Turtle Banana Soft Serve

I've been meaning to post this healthy substitute for ice cream for a long time because it's so clever and ingenius. Frozen bananas whipped in a food processor are a blank canvas for whatever ice cream toppings your little heart desires. In my case, it's caramel, chocolate syrup, and toasted pecans.  I love making this when I want something sweet without the guilt. You get the health benefits from bananas but it still tastes indulgent. It doesn't get much simpler or easier than this one!

Turtle Banana Soft Serve
Serves 1
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 frozen bananas
Caramel sauce
Chocolate syrup
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Directions
Break frozen bananas into thirds and peel with a sharp knife (be careful!). 

Place bananas in a food processor set with metal blade and pulse until the bananas are whipped and smooth.

Use a spatula to scoop out the whipped bananas and place into a serving bowl. Drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauce and sprinkle on toasted pecans. 

Brownie Pizza

If this dessert from How Sweet It Is doesn't knock your socks off, then I truly don't know what will. Let's see: brownies covered in cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh strawberries, bananas, toasted coconut, Snickers pieces, and then drizzled with caramel. Are you drooling yet? 

I brought this amazing concoction to one of my school's end of the year meeting as a dish to pass because I have been wanting to make it for a while but needed an occasion to make it for. Also because I didn't want to die from sugar overload. 

This dessert is extremely decadent. Make them for a large crowd, as they are just begging to be shared...and photographed for that matter. I really could not stop taking pictures of these beauties.

Brownie Pizza
From How Sweet It Is 
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 box brownie mix
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup coconut
Caramel sauce for drizzling
12 fun sized candy bars, chopped (Snickers is the best)
2 cups cream cheese frosting

Directions
Prepare brownie mix according to directions. Spread batter on a round pizza pan or on a long baking sheet with edges. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the brownie is baked through. Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Toss frequently until browned. 

Let the brownie cool completely (you can stick it in the refrigerator to speed things up). Spread cream cheese frosting on brownies in a thin layer. 

Add toppings and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Make sure to serve within 24 hours or the bananas will start to brown.

100th Post!! Single Serve Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Wow! So crazy that I'm already at my 100th posting! When I started this blog 8 months ago, in November, 2009 and I had no idea how much I would enjoy it and how much better of a cook I would become as a result. I am having a blast with little past time and I want to thank you reading my blog and supporting me! Here's to another 100 recipes!  Now onto dessert...

A couple of weeks ago I found myself with a leftover loaf of french bread and a hankering for bread pudding. I didn't have enough bread for a full batch of bread pudding, so I decided to scale it down based on three single servings. My Gram Walters made the best bread pudding. It was my dad's favorite thing out of all the countless desserts Gram had in her repertoire. She put raisins in hers, but my hubby won't touch raisins with a ten foot pole and I wanted him to share in the caloric intake so I decided to whip up a caramel sauce instead. I got the idea from my brother in law, Chuck, who makes a bread pudding with croissants and caramel sauce that is out of this world . 


Single Serve Bread Pudding
*Makes three individual portions**
Modified from Cafe Munchkin 
Thanks to Gram and Chuck for the inspiration!

Printable Version

Ingredients
1/3 loaf of french bread
1 cup whipping cream
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
Cut bread into cubes and divide equally into bowls (make sure the bowls are oven proof!). Whisk together all the ingredients for the pudding and pour over the bread pieces until the are submerged. 

Cover with foil and let stand for several hours or overnight if you can wait. (I couldn't!) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bowls in a larger pan with about a half inch of hot water. Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the bread is puffed up and the liquid is absorbed and the tops are just lightly browned. 

Caramel Sauce
From About.com: Southern Food


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup boiling water
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream
Vanilla to taste


Directions
Mix sugar with flour in saucepan; blend well. Add water and salt. Stir while cooking for 6 to 8 minutes. If too thick add a little more water. Remove from heat; stir in butter, cream, and vanilla to taste.