Banana Bread

Hey!

It's been a minute. 

I'm 23 now.

My life is awesome. Ten-years-ago Smera would be freaking out.

I'm in grad school. I get to make so much art. I have the sweetest friends.

And I still use the same chocolate mousse recipe.

A couple of things have changed though. 

For example, I've come around on skirts. They can be pretty cute.

Also, I like banana bread now. Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas

• 1/2 cup butter (I always use salted)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips / chopped chocolate

Instructions:

1. Brown Butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn. Once browned, remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your glass pan with butter.

3. Bananas: Use a fork or potato masher to mash them until smooth.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients: In the same bowl with mashed bananas, add the brown butter and granulated sugar. Brown butter should be slightly cooled -- warm, not piping hot. Mix well until combined.

5. Incorporate Egg and Vanilla: Add egg to the banana mixture along with vanilla extract. Stir until fully combined.

6. Combine Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (if using).

7. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold chocolate into the batter.

8. Pour Batter into Pan: Pour the batter into the greased glass pan, spreading it evenly.

9. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

10. Cool and Serve: Once baked, remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Enjoy! Love you!

Smera

Pancakes!!

Delicious, fluffy, and unbelievably easy-to-make
pancakes that anyone will be able to whip up!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 1/4 milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbs melted butter

Method:

1.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2.  Make a well in the middle and pour inn the milk, egg, and butter. Mix just until smooth.
3.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over a medium intensity, and pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. Wait until bubbles begin to form to flip over. Brown both sides.
4.  Enjoy!!

Nutella Oreo Cheesecake!!

This cheesecake is one of the easiest recipes I've made and
creates the most delicious cheesecake out there. I recommend 
this effortlessly fancy treat for any sort of occasion!

Ingredients:
crust

• 9 ounces Oreo cookies, cream removed
• 6 tbsp melted unsalted butter

filling

• 35 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 
• 3/4 cup heavy cream + 2 tbsp, cold
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2/3 cup Nutella
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350* F. 
2. Remove cream from Oreo cookies and crush cookies in a food processor. Stir in melted butter, and blend again with food processor.
3. Pour Oreo mixture into a 10-inch springform pan with removable base. Use the back of a spoon to press it in and level it out.
4. Bake for 14 minutes, then leave to cool.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 300* F.
6. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add in 3/4 cup of heavy cream and beat until the mixture is fluffy and the heavy cream has begun to whip. 
7. Add in sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Then add in each egg one-by-one until each egg is incorporated.
8. Pour roughly a third of the mixture into a separate bowl and add in the 2/3 cup of Nutella. Mix thoroughly.
9. Pour white cheesecake mixture into pan, and then add layer of Nutella mixture.
10. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Leave it in the oven for an hour after baking is done, and then refrigerate overnight to set.
11. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

These chocolate chip cookies are the best treat for any day, and are great
fresh out of the oven or even dipped in milk! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, approx**

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350* F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and combine with both the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy, then add in salt, vanilla extract, and eggs. Beat until well mixed.
3. Whisk together flour and baking soda and slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips. **Add as much as you would like.
5. Using a tablespoon measure, drop heaping tablespoon sized balls of dough roughly 2 inches apart on the parchment paper. Try not to go over the tablespoon measure too much, because the cookies do expand quite a bit.
6. For chewy cookies, bake until the cookies are golden on the edges but still soft in the middle. This is about 10 minutes. For tougher cookies, bake until the edges are slightly browning and the middle is turning golden. This is about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes before eating.
7. Enjoy!!

Buttercream Fondant!!

This fondant is simple to make and very easy to apply on
any cake. I recommend using a buttercream frosting on the
cake you are using first, and then apply the fondant.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar, approx.**

Method:

1. Stir together the butter and corn syrup in a large bowl. Mix in the salt and vanilla extract.
2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. **You may need a lot more or a lot less than 5 cups depending on the consistency of your fondant. If the dough is sticky, keep adding powdered sugar until it is no longer sticky. 
3. Knead the dough or use the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer.
4. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then roll out on a powdered-sugar dusted surface and roll out until 1/8 inches thick or less. Drape over cooled and frosted cakes.
5. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Mousse!!

This mousse is a delectable treat that can be enjoyed
frosted over cakes, sandwiched in a truffle, or
just straight out of the bowl.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on medium-high heat until smoothly melted.
2. Off of the heat, add the egg yolks and butter. Place back onto the heat and stir until thick and fully incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar, and beat again until glossy.
4. In another bowl, whip the whipping cream.
5. Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipping cream, and then fold in the egg whites.
6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
7. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Frosting!!

This chocolate buttercream recipe is a
delectable treat that goes great with just
about any type of cake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar, approx.**
• 4 tablespoons milk, approx. ***

Method:

1. Cream butter in a mixer and add the cocoa powder slowly, then the vanilla.
2. **Add in the confectioner's sugar to taste and consistency. Some end up using just one or two cups, and sometimes four. It just depends on how sweet you want your frosting based on how sweet you cake is.
3. ***Add in the milk until it reaches your desired consistency. I usually use 4, but the more milk you add, the more fluid your frosting will be. It depends on what kind of cake or cookie you are using your frosting on.
4. Enjoy!