Banana Heaven Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Spray 2 (9-inch) round pans with cooking spray; dust with flour. Cover bottoms with waxed paper. Beat first 6 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until blended; pour evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Immediately remove waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. Meanwhile, make chocolate curls from 1 oz. chocolate. (See tip.)
• Melt remaining chocolate as directed on package. Dissolve 1 tsp. instant coffee in warm milk. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate and milk mixture; mix well. Gradually beat in powdered sugar.
• Fill and frost cake layers with cream cheese frosting. Immediately press nuts into frosting on side of cake. Top cake with chocolate curls.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-in.) round cake pans.
• Line bottoms of pans with wax paper.
• Stir cake mix and cocoa in large bowl.
• Add eggs, prepared coffee, water and bananas; beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently.
• Beat on medium speed 2 min; pour evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 min or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
• Cool 10 min; remove from pans.
• Immediately remove wax paper.
• Cool cake layers completely on wire racks.
• Dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee in warm milk.
• Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
• Add milk mixture; beat 2 min, then blend in melted chocolate.
• Add powdered sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy.
• Use to fill and frost cooled cake layers.
• Immediately press pecans into frosting on side of cake.
• Garnish top with chocolate curls.
• To Make Chocolate Curls: Unwrap and heat a square of Semi-Sweet Chocolate for a few seconds in the microwave.
• Holding the square firmly in your hand, draw a vegetable peeler over the flat bottom.

Steps:

• Toast almond slices in a dry, heavy-bottomed pan until golden brown. Set asid to let cool. In a blender combine unfrozen bananas and just enough almond milk to blend. This creates a creamier texture. With the blender on high, add frozen bananas one at a time. If the consistancy gets too thick, add more almond milk. You're looking for the consistancy of soft-serve ice cream. Pour into serving bowls. Dollop them some refrigerated coconut milk "cream" and sprinkle with a tablespoon of toasted almonds.

Steps:

• Lightly grease an 8x4x2 inch bread pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixer or a medium-size bowl, beat together sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy, then add eggs and bananas (I like to mix the eggs and bananas in a blender beforehand), beating well. Next, mix in the dry ingredients and then add the raisins and chocolate chips. Mix well, then pour batter into the loaf pan. Scatter the walnuts on top of the batter in the pan. (The bread turns out really pretty if you use walnut halves.)
• Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes, or until it tests done. (If the top is getting too dark during baking, cover it with aluminum foil for the last part of the baking process.) Cool in pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan. Cool. For easier slicing, wrap and store overnight. (If you can resist that long...I never can.) Enjoy!