Banana Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting + S.A.D. Lightbox Food Photography

February 1, 2013 By

banana bars with peanut butter frosting

I discovered something really great two nights ago when I made these banana bars.

I really wanted to take pictures of them that night, but I’m so terrible at taking light box pictures.  Like, really bad.  They always turn out orange and dark no matter how hard I try.

So I said “see ya” to the light box, but I wanted to try to take a good quality night photo.  I wasn’t going to give up (even though I really sucked.  Seriously).

Anyway,  we have a light box at our house for Seasonal Affective Disorder.  (Side note: I recommend these even if you don’t have SAD…it’s nice to get a little “sun” in the winter time).  I decided that since the light box is supposed to mimic the sun, maybe it has the same sun qualities for food photography.

Welllll… here’s how they  turned out:

uses for overripe bananas

fluffy peanut butter frosting on banana bars

jif peanut butter frosting on banana bars

Pretty good, right?  I mean they’re not super amazing, but none of my photos are professional level anyway.

In conclusion (lol) you should get a Seasonal Affective Disorder light box if you’re wanting to try food photography without natural light.  It’s cheap and you can get more use out of it than just food photos.

Oh yeah, and these banana bars are pretty good, too, but you can’t really go wrong with peanut butter and banana. ;)  Plus, this lovely recipe is from Betty Crocker and she knows dessert.  The fluffy frosting is from AllRecipes.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Banana Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Bars:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Frosting:
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  3. Spread in pan.
  4. Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer.
  6. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

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SAD lightbox for food photography

Filed Under: Banana, Banana Bread, Bars, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Frosting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



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Peanut Butter 7 Layer Pie

January 3, 2013 By

seven layer pie

Every year, my hometown has a festival for the MKT railroad and there are all sorts of festivities.

My (obvious) favorite is the pie festival.  Volunteers from the town bring homemade pies to a gathering center and then the pies are sold by the slice or full to anyone who wants one.  It’s a great idea and there’s never any pie left.

Well, Kellen’s grandpa’s favorite pie from this festival is the Catholic church priest’s “secret pie.”  I tried the pie and realized it tasted exactly like 7 layer bars.  His grandpa’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to make something special for him, so I made this 7 layer pie.  Fortunately for me, his grandpa can’t taste anything anymore, but I think I got the right recipe. ;)  This is seriously the easiest, tastiest pie you’ll ever make.

Did you all have a good New Year’s Eve? Any New Year’s Resolutions?

the easiest pie you'll ever make

7 layer pie

I got this delicious recipe from Food.com.

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7 Layer Pie
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Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup butter
  • Filling:
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Melt butter and pour over graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut in a large bowl; stir until combined. Cool slightly and press with your hands into the bottom and sides of the buttered pie plate.
  4. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least 20 minutes while preparing filling.
  5. Spread slightly melted soft peanut butter evenly on the crust bottom with a plastic or offset spatula.
  6. Evenly scatter the peanuts, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on top of the crust.
  7. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the filling. Gently shift the pan to make sure the milk has been distributed evenly.
  8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Chill for an hour in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.

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magic bar pie

Filed Under: Butter, Butterscotch, Butterscotch Chips, Chocolate, Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chips, Coconut, Easy and Delicious, Easy Recipes, Graham Crackers, Peanut Butter, Pie Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



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Pumpkin Filled Peanut Butter Cups

November 13, 2012 By

pumpkin filled peanut butter cups

Who doesn’t love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?  And, who doesn’t love pumpkin? What about pumpkin filled peanut butter cups!?

Even if you don’t love pumpkin, I’m going to force you to love it (for now) because it’s November.   To be honest, I thought that mixing peanut butter and pumpkin sounded kind of disgusting, but I decided to try it just in case it did work, and it did! Yay… I’m very thankful!

Speaking of that, I don’t know if you’ve been following the “What I’m thankful for” posts on every social media outlet, but I’ve noticed them and, although I have many things I’m thankful for, today I’m thankful for my animals.  That may seem like a minor thing to be thankful for, but I loooove my animals.

cute miniature sheltie portrait

Sunny, my miniature sheltie

siamese cat glares at sheltie dog

Francis, my Siamese kitty, glaring at Sunny

pretty siamese cat with piercing blue eyes

Francis… isn’t he pretty?

cats lounging together on porch in summer

Francis and Chloe, my Persian with two different colored eyes

black and white tabby cat winking at owner

Tabby, my old Tabby cat

I have so much to be thankful for that the short amount of days in November could never do them all justice, but I’ll continue to post things I am thankful for throughout the month.

pumpkin filled peanut butter cups stacked

center of a pumpkin peanut butter cup

a bunch of homemade peanut butter cups

stack of homemade pumpkin peanut butter cups

This delicious recipe is adapted from One Good Thing by Jillee.

