I’m going to call these “adult” rice krispies squares…. yes, indeed, I did actually put bourbon in these, and while I don’t think that you could get drunk off them, they are definitely addictive and delicious. In case the “Easter Bunny” is having a bad day, these might make it just a little bit better. The “Peep-influences” Sprinkles just add to the equation.
sweets
Spring has sprung and Easter is right around the corner, so I thought I would make some Easter-like treats. Up first: these Lemon Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry Cream Filling. Light, a wee bit tart and overall delicious. I am not about the colors usually, but I had leftover sanding sugar from Christmas in a multi-color pack, so I used some of that too. It’s totally optional, as is the cookie-stamp, but it does make them more interesting looking, I think.
I seem to be the queen of finding random ingredients, and this week is no different. Have you ever heard of Banana JAM? I had no idea that you could make jam out of bananas, but you can and it’s pretty darn good. I had to buy a jar when I saw it in the shops and decided to make these here Monkey Pie Bars — Banana Coconut Crumble Bars. Amazingly rich banana flavor and toasted coconut. Perfect “tropical” flavors to warm up this cold March morning.
Banana Bread returns. The quintessential baked good of the pandemic — or maybe second to sourdough. The question actually is: is banana *bread* actually a bread? Why is it not a cake?
And why the name “Go Bananas, Mr. Foster!”? Well, Bananas Foster, the dessert, often made “table side” at restaurants (how 1970s), is lots of butter, lots of sugar — which when mixed together make a caramel-like sauce — rum to flambe and bananas, served with ice cream, is pretty much wrapped up in this banana bread. Well, minus the ice cream and I didn’t set the banana bread on fire. Also, if you ever went to a University of Maine sporting event, you will know that the black bear mascot is named Bananas the Bear. There is a little jingle/cheer that goes “Go! Bananas! Go-go Bananas!” So I have had that stuck in my head for days, so I combined Bananas Foster and Bananas the Bear. Go-go Bananas!