Desserts for Dudes : Caramel Banana Shortcakes

 
Is it just the men in my family, or do the men in your family love desserts with fruit?

These caramel banana shortcakes are easy, delicious...and a little less "girly" than a strawberry shortcake. Plus there's no line of dolls called "Caramel Banana Shortcake."

There's a cinnamon-buttermilk shortcake, split in two, filled with warm banana-studded caramel sauce, and topped with a brown sugar whipped cream. Yeah, it's good.

Wanna make 'em for your dude?

Caramel Banana Shortcakes
{adapted from an ancient edition of the Dallas Morning News, makes 6}

shortcakes:

2 and 1/3 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. milk (plus more if needed)
1/2 c. mashed banana
1 TBSP melted butter

filling:
16 ounces caramel sauce/topping
2-3 medium bananas, sliced

brown sugar whipped cream:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425.

Place a mixer bowl and attachment in the freezer. 

Stir together the baking mix, cinnamon, milk, bananas and melted butter.  Add more milk a tablespoon at a time, if needed, until the dough comes together.  (The dough will be sticky.)

Turn the dough out on a surface coated with baking mix.  Knead 10 times and pat into a 1/2 thick disc.  Cut with a 3-inch circle cookie cutter, pull away the excess dough to make picking the biscuits up off the counter easier. (Dip the cookie cutter in baking mix to prevent sticking.) Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until done.  Remove to a cooling rack and let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the caramel sauce over low heat.  A few minutes before assembling the shortcakes, gently stir in the sliced bananas.

Make the whipped cream by beating the cream and brown sugar in the chilled bowl.  Beat on high just until stiff peaks form.


Split the shortcake in half.  Place the bottom half on a plate, cover with the banana-caramel sauce.  Top with the second shortcake half and dollop on the whipped cream.  Drizzle on a bit of caramel sauce.  Enjoy!

 
What desserts do your dudes love?

Desserts for Dudes : Fried Chicken Cookies !

So, here's our family chicken story.....

You know how we all ask questions to little kids, like, "What's your favorite color?" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Well, kiddo was about 6 or 7 and a friend was asking him all of these questions....

She got to "What's your FAVORITE food?"  I'm pretty sure he said Skittles.  Next, she asked, "What do you think is the GROSSEST food?"

A horrified look crossed his face, he shivered a little, and said:
"Chicken....with the BONE in it."

Apparently, a kid in his class had a lot of leftover fried chicken in his lunchbox and our little sheltered kiddo had spent all his life (well, 6 years) eating boneless chicken breast.

So, that's our chicken story. 

Kiddo aside, I think meat on the bone is definitely MAN FOOD. Not that I'm opposed to a giant turkey leg at the Renaissance Festival, but I sure don't feel ladylike eating it. ;)

Maybe you'll want to make some fried chicken leg cookies for your man for Father's day.  They're really simple...let me show you how.

Psst...this is the secret ingredient...


Here's what you'll need:

• chicken leg shaped cookies (I used a template)
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Gold mixed with Chocolate Brown, and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• #3 icing tip
• toothpicks
• small paintbrush
• cornflakes
• and, optional, a KFC bucket :) 

 
With a #3 tip, outline the chicken leg in black. I used a #3 tip because I really wanted the outline to show.

Thin the white & brown/gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

 
Flood the chicken leg with the thinned icings.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners and edges and to pop and air bubbles.
 

Let sit overnight.


The next day, mix 1/2 teaspoon meringue powder with 1/2 teaspoon of water.  With a small paintbrush, brush the mixture onto the "meat" part of the chicken.  Sprinkle on crushed cornflakes.  Press lightly to adhere.


Let dry for 15-30 minutes.  Pop into a bucket from KFC...they'll sell you an empty for only 25 cents!


You know what would be really good with fried chicken cookies?  Mashed potato cupcakes! ;)

{Oh! And speaking of meat on a stick, I'm in LOVE with these corndog cookies from Munchkin Munchies!}

Make 'em for your favorite dude!

Desserts for Dudes : Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

If you happened to pop by Bake at 350 last June, you may have noticed that the entire month was declared "Desserts for Dudes month."  Well, I kinda dropped the ball this year, but I'm going to sprinkle this June with "Desserts for Dudes" every now and then.

Chocolate + Peanut Butter.  Dudes love it.
{OK, chicks love it, too....but let's focus on the dudes.}

I actually had a dream about these brownies last week.  It's apparently not enough that I think about food every minute of every WAKING hour....now I'm starting to DREAM about recipes.  Hey...that's a-ok with me!  It beats my reoccurring nightmare of forgetting to wear makeup to my own wedding. 

These brownies are super easy to make and they are super rich to eat.  And they are super quick to make me want to burn my bathing suit.

For the brownies, you'll just need a box of Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix (the BEST boxed brownie mix EVER), and...

...Nutter Butters.

Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

1 box Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
9 Nutter Butter cookies

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray or lightly grease an 8 x 8 metal pan.

Follow the instructions on the box by mixing the brownie mix, water, oil and egg just until combined.

 Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan.  Add 8 Nutter Butter cookies on top.


Add the remaining batter on top and smooth with an offset spatula.  Place one cookie on top.


Bake for 39-43 minutes.  The brownies may look under-baked, but will be fully cooked as they cool.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache
{adapted from The Culinary Life)

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 & 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural Super Chunk...'cause I like to say "super chunk")
pinch coarse salt

Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.

 
Combine the cream, peanut butter and salt over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Increase the heat to medium-low and, stirring constantly,  heat until bubbles form along the edges of the pan.


Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes.  {See how the chips look all melty?}


Gently whisk the chocolate chips until the mixture is shiny and combined. Over-whisking will cause the ganache to look bubbly and grainy, so stop once combined.


Let the ganache sit to thicken up to spreading consistency.  If you're in a hurry, place the bowl of ganache over a bowl of ice water.  Stir every 15-20 minutes or so until thickened.


This is called and "ice bath."  And with temperatures reaching 100 already, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Spread the ganache over the brownies with an offset spatula.  Hide the leftover ganache in the fridge...in the BACK of the fridge, because you'll be tempted to eat it all with a spoon.

Here's what kiddo said upon finishing his....
"That is the best dessert I've ever eaten. I'll be dreaming about that for the rest of my life."

See?  Desserts for Dudes! ;) 

{If you like Nutter Butters, be sure to try Homemade Nutter Butters! They're dreamy, too.}

I'm linking these to my friend Cheryl's "I'm Lovin' It" party.

It was an . . .

...itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikini!

I thought we'd finish off Desserts for Dudes month by giving the guys a little eye candy cookie.

As Mr. E probably has guessed, this is as close to a bikini as I'm getting in this lifetime (or the next).  Enjoy, honey.

The bikini cookies are really simple  I outlined and filled in yellow royal icing; I used a combination of AmeriColor Lemon Yellow & Egg Yellow for this color.  The dots were dropped on while the yellow icing was still wet.  (A video of this technique is available here.)

To make the palm trees:

• Using #2 tips, outline the branches in green and the trunk in brown royal icing (AmeriColor Avocado and Leaf Green mixed, AmeriColor Chocolate Brown). 
• Thin the royal icing with water to the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.
• Stir gently with a rubber spatula to break any air bubbles that have risen to the surface.  Transfer to squeeze bottles.

• Fill in the trunk of the tree in brown.
• Fill in the leaves in green.

• After 1 hour or so, add the details to the truck in piping consistency royal icing, using a #2 tip.
• Let dry overnight.

• Prepare a "sanding sugar station."  You'll need:

1. meringue powder mixed with an equal amount water
2. sanding sugar
3. small paint brush
4. coffee filter

• Paint the meringue powder/water mixture over the edge of the cookie.
• Holding the cookie over the coffee filter, sprinkle on the sanding sugar. Shake off excess onto the filter.  
• Use the filter as a funnel to refill container of sanding sugar.

So, what did you guys think of Desserts for Dudes month?  I'll tell you our favorites:

• beer and hot dog cookies
• mocha toffee-crunch terrine
• Darth Vader cookies
• zucchini spice cupcakes

Alrighty...Desserts for Dudes month is officially over.  Bring on the pink and sprinkles!

Kiddo in the Kitchen : Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

Desserts for Dudes

I don't know about you, but when kiddo and I go to the farmer's market, our minds turn to big, farm-fresh salads cupcakes.  I'm pretty sure he chose this recipe so that zucchini I bought wouldn't show up on his dinner plate.

{Don't worry...I'll torture him with the tomatoes.}

The cupcake and frosting recipes come from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. We halved the recipe (I really don't need 24 cupcakes sitting around the house). 

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes
{modified from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes}

1 and 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 egg, room temp.
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 and 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Whisk together the flour through cloves.  In another bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and zest.  Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth.

Stir in the zucchini.  Add the flour mixture just until combined; stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter evenly between the cups.  Bake, rotating halfway through, about 20-24 minutes.  Cupcakes will spring back when lightly toughed in the center and a toothpick should come out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove cupcake to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

{Aren't they pretty? I'm thinking we could stop here and call them muffins. But, we won't.}

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
6 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to low, and1/2 c. sugar and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and combined.  Add the remaining sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth.

Now it's time to frost the cupcakes...

Kiddo said he wanted to try piping instead of spreading the icing.

 

He did a really great job...and I couldn't get enough of watching him. 

These cupcakes are wonderful...moist and full of flavor.  And, you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting!  We think you'll like them!

 The verdict?

Here...we saved one for you....

{OH! I almost forgot....there are a couple new videos over at University of Cookie.  Be sure to check how the method TidyMom uses to roll her cookie dough.  Genius!}