Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze

This was going to be a post about how to use up your ripe bananas. But it turned out to be a treatise in post-Kenysian economics. Much more interesting.

Food prices are high. I paid 99 cents for a dozen of eggs last year; the same eggs are $2.29 today. A 5-pound bag of flour that used to be $2 is now closer to $5. And good luck finding a carton of orange juice or a loaf of good, crusty Italian bread for under $5.

Having lived with these price increases for the last year or so, I'm no longer shocked at the price of most things at the market. Until last week. There it was, right at eye level. I squinted. I checked to see if it was for 1 or perhaps they meant for a whole case of it.

Maple syrup: $17.99.

"You gotta be kidding me," I muttered not very softly to myself, "Are they nuts? I mean, this is Trader Joe's. Who's gonna break a 20 for maple syrup at Trader Joe's?"

Thinking I would outsmart the forces of economics, I went to Costco. They had imitation maple syrup (in large quantities) for $14. Imitation maple syrup? Uh, don't think so. I mean, I'm Susan of Food Blogga. No imitation-maple-syrup for my readers. I gotta have the real thing.

I went to a local market that I sometimes hit for that hard-to-get items. I ended up paying $14 for a 12.5 oz. bottle, but Ha!, I gave my money to the little guy. Strutting off happy with my antidisestabolishmentarianism self, and having spent more money on gas and maple syrup than I ever wanted to, I was ready to bake.



It was all worth it after one bite of these Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze. (See I told you, this was supposed to be about bananas.) Moist, aromatic mini banana cakes become irresistible when drizzled with a sweet and gooey maple walnut glaze.

Oh, and don't expect things to get better this year; food prices are projected to rise 7% in 2009.

Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze
Makes 24 mini bundt cakes
Print recipe only here.

Cake Batter:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped lightly toasted walnuts

Maple Walnut Glaze:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Coat two (12-mini bundt cake) pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla, milk, and maple syrup; beat until batter is silky. Lower the speed; add the bananas and beat briefly.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the raisins and walnuts. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 molds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes rotating pans mid-way through. Cakes should be deep golden brown, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack for 3-5 minutes. Then flips the pans upside down and place cakes on a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, in a small pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and maple syrup; add heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Pour into a small metal bowl. Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk vigorously until smooth. If necessary, pour glaze through a fine mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of sugar. Let glaze rest for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. For easy clean-up, place a piece of parchment paper underneath the cooling rack. Drizzle glaze evenly over cakes, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Cool completely before serving.

Coming soon to a Food Blogga near you:
Since I always have lots of ripe bananas to use up, I'm going to turn this into a 4-part series. Each week for the next four weeks, I'll post a recipe for using up ripe bananas. And let's just say cookies, muffins and breads are involved.

You might also like:

Chocolate Chip, Cherry, and Pistachio Cookies






Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Candied Pecans and Freshly Whipped Cream





Pear and Cardamom Cake

Food Blogga Exposed! Savory Chestnut Pancakes with Pancetta and Creme Fraiche

I can't make pancakes. Nope. Just can't. Other than my fleeting victory with Nigella's ricotta hotcakes last August (which technically aren't pancakes), I haven't had much pancake success.

I've tried recipes from Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, and even Martha. They always come too heavy or too dry or too flat.

So when Jeff and I felt like having pancakes on Sunday, I went where no respectful food blogger goes -- to the Bisquick section of the supermarket baking aisle.

There I furtively placed a box of Heart Smart Bisquick in my cart, proceeded to the checkout, and almost made it to my car, when I was accosted by the Food Blogging paparazzi. Despite my protestations, their persistence was formidable.


I was caught red (box) handed. I confessed on the spot. I needed the Bisquick.

Let me tell you. It was worth it. I made savory, holiday inspired chestnut pancakes. They were the fluffiest, tastiest pancakes I had made in quite a while.


