Over the last Few years I’ve developed a few staple original recipes and figured this would be a good place to catalogue them. I originally planned to keep these a secret and contained to notes on my fridge but I think it’s more like me to share the wealth with friends who like them.

Banana Muffins

This is the first recipe I ever worked on myself. I like these because they’re super fluffy instead of being dense like banana bread typically is.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 overripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla

pinch pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tray.
2. Combine softened butter, sugar, and eggs first. Beat until fluffy.
3. Beat In mashed overripe bananas, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour and mix until smooth and fully integrated.
5. Pour batter into muffin tray, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffins pass the toothpick test and are browned on top.

Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

Dedicated to Eleanor

I learned how to make these cookies because my dear friend eleanor gifted me some similar cookies for christmas and they were perfect. Many friends have Enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1/2 Cup WHITE Sugar

1/4 Cup Brown sugar

2 egg yolks, 1 egg white

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Pinch cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

Blackberry preserves (seedless)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet.
2. combine softened butter, egg, brown sugar and white sugar first, beat for 2-3 minute until fluffy.
3. Mix in baking soda, salt, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
4. With rubber spatula, gradually fold in the flour about 1/2 cup at a time. Dough should be crumbly, but able to be pressed together.
5. Roll dough into balls about 1.5 inches across. Place on cookie sheet, pressing a hole into the center with your thumb. Reform sides around the thumb hole if they crack apart excessively.
6. When all dough is used, use two teaspoons to scoop small bits of blackberry preserves into each of the thumb holes. You can eyeball how much preserves to fill the depth of the hole, but ideally not overflow. Sprinkle sugar over all cookies.
7. Bake for 18 minutes or until cookies start to brown slightly around the bottom.
8. Cool for 15 minutes and enjoy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

I created this recipe as a modified version of a pumpkin cheesecake my mom made one time. It was great.

Ingredients:

I sleeve Graham crackers

2 tbsp sugar

7 tbsp butter

2 eggs

4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 pack cream cheese

1 small can sweetened condensed milk

1 can pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. To make graham cracker crust, crush an entire sleeve of graham crackers into a fine crumb, mix with sugar and softened butter until integrated. Press firmly into the base of the baking dish.
3. For the filling, beat eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and salt until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour filling on top of graham cracker crust layer. You can sprinkle a little more pumpkin pie spice on top for style.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is set.
6. Cool for at least an hour, then chill in the fridge.

Banana Oat Bars

This one’s Dedicated to Jackson. His friend Madison made similar oat bars once which he loved so I tried my best to recreate them based on his description. They’re great.

Ingredients:

3 overripe bananas

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chunky apple sauce

1/2 cup sweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups whole oats

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. Mash overripe bananas, combine with all ingredients listed except for the oats and chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly.
3. Fold in oats and chocolate chips until fully integrated.
4. Pour mixture into the baking dish and use spoon to flatten .
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top browns slightly.
6. Cool for at least an hour, and chill in the fridge.

That’s it!