Banana Nut Cake

Add chocolate chips or make these into muffins. mmmm!
2 1/3 cup flour
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas
2/3 cups chopped nuts
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/.4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt


Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 13x9x2 inch pan.

Beat all ingredients on low speed, scraping sides of bowl constantly, 30 secs.
Beat on high for 3 min. Pour into pan

Bake for 45 to 50 min. Frost with Creamy vanilla frosting or just sprinkle with icing sugar.

Maple Oat Cookies

These are a healthy, nutty, crunchy delight! My friend found this recipe on a korean website and we baked them together. Its really versatile - add any sort of nut, seed, coconut etc - whatever tickles your fancy!

Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C wholewheat flour
1- 1.5 C plain oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
100g butter
2/3 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup nuts (or seeds etc)

Mix together butter and brown sugar. Beat the egg in a seperate bowl and add to the sugar mixture. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, then add to the sugar mixture. Add oatmeal and nuts.
Shape into balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake on 360 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Chocolate Squash Cake

This is a delicious, chocolatey cake and you can use zucchini or yellow squash. Once the cake is cooked you don't even notice it!

Heat Oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

Cream together:

1/2C butter
1/2C oil (or applesauce)
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Beat in 2 eggs. Then stir in 1/2 C yogurt or sourcream alternately with 2 1/2C flour.
Add 3/4 C cocoa powder and 2 tsp expresso (optional). Fold in 2 C shredded zucchini and 1/2 C chocolate chips.

Bake for 35-40 minutes and frost with chocolate icing if desired!

Carrot Cake - Joy of Cooking

This is a lovely, flavour-filled cake from the recipe book "Joy of Cooking". Use apple-sauce instead of the oil and it makes the cake really moist.

Grease and flour two 9x2" round pans, two 8" square pan, or one 13x9" rectangle pan.

Whisk together:

1 1/3 C flour
I C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together and then combine with the flour mixture: 2/3 C vegetable oil (or applesauce) and 3 eggs

Stir in: 1 1/2C shredded carrots, 1C chopped walnuts (or cashews), 1C raisins, 1/2 C crushed pineapple, drained lightly (optional)

Bake 25-30 minutes for rounds/square pans or 30-35 minutes rectangle pan.
Allow to cool and then frost with cream-cheese icing, or brown butter frosting.

Quick Brown Butter Icing
Heat 6 T butter in a sauce pan on medium heat and stir constantly. Gradually whisk in 1 1/4 Cups Icing/powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Scrape into bowl and beat til smooth. Use immediately.