The interplay between the salty pancetta, the sugary maple syrup, and the sour creme fraiche is remarkably satisfying. Plus these savory pancakes balance the sweet gnocchi I made a few weeks ago.

Chestnut Pancakes with Pancetta, Creme Fraiche, and Cinnamon Maple Syrup
My inspiration for this recipe came from an original in Bon Appetit.
Makes 10 (3-4-inch) round pancakes.


Print recipe only here.

1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/3 pound pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch-dices
1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
scant 3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
1 egg white
1/4 cup coarsely chopped bottled chestnuts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, warmed
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Creme fraiche

To toast the pecans, place in a small, dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. Shake the pan handle gently to ensure even toasting. Remove from heat.

Cook pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp; transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

In a medium bowl, add Bisquick, milk, and egg white, and mix well until smooth. Gently stir in chestnuts. Let batter rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add maple syrup and cinnamon to a small pan and warm over a low simmer.

To make the pancakes, place a thin layer of canola oil on a pancake griddle over medium heat. Place a drop of batter on the skillet to make sure it's hot enough. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls (about 1 heaping). Cook pancakes until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a warm plate until ready to serve. Top with créme fraîche, pancetta, and cinnamon maple syrup.


You might also like my:
Potato, Pepper, and Onion Frittata
Heuvos Rancheros with Salsa Verde
Persimmon and Date Bread
Date, Fennel, and Pistachio Scones


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Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Home Sweet Home

The following are yesterday's verbatim forecasts from weather underground for two cities where I have lived. I still live in one. Can you guess which?

A. Freezing rain...sleet and periods of freezing drizzle...then rain...freezing rain...snow and freezing drizzle with possible sleet. Precipitation may be heavy at times. Snow and sleet accumulation around an inch. Lows in the mid 20s. Temperature rising into the mid 30s. Northeast winds around 5 mph...increasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

B. Sunny. High 73. Light winds.

I'll give you a hint. It's not A.

How do you decide where to live? Is it the weather? The quality of the public schools? Or is it based on the proximity to her mother's house? (Or for him, the distance from her mother's house?) Jeff and I have sacrificed things to live here in San Diego -- primarily family and finances. It sometimes seems like the right choice, and other times, not.

Take this weekend for example. We have all heard ad nauseam how the housing market is tanking. However, when Jeff and I talked to some realtors in San Diego, we learned that there are "micro-markets which are exempt from the decline."

Beautiful. 3.5 million square miles of dropping real estate in the US, and Jeff and I picked the 40 square feet where prices are still going up.

Unlike Jeff and me, Peabody's house hunting days are over. She and her husband have a lovely new home, and to celebrate, Peabody is hosting a housewarming party. I'm bringing her homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter. I know, that's the longest name ever, but it's not mine, it's Giada's.

When my parents were here for Thanksgiving, they gushed so much about Giada's sweet potato gnocchi that I surprised my dad and made them for his birthday. Honestly, they were delicious. Made with baked sweet potatoes and creamy fresh ricotta cheese, these gnocchi are pillowy and comforting. I especially love the way the fragrant, sweet, maple sauce clings to the grooves.

Here is Giada's recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi from her show Everyday Italian on the Food Network. For a copy of the recipe only, click here. I made the following changes:

• I substituted Garnet yams for sweet potatoes.
• I used pretty purple sage instead of green.
• I used about half the butter Giada called for, but that's up to you.
• I added toasted pecans on top because what's maple syrup without pecans?

See these posts for nice step-by-step photos on how to hand-make gnocchi.

Elise's guide for Potato Gnocchi
Coothink's guide for Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola
Bea's guide for Potato Gnocchi with Sauteed Mushrooms

I also like:
Simona's post and article about gnocchi
Katie's recipe for Pumpkin Gnocchi
Chow's recipe for Chestnut Gnocchi with Robiola Cheese Sauce
By the way, thank you Andrew of Spittoon for taking the time to add my Eat Christmas Cookies event to IMBB. I've put in a good word to Santa for you.

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