Fruit Salad with Honey Dressing

Ingredients
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus the juice 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
1 banana, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions
For the dressing, combine the honey, orange juice, oil, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and mustard in a jar with a tight lid; cover and shake well. Toss the apple, banana, and avocado with juice from 1 lemon to prevent the fruit from turning brown. Combine the fruit, raisins, and nuts in a glass bowl. Add the dressing and stir gently. Serve on red leaf lettuce.

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Paula Deen's It's Not Your Mamma's Banana Pudding Ice-Cream

Ingredients
Vanilla Ice Cream
Bananas
Graham Crackers or Chessman cookies
Marshmallows
Cream cheese

2 bags cookies (recommended: Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies)
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream


Directions
Add vanilla ice cream to It's Not Your Mamma's Banana Pudding. Additionally mix in bananas, graham crackers, marshmallows and cream cheese to your desire.

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SOURCE

Orange Banana Bread

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 4 bananas)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sliced bananas, for garnish

Optional Garnishes:

Peanut butter

Honey

Cream cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-5 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, combine the bananas, butter, yogurt, vanilla extract and eggs whisking until smooth. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in the orange zest and ground cinnamon.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Garnish with bananas. Then if you like, spread on a bit of peanut butter, honey or cream cheese.

SOURCE

Peanut Butter Parfaits

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 (3.9-ounce) box instant chocolate-flavored pudding mix
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup whipped cream topping
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chopped peanuts, plus additional for garnish
• 1/2 (1-pound) package peanut butter sandwich cookies, crumbled, plus additional for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the cream cheese, beating until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream topping, mixing to combine.

In serving glasses, layer the pudding, bananas, peanuts, peanut butter mixture, and crumbled cookies, as desired. Garnish with cookies and chopped peanuts, if desired. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

SOURCE

Banoffee Pie

• Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3 large bananas
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.

Lower the oven to 300 degrees F for the toffee filling.

To create toffee filling, caramelize the sweetened condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and place dish inside a larger poaching pan. Add water to poaching pan until half way up sides of baking dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled, spread half of the filling evenly inside crust. Slice the bananas and layer on top of filling. Pour remaining half of filling over bananas, spreading evenly. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas.

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Mocha Fondue

Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur


Directions
Dippers: Biscotti, strawberries, pineapple chunks, bananas


In a heavy saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until smooth. Stir into a fondue pot, add liqueur, and keep warm over low heat. Serve with desired dippers.


SOURCE

Brownie Raspberry Trifle

Ingredients

• 1 Brownie Cake, recipe follows
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup raspberry jam, divided
• 3 medium bananas, thinly sliced, divided

Directions

Cut the Brownie Cake into 1/2-inch chunks, about 4 cups. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, pudding mix, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

In a large bowl, place 1 cup of the whipped cream mixture. Cover with one-third of the brownies in a single layer. Top with 4 tablespoons of the raspberry jam, then one-third of the sliced bananas. Repeat with 2 more layers of each ingredient, ending with sliced bananas. Finish off by topping it all with the remaining whipped cream mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before serving.

Brownie Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a double boiler, or a microwave set on low power, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and let cool. Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Whisk in the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour and salt until just blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the brownies are slightly overdone (they should be gooey inside), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

SOURCE

Raspberry Brownie

Strawberry Banana Ice Pops

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/4-ounce) package instant banana cream pudding mix (regular, not sugar-free)
1 3/4 cups milk
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have molds, divide the mixture among 8 (5-ounce) small plastic or paper cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and insert a wooden pop stick through the wrap.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Easy

SOURCE:  Strawberry Banana Ice Pops


NOTES:  You've probably noticed by now that I'm gaga over strawberries! Yup, I really am.  The thing about the Philippines is even if it's the "rainy season," it's still sooo hot!  I found this delish treat to be the perfect solution!

Strawberry

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1   12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
1   14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1   8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cup milk
1   5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
6-8   bananas, sliced
2   bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.  Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.  Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.  Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.  Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Easy

SOURCE:  Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding

Bananas