Desserts - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with desserts (because who couldn't use an occasional yummy dessert?). Today's offerings include English Toffee Bars and Banana-Strawberry Sorbet. Enjoy!

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This comes from Diana Rattray, the Southern cuisine writer on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, "This hummingbird cake is always a hit with families or for any celebration. It's a moist cake flavored with cinnamon, pineapple, pecans, and bananas and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

"The cake originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and was part of an Air Jamaica tourism campaign. It was named the "doctor bird cake," after the national bird of Jamaica. The doctor bird is a member of the hummingbird family. You'll enjoy a little tropical vacation with a cake you can make anywhere and anytime. Wouldn't it be perfect at a bon voyage party for friends who are going on a Caribbean cruise?"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 1 cake (16 servings)

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-hummingbird-cake-recipe-3051129.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs (beaten)

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple (well-drained)

1 cup pecans (chopped)

2 cups banana ( firm ripe, chopped)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese (softened)

1 cup butter (room temperature)

2 pounds confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 to 1 cup pecans (chopped, toasted, if desired)

Directions

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this hummingbird cake is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Cake

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together into a large mixing bowl several times.

Add the eggs and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened.

Stir in vanilla, drained pineapple, and 1 cup pecans.

Stir in the chopped bananas.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake the layers in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn them onto cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting and Assemble

Gather the ingredients.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer; beat until smooth and creamy.

Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until combined.

Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Stir in vanilla.

Frost the tops of all three layers of the cake and then stack them.

Frost the sides of the cake.

Sprinkle the top of the cake evenly with the 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tip

To toast the pecans, spread them in a dry skillet over medium heat; cook while continually stirring until the nuts are lightly browned and aromatic. Remove to a plate at once to stop the cooking process.

BLUEBERRY BANANA CAKE

This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Carroll wrote, "Whether you overbought at the farm stand or your fruit is ripening quicker than you can eat it, this blueberry banana cake is the perfect way to use up the produce and enjoy something sweet. What is great about this recipe is that there are more bananas and blueberries in the batter than flour and sugar, which makes it not only extra fruity and delicious, but also a healthy breakfast, dessert, or snack.

"This cake was made in a cathedral bundt cake pan, but you can use any bundt, cake, or loaf pan."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: 16 slices (16 servings)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs (at room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 bananas (very ripe, mashed)

1 cup blueberries (rinsed and dried)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the cake pan.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Combine until just mixed.

Fold in the bananas and blueberries.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tips

This recipe is somewhat simple, but there are a few tips you should keep in mind to ensure your banana blueberry cake is a success:

First, it is important that the butter and eggs be at room temperature so they both mix into the batter uniformly.

You also want to make sure that the bananas are nice and ripe; the goal is to have them blend into the batter versus remain in chunks. Bananas with almost black skins are ideal.

To achieve the creamiest texture, mash the ripe bananas with a mixer until they are a thick puree. You can use frozen bananas as well, just remember to thaw first.

When it comes to the blueberries, you need completely dry them before adding to the batter. Introducing water to the batter will result in a soggy cake.

This recipe can be baked in a bundt pan, loaf pan, or muffin tins. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times (muffins will take about half the time).

Recipe Variations

Whether you add or sub out ingredients in this cake, there are a few twists on this recipe that are sure to please. If your family is a fan of nuts, adding walnuts to the batter—or sprinkled on top—brings a nice crunch to the cake.

And, chances are, the kids won't object to a few chocolate chips.

You can elevate the cake by layering on a streusel topping before baking, which will create a sweet, crispy outer crust.

SOUR CREAM BANANA BARS

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup Sour cream

1/2 cup Butter, softened

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cup Bananas, mashed, 3 large

2 tsp Vanilla

2 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 cup Nuts, chopped

Directions

Mix sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs in large mixing bowl on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, about 1 minute. Beat in banana and vanilla on low speed, 30 seconds. Beat in flour and baking soda on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread dough in greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in preheated 375F oven. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into bars.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat 3 oz pkg cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, 1 T milk and 1 tsp vanilla until creamy. Stir in 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth.

BANANA-STRAWBERRY SORBET

This also comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups frozen (unsweetened) strawberries

1/2 cups apple juice

Directions

Cut the bananas into quarter-inch slices, coat with the lemon juice, place on a cookie sheet, and freeze.

After the bananas are frozen, puree them with the remaining ingredients in the appliance of your choice (my cuisinart had to work pretty hard, but it was very entertaining for the son to watch strawberries become sorbet.)

Serve immediately in chilled cups. Leftovers don't freeze well, but they make a nice flavoring for homemade yogurt.

Lots of substitutions are possible.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, "Dead simple to make, this pie hits all the right notes. Sweet, nutty peanut butter mellows next to the tang of rich cream cheese and gets a lift from a little whipped cream. But if that doesn’t convince you, the chocolate cookie crust may. This version relies on five ingredients, instead of pre-made cookies, with the cocoa giving it a deep chocolate flavor. The crust is pressed into a well-buttered pie plate, baked, then cooled, ready to be filled and chilled. When it's time to serve, you have options: Finish it with a decorative chocolate topping or a puff of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder."

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 50 minutes, plus chilling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018635-peanut-butter-pie.

Note: While you're at it, check out "How to Make a Pie Crust", a guide by Melissa Clark. It's very helpful, and you're bound to find some useful info in it.

Ingredients

For the crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cup smooth, sweetened peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy

1 8-ounce block full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Preparation

Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a nonstick standard 9-inch pie plate ready, or generously butter a 9-inch standard pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add butter, stirring and mashing with a fork, until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and press them evenly into the bottom and sides until crust is about 1/4-inch thick. Bake crust until it looks dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks using an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Use a large rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Chill uncovered for at least 4 to 6 hours, until filling is set.

Make the topping, if using: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together in short bursts, stirring often. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a small plastic bag, and cut a 1/8-inch hole in one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the top to make a decorative pattern. (You may have some left over depending on your taste.) Serve immediately.

ENGLISH TOFFEE BARS

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Yield: about 3 dozen bars depending on size.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar, divided

1/2 cup plus 2/3 cup cold butter, divided

1 cup pecan halves

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Combine flour and 1 cup brown sugar in a large mixer bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/2 cup butter until fine crumbs form. A few large crumbs may remain - it is okay. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the pecans over the crust. Set aside. Combine remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and 2/3 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, then immediately pour over pecans and the crust. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the topping is bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the hot surface. Press gently onto surface. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.