The BEST Banana Cake Everrrrrrrrr

 On the blog that I took this from (Thanks Sally), this is entitled

"The best Banana cake I've ever had"

she aint' wrong.

I have no notes, it's bomb, just need to remember this recipe!

The Best Banana Cake Ever

Ingredients

Banana Cake

• 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces (224g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Make the cake: Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
4. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.
5. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up.
7. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
8. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Pork Roast with Crackle

 I'm always down for crackle, so I've been trying to perfect making Pork roasts.  I figured I better record it since I keep forgetting all my 'lessons learned' and every attempt ends up being "oh that's right, I was meant to..." smh.

Anyways, I made this perfectly ONCE ... and then got botz and tried to do things based on my memory and yep, a couple more imperfect Roasts...but I still think this one is the winner so here it is, REMEMBER YOUR NOTES SUI!!

(Original recipe can be found here)

Pork Roast with Crackle

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pound (2 kg) boneless pork shoulder or butt, rind on 
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

• Remove all plastic wrap from the pork. Lay it out flat in a tray, rind-side up and uncovered. Allow to dry completely in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight if time allows. (I add salt coz that's what Marion Grasby says to do lol)
• Remove pork from the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before roasting to allow it to come to room temperature. (I should probably do this)
• Preheat oven to 460°F (240°C) (230 degrees fan bake...and the actual fan bake, not the grill on the top fan bake setting)
• Use a sharp knife to score the rind in 1-inch intervals. Thoroughly pat the skin dry with paper towels. (I suck at scoring, I found that if I cut right through the skin that my crackle is guaranteed to crackle, does that still count as scoring? Also, don't score so thin, coz then you'll burn the crackle before the pork is ready)
• Turn pork skin-side down. Rub garlic powder and about 1 teaspoon of salt into the meat underneath. Drizzle the olive oil over the pork rind and the meat, rubbing it in with your fingers for best results (if you need more oil, add more). Season the rind with a generous amount of sea salt (about 1 tablespoon).
• Transfer pork to a roasting dish and roast for 50 minutes, or until the rind crackles. (The rind starts crackling way earlier than 50mins, but I think I need to play around with this time, 50mins seems too long, 30ish mins I think may be good?) Reduce temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue roasting for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, depending on how well done you like your roast. 
• Increase the oven temperature back up to 440°F (230°C). Roast for 10 minutes until the rind has turned into an amazing golden crackling and the pork is cooked through. 

  (To check if the pork is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the meat with a knife. If the juices run clear, the pork is cooked. Alternatively, pork is cooked when the thermometer shows 160°F (71°C).
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

I can't wait to get this recipe down, so that my crackle is consistently crackly lol

Sticky Date Pudding

Auriiiteeeee!

So, I've finally attempted and found a good copy cat recipe of Lonestars sticky date pudding! Yum!

I've made it like 4 times now...tweaking here and there and taking into account the feedback I've received (mostly from Talmage and Chu) and it's sooo delicious, especially with vanilla ice cream!  So here is the winning formula for us!



STICKY DATE PUDDING

250g pitted dates roughly chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c boiling water
125g butter softened
1 c brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 3/4 c self rising flour (or just normal flour and then add 1 3/4 tsp of baking powder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (this is optional.  Chu prefers without this)

Butterscotch Sauce
1 c brown sugar packed
300ml of cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
60g butter


Method
1. Preheat your oven at 180 degrees celsius.
2. Put dates in a small pot/bowl. Sprinkle baking soda over and then add the boiling water.  Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.  Mash it up a bit using a potato masher.  (You can use an electric hand mixer to get it really smooth, but the boys like the pudding with some date chunks so to each their own...also, if you do mix it til smooth, the pudding ends up feeling more like a puligi).
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar.  Then add vanilla esessnce.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Then sift in dry ingredients.
4. Fold in date mixture and mix well.
5. Put mixture into baking pan (7cm deep pan, 22cm pan apparently).  Bake for about 35-40 minutes or til you know its ready lol.
6. While the cake is baking, add all ingredients for the butterscotch sauce and bring to the boil.  Simmer for a bit then turn it off.  (The sauce thickens as it cools).
7.  Once cake is out, pierce it with a knife all over and pour about a third or half of the sauce all over the cake.  Let it stand for at least 10 minutes.
8.  Cut up and serve with vanilla ice cream and more butterscotch.  It's the bomb!

