Best Ever Banana Bread

This recipie makes the very best banana bread and it's easy.

2 c. sugar
1 c. butter (NOT margerine)
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs

Cream butter and sugar untill fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Spoon into 2 greased bread pans. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Remove, let cool, and enjoy!

*I like to wait untill my bananas are REALLY ripe, almost disgusting looking. To me it brings out more of the flavor. But don't let them sit till juices are running out, that is TOO ripe!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 TB baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Large ripe bananas mashed
1 C milk
3/4 Cup Peanut butter
3 Tb oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 6 oz bag of milk chocolate chips

Stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add mashed bananas, milk, PB , oil, vanilla and egg. Stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into two greased 8 x 4 loaf pans.

Bake in 350 oven for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool thoroughly on wire cooling rack. Frost when cooled.

FROSTING: In a small saucepan melt 3 TB Peanut better and 2 TB margarine. Remove and add 1 C powdered sugar and 1 tsp pvanilla. Stir in 1 TB milk. Spread on top of loaf.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

• 1 loaf French Bread, unsliced
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (it doesn't really take this much, it just depends on how buttery you like it)
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat over to 375. Cut slices down the length of the bread loaf @ 1 inch intervals, without cutting all the way through the bottom.
2. Rub slices and top of loaf with cut sides of garlic halves. Then mince the garlic
3. Combine butter, garlic, parsley and Parmesan in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture between bread slices and on top of loaf.
4. Wrap bread in foil, leaving top partially uncovered. Bake until heated through, about 15 min.

This is fast easy and much better than the store bought garlic bread!

Easy French Bread

This bread recipe is super easy and good. I usually use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and the rest white flour.

2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
4 C Flour
1 1/2 C warm water

Add water to sifted dry ingredients. Mix with spoon. Don't knead. Knead w/ spooon every 15 minutes, 5 times. Brush with butter. Rise 35 minutes. Bake 400* for 30 minutes.

Yummy Good Sugar Cookies

A friend of mine (Lynn O.) makes these wonderful, soft, sugar cookies. Mine never turn out as good as hers but I have included her notes below. Enjoy!

1/2 C shortening

1/2 C butter or margarine

1 C sugar

1 egg

2 TBSP milk

Mix until creamy. Add:

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 C flour

Mix well. Let chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out on floured board and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350-degrees for 8-10 minutes.

A couple notes from Lynn. "I've tried both the butter and margarine and can't tell too much difference, so whichever you have on hand. The dough is quite soft, so quite a bit of flour while you are rolling it out is helpful. Also, the longer you chill it, the easier it seems to be to roll out, but I've done it in just the hour she recommends, too. And, as far as the baking goes...they ALMOST look like they are not done when you take them out of the oven (not brown on the edges). That's the secret to keeping them nice and soft! Oh, and I usually AT LEAST double this...usually quadruple!"

Hamantaschen Cookie

	1 stick butter, melted
	1/4 cup sugar
	1 egg
	1 tablespoon orange juice
	1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
	1 3/4 cups flour
	1 teaspoon baking powder
	1/4 teaspoon salt
	Jam or preserves

1. Combine the butter and the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well.
2. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and blend until a firm dough forms. Shape it into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill it for 1 hour.
3. Heat the oven to 375°. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 1/8 inch thickness, then cut out 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-inch rounds and place 3/4 teaspoon of jam or preserves in the center of each one.
4. With your finger, dampen the edges of the dough with water, then firmly pinch together the dough in 3 places to form a triangle around the filling.
5. Bake the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen.

My dad and I have always loved the jam filled Peppridge farm cookies and I think that these are a good alternative:)