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Pumpkin Filled Peanut Butter Cups
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Serves: 48
 

Ingredients
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup pumpkin
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 3 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • Cooking Spray
  • Mini Cupcake Papers

Instructions
  1. Melt peanut butter in microwave.
  2. Empty the peanut butter into a bowl and beat in the powdered sugar and pumpkin puree.
  3. Melt the chocolate chips and oil together and stir until smooth.
  4. Drop one tablespoon of chocolate into a mini cupcake liner and spread around the bottom and edges.
  5. Place in freezer for 5 minutes, or until frozen.
  6. Take out and place one tablespoon of pumpkin peanut butter mixture in each liner.
  7. Freeze for 5 more minutes.
  8. Take out and spoon the rest of the melted chocolate evenly over each peanut butter cup.
  9. Place in freezer until hardened.

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Recipe Type: Peanut Butter Cups
Cuisine: Dessert/Snack
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
A little spin on the original peanut butter cups. Can’t go wrong with pumpkin peanut butter cups!
Ingredients
Instructions

homemade pumpkin peanut butter cups with a fall background

Filed Under: Chocolate, Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Homemade Reese's, How to Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Fudge, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Dip, Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spread Tagged With: , , , ,



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Candy Corn White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

October 25, 2012 By

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Okay, so thanks to help from you guys, I decided to be Kristen Wiig as the Target Lady.  If you haven’t seen her as the Target Lady, you have to watch the following clip:


Isn’t she hilarious?!  I’ll post pictures afterward.

If you’re still trying to think of desserts to prepare for Halloween, I can help.  Make these!  They’re simple and it’s just a little twist on the famous Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

pbsteps

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Candy Corn White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from: All Recipes

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Candy Corn White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Recipe type: Cookie
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 40 miniature white chocolate peanut butter cups, unwrapped
  • 40 pieces of candy corn

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
  3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk.
  4. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. I put mine in miniature cupcake holders.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball.
  6. Once the peanut butter cups get melty, place a piece of candy corn on each cookie.
  7. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

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Filed Under: Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Cookie Dough, Cookie Dough Ball Bites, Cookie Dough Balls, Cookies, Peanut Butter, peanut butter white chocolate chip cookies, White Chocolate Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



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Peanut Butter Butterfinger Frosted Brownies

July 21, 2012 By

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Okay, I cheated.

I know I’ve said a million times that I hate using box mixes, but I didn’t say I don’t use box mixes.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends made brownies and everyone ate theirs with peanut butter.  Why wouldn’t they?  Peanut butter and chocolate are the ultimate culinary couple.

That’s when I thought, “dduuuhhh, I have to make brownies with peanut butter frosting.”  The Butterfinger’s were just a given.  Why wouldn’t I add them?

So, there’s that.  And then, I fed them to everyone I know and they were devoured isntantly.

These are a definite crowd pleaser.  There’s only a certain few recipes that I’ll make more than once, and this is one.

What’s your favorite way to spice up boxed brownie mixes?

 

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Peanut Butter Butterfinger Frosted Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 2 regular sized Butterfinger’s
  • 9×13 inch pan of brownies (I used Betty Crocker)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner’s sugar.
  3. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cream.
  4. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar.
  5. Slowly fold in crushed up Butterfinger’s.
  6. Frost cooled brownies.

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Filed Under: Brownies, Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Fudge, Fudge-like Brownies, Fudgy Brownies, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Frosting Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



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Peanut Butter Frosting Filled Cookies Rolled in Hot Chocolate

July 16, 2012 By

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I’ve made cookies with frosting in the dough before.  I don’t typically like to make the same recipe twice (I know, I’m weird) but the great thing about these that there are so many possibilities.  I mean, you can use any type of frosting you want.

This time, I used peanut butter frosting… uhhhhhhh yum.  Then, I did somethin’ crazy and rolled them in hot chocolate mix.  Like I said, crazy.  Sometimes I worry about myself getting too crazy.  I mean, just yesterday I lost $40 at the the casino.  What’s next?! 

But really, these cookies are super good.  My mom hates peanut butter, but she loved these.  Imagine how much you’ll like them if you love peanut butter.  

What’s your favorite frosting flavor?

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Peanut Butter Frosting Filled Cookies Rolled in Hot Chocolate
Adapted from: The Caramel Cookie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup peanut butter frosting
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot chocolate mix (or enough for rolling)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet or line with a silpat.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.
  3. In a seperate bowl, mix the frosting, egg, vanilla, and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until well combined.
  5. By tablespoon fulls, roll cookies in hot chocolate mix.
  6. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet.  Press on them lightly.
  7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  They’ll be a tad gooey when you pull them out.

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Filed Under: Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Cookies, Frosting, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Frosting, Vanilla Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,



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