Seafood Mornay

This is one of our family favs! Like, since we were little, we loved going to the So'olefai's house for koga'i coz she would make it lol, now that we're older, we've learned! Yay, such a yummy side dish to have with a main meat...and with rice of course...or faalifu kalo! I'm just making myself hunnnnngggrrryyyy!!! lol, so easy to make! Here it is before I forget,


Ingredients
1 kg surimi (imitation crab)
1 liter cream
1 1/2 - 2 sachets of Seafood soup mix
Grated cheese

Method
On medium heat, heat up the cream, then add the sachet(s) and stir til dissolved. (I usually salt, pepper, paprika it too)
Break up the suirmi (I half the pieces) and place into into a baking dish.  Then pour over cream and soup mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top (some people like to slice tomatoes on top too...but I never bother) and bake under the oven til cheese is melted and a golden brown :)

(I'm pretty sure it'd still be bomb with more seafood if you have any :) It's one of those nice recipes where you can just add whatever you want :)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

These are so good. I made very minor changes and it still came out yummmmmmm.

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 C old fashioned oats

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/4 C butter, melted

2 eggs Substitute with 2 Tb Flaxseeds mixed with 6 Tbs water. Let it sit while you do the other stuff. 

1 Tb vanilla

2 1/2 C milk chocolate chips

Mix dry (yellow) ingredients in one bowl. Mix wet (blue) ingredients in another. Mix together and pour into a greased baking dish. I used a 8.5 X 12 glass dish and da buggah was cherreh!

Bake 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Enjoy with ice cream or a glass of milk. So. good.

Aunty Delsa's Fry Bread

Eeeevery time fry bread is mentioned...Chu goes on about THE BEST fry bread he's had was Aunty Delsa Moe's.  So since it came up again on Sunday and I finally realized that I'd be listening to this same ol' story for the rest of my life...I decided to ask her for her recipe...and here it is!! SO BOMB!! Not gonna lie, He was totally right!!

Ingredients:
2 C Luke warm water
2 T yeast
2 T sugar
2 T oil
2 t salt
4 C Flour (and extra for kneading)

note: just don't add too much flour when kneading. Let it stay a little sticky, otherwise it doesn't turn out as light and fluffy
note 2: works too with pastry flour...it becomes super light and airy...but I think using high grade flour is best

Method:
Combine water, yeast, sugar, oil and salt. Stir it gently about 3 times then let it sit 10 min for yeast to bubble. Add in 4 cups flour a little at a time and knead well. If dough is still sticky sprinkle in a little more flour and knead. Let it rise about 30-45 min till double in bulk.
Oil a flat surface and roll out half the dough with a rolling pin so it's about half inch thick or little less then cut into pieces with a pizza cutter or oiled knife. Separate pieces and let rise about 10 min while you heat up a pan of oil to deep fry them in. Fry both sides till golden brown and drizzle with butter, honey or golden syrup.

She said that it may take a few times to master...buuuut our first batch was OSUM!! So even if that was the junk batch...dang this is a good recipe :)

Enjoy!!

Moist Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is my 'go to' recipe now since Petra introduced it to me.  It's super easy and quick to make.  The original recipe (that you can find here) calls for coffee but it's easily substituted with boiling water :) It's a runny mixture so don't think you're doing it wrong if it seems waaay runny...

(A baker friend of mine said that the recipes that are the most moist...are quite runny and call for boiling water...so that made me feel like almost a legit baker with this recipe lol).

Here's my edited version of the recipe, enjoy!

• 35minCook Time
• 15minPrep Time
• 12Servings

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 cups granulated white sugar

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened)

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup boiling water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees/180 degrees celsius. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans (or line with parchment paper circles) and set aside. Or just grease A pan, easier lol.
2. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in boiling water Batter will be very runny.
3. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for about 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. If you're just making one cake, it'll take longer to bake, at least an extra 10mins...I just keep checking on it to see when it's ready.
4. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts, use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Just get the cakes out of the pans lol. Cool completely before handling or frosting.