BANANA SNACK CAKE

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Frosting:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine

6 Tbsp. milk

2 1/2  – 3 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in bananas and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Stir in nuts.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake at 350° for 25 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.

For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency.  Frost the cake.

BUTTERMILK COFFEE CAKE

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 beaten eggs

1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9 x 13 baking pan; set aside.  Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside 1/2 cup.  Stir baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg into remaining crumb mixture.

Combine eggs and buttermilk.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture; mix well.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Stir together reserved crumb mixture and nuts.  Sprinkle atop batter.

Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

RESTAURANT-STYLE FRENCH TOAST

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup milk

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

vegetable oil or shortening

8 to 10 slices Texas toast or crusty French bread

Confectioners’ sugar, sliced fruit, butter, and pancake syrup for serving (optional)

In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Add milk, eggs, and vanilla; whisk briskly to remove any lumps of flour.

Grease skillet or frying pan with a paper towel that has been dipped in oil or shortening.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when flicked onto skillet.

Dip both sides of bread slice into the batter briefly.  Let some of the batter drip off, then place bread in skillet.  Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second.  If needed, add a little more oil to skillet to cook all of the slices.  Repeat procedure with remaining bread slices.  Keep French toast warm in a low oven as you cook remaining slices.  (Or cook several at a time on a griddle.)

Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with butter, syrup, or fruit, if using.

BUNDT BREAD

Mix, then let rise:

            2 cups warm water

            1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast

Beat 2 eggs, then add in order:

            3 cups bread flour

            4 Tbsp. melted shortening or oil

            4 more cups bread flour

            1 Tbsp. salt

Mix together.  Let rise until double in bulk.  Divide dough into 2/3 and 1/3.  Melt 2 cubes margarine or butter and pour 2/3 into a bundt pan and 1/3 into a bread loaf pan.  Roll dough 1/2 inch thick, cut circles with glass or cutter.  Dip each piece in margarine.  Line standing up in pan, and use 2/3 dough for bundt pan and 1/3 dough for bread pan.  Let rise 1 hour.  Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes.

HOMEMADE BISQUICK MIX

8 cups flour

1 1/4 cups nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup baking powder

1 Tbsp. salt

2 cups shortening

Combine flour, milk, baking powder and salt.  Cut in shortening. 

Store in tightly closed container in cool place.

Use anywhere Bisquick or biscuit mix is called for.

FIVE-STAR BROWNIES

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup shortening, melted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well mixed.  Add butter and shortening.  Combine flour, cocoa and salt; stir into egg mixture and mix well.  Add nuts if desired.

Pour into a well greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.  Cool in pan.