Hello! Happy Labor Day! Happy three day weekend! Are you enjoying your weekend? I hope that you are relaxing a little.
I am taking today to relax, the rest of the weekend has been a blur. I think perhaps my plans in the garage and preparing for the week were too ambitious.
I did manage to decompress by doing one of my favorite things, baking. I whipped up these banana “brownie” bars and they are quick, easy and tasty.
Banana Brownies Bars:
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 egg
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
3 mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
chopped nuts optional
Frosting:
Recipe adapted from Donna Hay and Butter Yum Blog and Table for Two
4 tablespoons of salted softened butter
1/3 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey vanilla paste
21/2 cups confectioners sugar
Add nuts as garnish if you like
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8×8 inch pan. Cream together butter, sugar, sour cream with an electric mixer. Add mashed banana and vanilla extract. Then add salt, flour and baking soda. Mix well. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean. Cool completely. Then frost.
Frosting directions:
Whip butter in stand mixer for several minutes until creamed. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Slowly add the heavy cream, a little at a time, then add vanilla bean paste. Add cream until the frosting is the consistency you like.
Frost cake and then enjoy.
These bars are dense and moist, almost the consistency of a brownie, and have a very pronounced banana flavor. They are delicious with or without the vanilla bean frosting!
I hope that you have a fabulous day! Enjoy your family and friends.
Update:
When I originally posted this recipe I forgot the links for the frosting. Thank you Patricia.
I am joining these links:
Stone Gable
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The Brambleberry Cottage
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Happy Labor Day!
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Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Pecans, Dried Fruit and Gorgonzola
Elizabeth, you are killing me! I am craving these at not even 8 am, I bet they are sooooo good!! I am starting to have a file for all your scrumptious recipes!
Tina, these bars are so, so good! Even at 8:00 in the morning!
I could eat a bowl of the vanilla bean glaze/frosting.
GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL! How are you? Baking, I see! Has life slowed down just a little for you? May today's day off really be a time for you to relax. I hope to quietly create and gear up for next week which will be my first week as a substitute teacher. MUCH LOVE, Anita
Morning dear Elizabeth,
I hope it was good as well as busy. Boy, could I do with a slice of that cake now with a cuppa. I am hurting after our busy weekend and miles of walking in London, plus I hit the hotel gym the night before. I now feel like I have been hit by a bus 🙂
Have a great free Monday, what will you do with it?
D
xxxxxxx
Oh, these look so scrumptious, dear friend!
I hope at least today you will have some much-deserved relaxation…
Enjoy!
Big hugs,
– Irina
Oh these look so moist and yummy! Enjoy your day!
I'm thrilled you like my frosting recipe. I'd appreciate it if you'd post a link to it in your post.
http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-die-for-banana-cake-with-vanilla.html
Thank you much!!
Yum! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love a good sweet! Have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings,
Sandi
Thank you for sharing your recipe at Potpourri Friday!
Thank you for joining me at Home Sweet Home!
Sherry