Upside-Down Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 6-8
4-5 ripe bananas
3 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced
Vanilla ice cream


PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas.
Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and cinnamon, mixing until evenly incorporated.
Add the flour and mix until the batter has no large pockets of flour. Set aside.
In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, then mix in the brown sugar until dissolved.
Bring up the heat to medium, cooking until the mixture starts bubbling.
Remove the caramel from heat and pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
Lay the banana slices evenly on top of the caramel.
Spread the banana bread batter on top.
Bake 40-50 minutes.
Cool until the bottom is barely warm and use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan.
Place a plate upside-down on top of the pan, then invert the pan, flipping the banana bread onto the plate.
Slice, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 9
Cooking spray
6 graham crackers, whole
½ box vanilla cake mix, prepared according to package
1 pound strawberries with tops removed
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
8 ounces whipped topping
Strawberries for garnish


PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F/175C.
Spray a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Take 5 of the graham crackers and arrange them in the pan, breaking some of them to fill in the gaps.
Crush the remaining graham cracker and set aside.
Pour the vanilla cake batter on the graham cracker base, then bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, poke 4 rows of 4 holes in the cake, making 16 holes total.
In a large bowl, mash strawberries with a whisk until very fine.
Add cream cheese and condensed milk, whisking until there are no large lumps.
Add the milk, stirring until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the cake and set until the cake has absorbed as much of the mixture as it can. Some of the mixture will still stay on top, which is okay.
Spread the whipped topping evenly on top.
Chill the cake anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.
Slice, and serve with strawberries and the reserved graham cracker crumbs.

Cracker Candy

Here's what you need:
1 tube of saltines (~ 40 crackers +)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (either salted or unsalted; do not use margarine)
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer light)
1 bag chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet)
1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans (or toasted chopped almonds)


Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line cookie sheet with foil & spray with non-stick cooking spray. Line crackers end to end on sheet, breaking crackers to fit the end if necessary. In a saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and turn heat to medium. Continue stirring until boiling – then boil for 3 minutes (set timer). Pour over crackers, spread evenly working quickly. Put sheet into oven – bake for 5 minutes. Remove – pour chocolate chips over top – place a sheet of foil over and let melt for ~3 minutes. Spread melted chocolate over the top evenly. Add nuts to top – replace foil and refrigerate until set
(can be frozen)