luciefurr

Banana Nut Bread with Orange Glaze

♦ 3/4 cup butter, soft

♦ 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, soft

♦ 2 cups sugar

♦ 2 eggs

♦ 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)

♦ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

♦ 3 cups all purpose flour

♦ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

♦ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

♦ 1/2 salt

♦ 2 cups chopped pecans, divided

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Fold in one cup of pecans.

Transfer to two greased 8-in x 4-in x 2-in loaf pans. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.


Orange glaze

♦ 1 cup confectioners sugar

♦ 3 tablespoons orange juice

♦ 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Whisk all ingredients together and drizzle over loaves.

Cool bread for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes two loaves.



Fried Ice Cream

♦ 3 cups vanilla ice cream

♦ 1/2 heavy whipping cream

♦ 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

♦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

♦ Oil for frying

Place six scoops of ice cream (about 1/2 cup each) on a baking sheet and freeze. Place heavy cream in a shallow bowl. Dip ice cream balls in heavy cream and roll in a mixture of graham crackers and cinnamon, freeze for 2 hours. Refrigerate left over cream and set aside crumb mix. Roll ice cream in cream again and re-coat with crumbs, freeze for 20 minutes. Heat oil to 375 fry ice cream for about 10 seconds drain on paper towels and serve immediately.