Blazing Sunset Salad

Something about summer just makes me want to devour an inordinate amount of fruit salad, and that desire is simply amplified when it comes to summer cookouts. Blazing Sunset Salad {page 96} was my choice for our last cookout.

This beautiful, quick, and easy fruit salad distributes the limelight gracefully between juicy cherries, refreshing oranges, sweet nectarines, toothsome bananas, and crisp apples, all dancing in a light dressing.

There's really only so much you can say about fruit salad, but this one is definitely a keeper. I truly look forward to testing out the rest of them in the book. Yum!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Banana-Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Pancakes were another one of those things I first encountered after hopping the pond. In Old Country, we make crepes. And we fill them and roll them up and they serve the same purpose (only they can be made savory as well). Since coming here, though, I’ve fallen in love with all things Brunch.

Enter the Banana-Blueberry Pancakes (page 516) with Blueberry Sauce (page 498). Fluffy and mellow in flavor with the occasional pleasant burst of blueberry, these pancakes are the perfect conveyer for the blueberry sauce. The sauce is very simple to prepare and positively wonderful. It would turn any dessert into a mini masterpiece and works just as splendidly over sweet breakfast fare. I used a blend of three sugars to give it even more character (white, light brown, dark brown).


And because winter isn’t over for some people, behold a snowflake pancake!

Delightful breakfast (actually, rebel that I am, I made this at night). And the sauce is going straight into my repertoire.

- - Ulpia, rebel rebel - -

Banana-Walnut Cake with "Cream Cheese" Frosting

One of the most delicious and elegant desserts I've had in a long time, Banana-Walnut Cake {page 448} with "Cream Cheese" Frosting {page 502} was a smash hit.

Last night I was playing match maker, and setting my youngest sister up with a cute, nice boy from the neighborhood. I'd invited both over for dessert, and wanted to make something special for the occasion. This cake definitely fit the bill.

Upon first glance of the recipe, the cake looks simple and even pedestrian in nature. However, it was anything but. The cake was simultaneously dense but delicate, decadent but not overly sweet. The cream cheese frosting went with it perfectly, and the last minute topping decision of bananas and extra walnuts was perfect.

I decided to be "fancy" and punch out little circles of the frosted cake, rather than serve standard squares. I feel like that really upped the ante as far as presentation went.

Overall, it was great. In fact, Ninjahusband just leaned over and told me again how much he'd liked the cake, and that I should make it again soon. Victory!

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Peanut Butter and Banana-Stuffed French Toast

Sunday mornings are not my favorite, but with a nomilicious breakfast like Peanut Butter and Banana-Stuffed French Toast {page 520}, this morning wasn't half bad!

The filling was a creamy sweet montage of banana, peanut butter, and maple. The batter coated the bread perfectly, and cooked up on the griddle to a crisp golden brown. Each bite was a little crunch, followed by the smoothness of the bread and the sweet decadence of the filling. Served with sliced fresh bananas and pure maple syrup on top, this french toast was a force to be reckoned with.

Four thumbs {from the Ninjahusband and I} and several fingers {from the Supertoddler} way, way up. I will be repeating this on a regular basis, I'm sure.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins

Wanting to make a quick-grab breakfasty item to have on hand throughout the week, I turned to the Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins (p524). I followed the recipe as written and it was quick to put together. However I did have to add probably an additional 1/4c of apple juice beyond the 1/4c called for in the recipe to get the right consistency for the batter.

Now when I say I wanted to have these on hand, I don't mean MY hand. See, bananas and I don't exactly get along, so these were made for those who do enjoy such things. All reports are that these muffins are moist, tasty, and full of banana walnut goodness. The recipe made a perfect dozen.

--The Divine Miss V

Banana Orzo Pudding

Banana Orzo Pudding (page 477).

I had a couple of bananas that were sitting around on my counter, heading south, and this recipe seemed like a more interesting way to use them up than my standard banana bread.

The recipe was quick and easy. The most time-consuming part of the recipe was cooking the orzo, which really didn't take long at all. Once I had that step finished, the rest was a breeze, and the Supertoddler and I were curled up on the couch with a warm bowl of pudding in the blink of an eye.

The flavor was fabulous, even though I'm not a big fan of cinnamon. The orzo seemed a little odd at first, but really fit in with the flavor and provided a much more interesting texture than standard rice. The Ninjahusband couldn't get over the weirdness of there being orzo in the pudding, however, and insisted on calling it "banana pasta".

After the Supertoddler and I consumed a bowl, we put the rest in the fridge for later. The texture changed a lot once it had been refrigerated, but I think it was definitely good both warm and cold.

I would definitely make this again, as a little something sweet to eat, especially if I had random homeless bananas sitting around.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl