Buckwheat Banana Muffins

The CSA included a package of buckwheat flour in the last box, and I happened to have two super ripe bananas that I needed to make something with, so I came up with these muffins:

2 large bananas
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used fresh)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup buckwheat flour
scant 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
scant 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

-Combine bananas, eggs, almond extract and spices.
-Sift together soda, powder and flour.
-Stir dry ingredients into wet ones.
-Fold in chips and walnuts.
-Scoop into muffin tins.
-Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Result = a healthy, flavorful muffin! Doesn't need any added sugar because the bananas were so ripe and sweet.

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini is one of my favorite foods. It's, apparently, also having a "moment" in the culinary world. So when the NY Times posted this cookie recipe recently I knew I'd be making it ASAP. They were pretty good cookies, they have a slightly nutty flavor but I wouldn't be able to tell the nuttiness was from tahini if I didn't make the cookies myself. I like cookies to be chewy, and these were crispy-crunchy; if I make them again I won't cook them as long.

Yellow Butter Birthday Cake, Cherry Poppy Seed Cake, and the Browniest Cookies

I have been slacking with keeping up on this archive, but I have been baking a lot these past few weeks. Quick synopsis:

Elena's 4th birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and she requested something "sparkle-pink" (her favorite color) to eat for dessert. I made a classic yellow cake with white buttercream frosting in a 9 x 13" pan, using this recipe from The Kitchn. I found some really sparkly pink sanding sugar in the bulk bins at our supermarket, along with red writing icing and lollipop candles. I used a few drops of red food coloring to turn the cake batter light pink. Elena loved it!

Since I was serving brunch during her birthday party, I also wanted to include a baked good that adults might prefer. A few weeks prior to her party, I found this cherry poppy bread on David Leibovitz's site, so I figured it'd be a perfect time to give it a try. It came out exactly as in those pictures and it was so lemony and delicious. I'll definitely be making this one again. I love trying out alternatives to banana bread, and this was great.

Finally, my brother came to visit last weekend. When we were kids his favorite dessert was brownies; specifically, he loved a recipe my mom used to make called "Texas Brownies" which were made in a sheet pan and frosted. Since we are older and (in theory) have more sophisticated palates, I thought I'd try this very indulgent triple chocolate version from Smitten Kitchen, called "'the browniest cookies"  They were very rich and yummy. Everyone loved these.