i have been making so much banana bread lately. maybe it is all of the snow we have gotten this month that is keeping me indoors or maybe it is because it is my absolute favourite thing to bake! while i was CONVINCED my banana bread recipe was absolutely perfect (something that took quite a while to perfect), i am having fun mixing things up. for this recipe i roasted the bananas first to maximize the sweetness, used butter only, topped it with grey sea salt & i added over double the yogurt. now i don't know which recipe is better! this one turned out so moist.

i will be honest though, roasting the bananas first did not make as much of a difference then i thought it would. this technique would be great if you want to make banana bread but don't have the ripest of bananas on hand. it kind of speeds up the ripening process. this is also the first banana bread where i put a fresh sliced banana on top. how cool does it look?!? i don't know why it took me this long to do it, i have seen it pop up on my instagram so many times. i think i will do this from now on if i have an extra banana on hand.

ingredients

for the banana bread

3 roasted bananas, mashed (recipe below)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup plain organic greek yogurt, full fat
1 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
raw sugar, to sprinkle on top
grey sea salt, to sprinkle on top
1 banana, sliced lengthwise to top banana bread (optional but not really)

for the roasted bananas

3-4 large ripe bananas, peeled & sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon grey salt
1 pinch cinnamon

directions

for the banana bread

preheat the oven to 325°F and butter a loaf pan.
in a mixing bowl, mash the roasted bananas with melted butter and yogurt.
stir in the raw sugar, egg, and pure vanilla extract until well combined.
sift in cinnamon, baking soda, grey salt & flour. mix until just combined.
pour into loaf pan, sprinkle with additional raw sugar & top with a sliced banana.
bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 45-50 minutes.
let cool completely before slicing!

for the roasted bananas

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet, lay in bananas sliced side up.
sprinkle with raw sugar, grey salt & cinnamon.
roast for 30 minutes, or until the flesh becomes browned & squishy.
let cool.

this year i have decided to come up with some not so traditional holiday cookies! don't get me wrong, i have already made batches of sugar cookies & gingerbread men this month but why not mix it up a bit? it is time to experiment with the flavours of gingerbread & pair it with equally delicious ingredients (wait till you see the macadamia cookies i made for crate & barrel next). this recipe makes for the perfect freeze & bake chocolate chip style cookies. while they would of course work well for a cookie exchange party, you are probably not going to want to give these away! instead, whip up a batch to pop in your freezer & bake a few at a time as you cozy up by the fire & watch your favourite holiday movie.

this is something justin & i do year round when we make mixed up versions of chocolate chip cookies. not that we couldn't eat the whole batch at once, more so that we shouldn't. plus, who doesn't want cookies warm from the oven everytime? nothing is better then slightly melted chocolate with a gooey centre. because i make these in small batches, i typically use my toaster oven instead of having to pre-heat the big oven. KitchenAid was kind enough to send me a brand new one to test out (my current KitchenAid one was pushing 10 years old). they baked up so perfectly in it! better then my gas oven to be honest, i am still getting used to going full gas & not convection. the KitchenAid toaster oven also heats up quickly, so you will have your cookies in no time! it is also perfect for the holiday season when your oven is full of a giant turkey. you can bake or heat up your favourite side dishes in the oven too. i think my mom will be borrowing this from me this year.

anyways, this is my mix up on a gingerbread cookie! it is a mash up between my favourite classic gingerbread & my favourite chocolate chip cookie. trust me when i say these are better. the dark chocolate compliments the ginger spicers so perfectly & the pecans add a touch of crunch. if you are not a fan of nuts in your baked goods, feel free to leave it out & add a bit more dark chocolate OR even some candied ginger! so many possibilities with these.

ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (i use sugar in the raw)
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup whole pecans, roughly chopped

directions

in a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves. set aside.
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar & turbinado sugar until fluffy.
add in the molasses, egg & vanilla extract until combined.
slowly add in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
fold in the dark chocolate chips & pecans.
roll into desired size balls, place in freezer bag & bake when ready.
to bake, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees & bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges lightly brown.

note: if you are skipping the freezer step, place cookie balls on a baking tray & pop in the freezer for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven. this ensures the cookies will not spread together & the chocolate chips hold their shape.