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In the Oven: Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread and Homemade Peanut Butter

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Nine recipes to go in Baked Elements! Sticking with bananas once more, next we’re baking a peanut butter-spiked banana bread. You can make the peanut butter from the book, or use store-bought; go creamy instead of crunchy; or up your game and add even more peanuts. Posting date is August 31!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Yield: One 9-by-5-inch loaf

1 1⁄2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 rounded cup mashed bananas (2 1⁄2 to 3 bananas)
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1⁄4 cup whole milk
1 cup crunchy peanut butter (see page 26)
4 ounces (about 2⁄3 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together 11⁄2 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda.

In another large bowl, whisk together the bananas, oil, eggs, milk, and peanut butter. Toss the chocolate chips in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, then stir the chocolate chips into the banana mixture.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into it. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ever so gently until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

The loaf can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container or wrapped tightly, for up to 3 days.

In the Oven: Chocolate Banana Tart

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Posting date is Aug. 24!

Chocolate Banana Tart

For the Classic Sweet Tart Crust
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Chocolate Ganache Filling
6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), chopped coarsely
6 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, chopped coarsely
2⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Bananas and Caramel
2 ripe bananas
2 1⁄2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream

For the Assembly
1 1⁄2 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon orange juice

Make the Classic Sweet Tart Crust
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat just until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the flour all at once, and beat just until the dough comes together in a ball. Do not overbeat or your crust will be tough.
Remove the dough from the bowl, shape it into a disk with your hands, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10-inch circle about 1⁄4 inch thick. (Note: the dough will be sticky. Make sure to turn it over with a bench knife or offset spatula as needed and keep the work surface floured.)
Ever so gently guide the dough, without pulling it, into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom and lightly press it into place. Roll the rolling pin over the pan to trim off the excess. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill it three-quarters full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool.

Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling
Place the chopped chocolates in a small heatproof bowl (or a large pourable glass measuring cup).
In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream just to boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Add the butter and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated. Set aside to cool.

Make the Bananas and Caramel
Slice the bananas on the diagonal into just-under-1-inch slices.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir (with a rubber spatula) until dissolved. Once the mixture starts to bubble, add the bananas, flat sides down, and cook for about 45 seconds or until browned on the bottom. Then carefully flip the bananas (you might want to use tongs to flip each banana slice individually) and cook on the other side until browned, about 45 seconds. Remove the caramelized banana slices to a plate. Dab the slices with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Add the cream to the pan and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat until the mixture forms a thick caramel sauce, about 2 minutes, then immediately remove from heat and pour into a small bowl or ramekin to cool. (The caramel will overcook or blacken if you leave it in the skillet, even with the heat turned off.)

Assemble the tart
Pour half of the cooled ganache into the tart shell. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set.
Thinly slice the raw bananas on a diagonal. In a medium bowl, toss the slices in the orange juice, then transfer them to a paper towel and pat dry. Arrange them in a single layer over the chilled ganache to cover the bottom of the tart completely. Top with the remaining ganache. (If the ganache has already started to set, warm it in short bursts in the microwave.) Return the tart to the refrigerator for 5 more minutes.
Decorate the top of the tart with the caramelized bananas and reserved caramel. Serve immediately.
The tart can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 24 hours, but it tastes best within a few hours of assembling. That said, a few taste testers have claimed that they like the consistency of the tart once it has been refrigerated overnight.
To each his own!

In the Oven: Banana Caramel Pudding with Meringue Topping

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Next up, a cool, creamy banana pudding. Posting date is July 20!

Banana Caramel Pudding with Meringue Topping
Yield: 8 servings

For the Caramel Base
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream

For the Banana Pudding
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
4 cups half-and-half, divided
1⁄3 cup cornstarch
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
5 or 6 bananas, not quite ripe, yet not green
30 vanilla wafer cookies (about 6 ounces), cut or crushed into large chunks

For the Meringue Topping
4 large egg whites
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1⁄2 cup sugar

Make the Caramel Base
In a large saucepan with high sides, combine the sugar and 1⁄3 cup of water. Stir the mixture gently so you don’t splash any of it up on the sides of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, stop stirring, and allow the mixture to boil. Once it begins to turn a rich caramel color, remove it from the heat and gently stream in the cream (it will bubble up, so add the cream slowly at first). Stir until combined. Set aside.

Make the Banana Pudding
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until pale and blended.

In another medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the half-and-half, the cornstarch, and the salt until the mixture is uniform and the cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk this mixture into the caramel base. Place the caramel mixture over medium-high heat and whisk in the remaining 3 cups of half-and-half. While whisking constantly but gently, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and boil (still whisking) for about 15 seconds. The mixture will thicken. Remove from the heat and continue whisking vigorously for about 15 seconds to release excess heat.

Pour one-third of the caramel mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the egg mixture constantly. Transfer the egg mixture into the saucepan with the caramel mixture and, whisking constantly, bring back to a boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the custard is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, then the vanilla bean paste.

Push the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl and allow the custard to come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Stir the custard, cover the bowl, and place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to chill. (The custard can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and should be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered.)

Assemble the pudding
Thirty minutes before the custard is entirely chilled, place eight 6-ounce ramekins or a large 11⁄2-quart soufflé or baking dish on a baking sheet and use one of the following methods for assembling the final dish, then return the pudding, uncovered, to the refrigerator to chill while you make the Meringue Topping.

Layer method: Spread a small amount of pudding on the bottom of each ramekin or of the large dish. Thinly slice the bananas and arrange in a single layer on top. Sprinkle one-third of the cookies on top of the bananas, then cover with one-third of the remaining pudding. Repeat twice more (bananas, cookies, pudding) so that your top layer is pudding.

No-layer method (a.k.a. lazy method): Thinly slice the bananas and sprinkle them over the chilled pudding. Sprinkle the cookies over the bananas. Using a wooden spoon, fold the bananas and cookies into the pudding until completely combined. Divide the mixture equally among the ramekins or pour into the large dish.

Make the Meringue Topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and sprinkle them with the cream of tartar. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks just begin to form, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly stream in the sugar, and continue beating until the whites are glossy and stiff but not dry.

Pile the meringue high and with a little artistic flair directly onto the pudding. Be sure to spread it all the way to the edges.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meringue turns golden brown. Place the sheet pan with the pudding on a wire rack to cool for 30 to 40 minutes.

Banana pudding tastes great slightly warm (though it will be very runny) and even better thoroughly chilled. It can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days; note that the cookies will continue to soften as time goes on.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

In the Oven: Banana Whoopie Pies

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Back to our regular scheduled programming. Someone (me) may have jumped the gun on the candy bar tart – it’s the lure of caramel.

For this week, it’s banana whoopie pies! It wouldn’t be a Baked book without at least one whoopie pie recipe. Make these full-sized, or as fun minis, your choice.

Let’s bake!

Banana Whoopie Pies
Yield: 15 to 20 whoopie pies

For the Banana Whoopies
3 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3⁄4 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1⁄2 bananas, mashed (about 1⁄2 cup)
2 large eggs

For the Milk Chocolate Swiss Meringue
5 large egg whites
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, melted and cooled

For the Assembly
Dried banana chips (optional)
Sliced fresh bananas (optional)

Make the Banana Whoopies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir the brown sugar and oil together (you might have to use your hands to break up the larger chunks of brown sugar). Add the sour cream and bananas and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.

Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you fold.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of the dough about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks. Let the cookies cool completely on the pans.

Make the Milk Chocolate Swiss Meringue
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar together. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl). Heat the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved and the color is milk white, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and, starting slowly, increase the speed to medium-high; beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed (again starting slowly at first) until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If the buttercream looks like it is separating, don’t worry; it will eventually come together. Add the salt and vanilla and beat for 5 seconds to combine. Gently fold in the chocolate until the mixture is even in color.

Assemble the Banana Whoopie Pies
Turn half of the cooled cookies flat side up. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, or a tablespoon, drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of a cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used.

Place a banana chip or a slice of fresh banana directly on top and in the center of each cookie if you like. Skewer the chip or banana slice and most of the cookie with a toothpick, hors d’oeuvre style. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

The whoopie pies will keep in the refrigerator on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tightly covered, for up to 3 days (though they taste best if eaten within 2 days). Bring the whoopie pies to room temperature before serving.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.