starters and Sides:

• Bacon, Corn and Shrimp Chowder from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Pumpkin Tomato Sauce with Andouille Sausage from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Parmesan Polenta from That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Farro Date Salad with Mango and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Butternut Squash Tian with Herb Topping from Food Lust People Love
• Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup from Alida's Kitchen

Comforting Main Dishes:

• Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries from Momma's Meals
• Mushroom and Sorrel Lasagne from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Roasted Fig & Pancetta Pasta Carbonara from Nik Snacks
• Chili from Casa De Crews
• Vegan Mushroom Pie from Killer Bunnies Inc
• White Pizza with Kale and Meatballs from The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
• Spicy Korean Monkfish Stew (Agu Jjim) from kimchi MOM
• Creole Shrimp & Cheddar Basil Grits Cake from The Roxx Box
• Penne with Spicy Pumpkin and Sausage Sauce from Webicurean
• Bacon Spinach Pasta from Magnolia Days
• Chicken, Spinach, and Gnocchi Soup from Cookin' Mimi
• Stuffed Meatballs in Tomato Alfredo Sauce from Family Foodie
• Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie from Curious Cuisiniere
• Mini Meatball and Goat Cheese Risotto from MarocMama
• Onion Tart {Zwiebelkuchen} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Neighborfood

Decadent Desserts:

• Pumpkin Marshmallows from Home Cooking Memories
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars from Table for Seven
• Apple Cider Five Spice Caramels from girlichef
• Italian Apple Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Apple Fig and Pomegranate Crisp from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Caramel Apple Sugar Cookie Pizza from Chocolate Moosey
• Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Walnut Crumble from Gotta Get Baked
• Camotes Enmielados (Mexican Candied Yams/Sweet Potatoes) from La Cocina de Leslie
• Maple Syrup Pumpkin Bars from What Smells So Good?
• Pear Almond Graham Cracker Tart from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Walnut-Stuffed Baked Apples from Foxes Loves Lemons
• Buttery Bourbon Ice Cream from NinjaBaking
• Caramel Apples from Pies and Plots
• Funnel Cakes from The Texan New Yorker
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from In The Kitchen With KP
• {Gluten-Free} Pumpkin Swirl Pecan Crumb Cake from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Chocolate Pumpkin Swiss Roll Cake from Big Bear's Wife
• Hot Apple Pizza from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Savory & Sweet Coconut Cream Salted Caramel Apples from Sue's Nutrition Buzz

Tasty Drinks:

• Pumpkin Juice - Harry Potter Style from The Dinner-Mom
• The Best Wines for Fall Foods from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Don’t forget to join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EDT. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here