If You Love Someone... Make Them These Banana Bars


Monday night, my southern roots were in full form
as I hosted a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange.

Each invitee brought 2 dozen homemade cookies
and by the time everyone had arrived and gotten cozy,
it looked like we had landed ourselves 
inside some fantasy land of a seven year old.

We were up to our ears in cookies...
it was glorious!

I'm typically someone who would not try to do a practice run on a recipe.

My instinct is to just wing it
and, normally, things turn out okay.

But this weekend, 
I decided-
what the heck,
I'm as big as a house
and am not in the mood to go anywhere...
so I made a batch of these Biscoff Blondies.

Ugh.

They were so marginal and boring...
and while I'm really glad that I didn't offer them to my guests,
it left me in a bit of a panic on Monday afternoon 
to find a replacement.

I needed something easy to make
that didn't require a proper mixer....
because my Kitchenaid doesn't live in London.

{It lives in a pile of dust in my parent's attic
along with all of my crystal, china & other pretty things.}

My blood tests the night before showed that my potassium levels were running high
and so I realized that this might be the perfect way to use up the bananas
that I was no longer allowed to eat.

Voila!




I now present to you a DELICIOUS recipe
that is soooo easy to make
and the ingredients are really cheap.

{I always hate shelling out £20 for ingredients for baked goods. 
Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of making them at home?}

I think these probably took about 5-7 minutes 
from beginning to oven.

The frosting might have added another 5 minutes at the end.

Honestly, this recipe is a winner
and would be an easy thing to whip up tonight
to give to someone you love tomorrow.

{Besides, you most likely have 99% of these ingredients in your kitchen already.}





BARS:
1 cup sugar
2 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
1 regular pack of (light) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of vanilla

METHOD:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Mix the bananas, sugar, eggs & oil together in a bowl until it's a nice yellow, sloppy mix.
Stir in remaining ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon & salt).
Pour into greased pan (9x13) and put into oven for 25-30 minutes... 
or until a knife/toothpick comes out clean when inserted from the center.
Leave to cool for one hour.
Now is great time to toss the cream cheese & butter out on the counter to soften.

After you've run an errand, eaten some lunch or watched a little tv
while the banana bars cool,
come back to the kitchen and start on the frosting.
Mix all four ingredients in a bowl.
You can beat by hand or in a mixer... both will be yummy.

Spread on the cooled bars & cut into 6x4 rows.
Eat your heart out.



****


Mmm...

Wouldn't you feel loved if someone made you these?

Oh yeah.







*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy
*original recipe via here


29 comments:

  1. looks yummy! -Heidi http://fabricandfrosting.blogspot.no/

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  2. I want to eat these for breakfast. Also, I love when I have all the ingredients.

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  3. Yummy! Speaking of baked goods have you been to Hummingbird bakery, there's one on Portobello and one in South Ken...so delicious, the museli bars were my fav!

    PS if you want another recipe i'm sharing my easy pink champagne raspberry macaroon recipe tomorrow on my blog.

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  4. Can I just make them for myself? Happy heart day to me? Ha! Congrats on your impending arrival btw! :)

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  5. yummm. A Valentine's Day cookie swap sounds like the best idea!

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  6. YUM! These definitely look delicious and will be added to my "must make" list :)

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  7. Oh my. These are going to be made asap. I have such a sweet tooth right now, and eating biscoff by the spoonful probably isn't the best thing for my waistine.
    -Jess

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  8. Uh YEAH I'd feel loved if someone made these for me! I'm going to go make these for me... because I love myself... Thanks for sharing!

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  9. That looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with us all.

    XO

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  10. barefoot and pregnant, eating those, now that sounds lovely.
    and yes, I would feel loved if someone made those for me.
    yum.
    pve

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  11. Those look yummy and glad it doesn't take a lot of ingredients. I'm with you on that...defeats the purpose.

    yummy and what a fun cookie exchange idea.

    xx
    Bonnie Rose
    The Compass Rose

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  12. I've definitely learned to do a test run on blogger recipes (no offense to anyone!) But you just never know how it's going to turn out or someone else's cooking skills.

    This look delicious! I love fast and uncomplicated recipes! xx ~L

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  13. Mmm! These sound SO good and seem so easy to make! I can't wait to try them out! :D

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  14. I've been craving these since I saw them on your blog this morning. I'm pregnant too so I'm blaming my little one. =) I just made them and they were delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

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  15. Lately my family is obsessed with bananas. I must try these out. Hope you are doing well! Can't wait till those little ladies arrive! How exciting for you guys.

    xo,
    Camila
    http://blog.effortless-style.com

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  16. These look DELICIOUS! How in the world did you manage to make them and then not eat them all?!

    xxx
    Jenna

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  17. YUM. i'm a banana lover and i will definitely make these!

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  18. Lauren- These look amazing! Happy Valentines Day to me!!! Thanks for sharing.

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  19. Delish. I totally feel your "where is all that stuff I got when we got married?!" pain. We are still tying to wheel and deal people into schlepping our silverware to us...what's 5 pounds of stainless steel?!? Come on!

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  20. I can definitely vouch for how yummy these are! Thanks for posting the recipe. The icing was especially delish, and I'm going to have to make some!

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  21. I'm trying these this weekend! They look and sound delicious!

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  22. omg I have to make these! They look amazing!!

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  23. Invitation - inglês
    I'm Brazilian.
    Spent reading here, and visit his blog.
    I also have one, only much simpler.
    I'm inviting you to visit me, and if possible follow together for them and with them. I always liked to write, expose and share my ideas with people, regardless of class Social, Religious Creed, the Sexual Orientation, or, of Ethnicity.
    To me, what will interest is our exchange of ideas, and, thoughts.
    I'm there in my space Simpleton, waiting for you.
    And I'm already following your blog.
    Strength, Peace, Friendship and Happiness
    For you, a hug from Brazil.
    www.josemariacosta.com

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  24. Just made these today - easy peasy and super delish!! Thanks for the recipe :)

    hipshooray.wordpress.com

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad!! Thanks for letting me know... And I agree, so easy! :)

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  25. I love banana bread, bars...all of it! I have several bananas in the kitchen that have turned brown (on purpose) so perhaps I will surprise my family with these tomorrow.

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