Banana Nut Bark

The Setting: A cozy, warm apartment on an overcast day.

The Soundtrack: Storage Wars.

Steaming up the Oven: Nothing yet...trying to resist the urge to make brownies.

The Scenario: Something a little different for your holiday sweets swap.

I came up with the idea for a banana-bread-inspired bark a few weeks ago, brainstorming for some simple but fun treats for a Cookies for Kids' Cancer bake sale.

I didn't end up making the bark for the sale, but I've been haunted by the idea of it ever since.

Butterscotch chips and cinnamon chips are not standard in my pantry, but those were the ingredients I had envisioned. So I went for it.

It's not quite the banana bread in bark form I had hoped for; the specialty chips taste a little artificial (no big surprise); but I don't know...something about it is strangely appealing.

I'm pretty sure I won't be making this for every sweet swap on the holiday horizon, but it's a good one to file away for who-knows-when.

Baking chips, like chocolate, can be pretty temperamental. I prefer to melt them in the microwave rather than a double boiler because it's faster and, I feel, easier. The downside to this method is that the chips can scorch and become useless very easily. To avoid scorching and achieve the smoothest consistency, microwave for very short intervals, and stir for AT LEAST 30 seconds after each microwaving. Sometimes it looks like the chips need more heat when what they really need is more stirring (they're made to hold their shape when baked into cookies, after all). So stir, stir, stir!

Banana Nut Bark
2 cups banana chips
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups white chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 cup cinnamon chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse the banana chips several times in a food processor to coarsely chop. Set aside.

Toast the pecans in a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, tossing or stirring frequently, just until fragrant. Watch out--they'll go from perfect to burnt pretty quickly. Set aside.

Place the white chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the chips thoroughly. They will not be very melted at this point--stir them anyway. Microwave for 15 seconds; stir very thoroughly. Microwave 15 seconds; stir very, very thoroughly. If needed, continue microwaving for 15-second intervals, stirring very thoroughly after each. The key to un-scorched chocolate is "stir more, cook less."

Stir all but 1/3 cup of the crushed banana chips into the white chocolate.

Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet.

Melt the butterscotch chips following the same process used for the white chocolate, and stir in all but 1/4 cup of the toasted pecans.

Spread the butterscotch mixture evenly on top of the white chocolate mixture.

Melt the cinnamon chips and drizzle over the top of the butterscotch mixture. Drag a knife through the layers for a marbled effect. Note: if the layers have already begun to harden, you can place the baking sheet in the oven, turn to 200 degrees F, and let sit for just a minute to soften slightly.

Sprinkle the remaining banana chips and pecans evenly over the top.

Allow to set completely at cool room temperature before breaking into pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

Malted Milk Triple Chippers

The Setting: A delightfully breezy game-day in South Bend.

The Soundtrack: Football fans and festivities.

On the Stovetop: Nothing...still a bit full from the burger-and-brat double whammy I probably shouldn't have had for lunch.

The Scenario: It's hard to beat a classic chocolate chip cookie. Whether that means chewy, crisp, or flat-out doughy, it's really all about that perfect balance of brown sugar, butter, and bursts of bittersweet chocolate, accentuated with vanilla and enlivened with salt.

Though I force myself to curb my cookie intake more than I'd like (and admittedly less than skinny jeans would require), I jump at any excuse to whip up a batch of my biggest vice.

So when Hoosband asked if I could throw together some cookies for a meeting he had coming up, you can bet I had the mixer going before he could blink twice.

I'd intended to make our tried-and-true Bifecta Chocolate Chip Cookies, but, discovering I was completely out of all-important brown sugar, I quickly shifted into experimental mode, grabbed a container of malted milk powder, and came out with something slightly different but almost equally worthy of the elastic-waisted pants I'll likely be wearing all week as a result.

Malted Milk Triple Chippers

The trifecta of white, dark, and milk chocolate chips is an ideal accompaniment to the mysteriously addictive malted milk powder in these cookies, providing both contrast and complement to the ingredient's signature sweet, yet subtle, flavor. The cookies will not look done when you take them out of the oven, but do not fear--they will finish cooking on the baking sheet as they cool.

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 T pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
3/4 cups malted milk powder (I use Carnation)
1 tsp fine (not coarse) sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I prefer Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup semisweet (or dark, or bittersweet) chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Very lightly grease two large cookie sheets (alternatively, line the sheets with parchment paper). Make sure an oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven.

Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until once again light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, salt, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat on low for 30 seconds to incorporate. Increase speed to med-high and beat 1-2 minutes to mix well. Add the milk, dark, and white chocolate chips, beating on low just to distribute.

Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or spoon of your choice to drop two-tablespoon-or-so-sized mounds of dough approximately 2-3 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheets (about 6-9 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie sheet).

Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees F for 7-9, minutes or just until the dough has spread out, the cookies are BEGINNING to set, and the edges are just golden. The tops of the cookies will appear very pale and undercooked.

Allow to cool COMPLETELY on the sheet outside of the oven before transferring to a serving plate or airtight storage container. Store at room temperature for up to one week.

Repeat with remaining dough; alternatively, store remaining dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to one month. If freezing, thaw overnight in fridge when ready to use.

Makes approximately 30 cookies.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

Snow Showers and Cranberry Bliss

The Setting: I can just make out the spindly, black, two-dimensional backdrop of the tree line across the parking lot from my window. Everything else is WHITE.

The Soundtrack: Oia's babbles, grunts, and sighs--she's trying to learn to crawl.

Steaming up the (microwave) Oven: Leftover sweet potato curry with barley.

The Scenario: When your favorite boots, sweaters, and lovely knitted scarves have been stowed away for years because until recently you lived in the land of perpetual sunbathing, winter sounds like a winning concept for fashion purposes alone.

Cozy Currier and Ives images sled through your dreams, filling your fantasies with sleigh rides, snowmen and white Christmases...which is great...till the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Day.

Once the ball drops, sweaters go on clearance, bikinis take the floor, and images of Gidget or Frankie and Annette are the new ideal.

Too bad, since for most of us (latitude 35 and above) that's when Jack Frost is just coming out to play.

The worst part is, just to make sure you know that the fun times are over and serious winter has set in, the coffee shops take away the festive spiced lattes and the cheery holiday desserts you've been downing all December.

You can no longer linger over a comforting cranberry bar while your frostbitten fingers are counting the days till May....

Or can you?

Coffee Shop Christmas Cranberry Bars
Yes, I am a major Starbucks addict. Though I've tamed the raging latte-a-day habit I held for years, when the red cups come out, I have to have a Cranberry Bliss Bar. I admit I get a little depressed when they hibernate after the holidays, but now I can have one whenever I'd like, and so can you! Slightly chewier and richer in flavor than the real deals, these might just be my new favorite.

2 sticks butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 T very finely minced crystalized ginger
1 T freshly grated orange zest
1 large egg
1 tsp spiced rum (optional)
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine-grain salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks or chips, divided
2 cups sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped, divided

For the Icing:
8 oz Neufchatel or reduced fat cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp orange juice
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Butter a 9"x13" cake pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream the butter, brown sugar, crystalized ginger, and orange zest together with an electric mixer till light and fluffy. Add egg and rum (if using), beating till well mixed.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, soda and powder. Add to butter mixture, beating on low speed to incorporate. Gently blend in 1 3/4 cups chopped cranberries and 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips or chunks (reserving the remainders for garnish).

Spread dough into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and just set in the center--do not overbake. Allow to cool completely in pan before frosting.

While the sheet is cooling, beat all icing ingredients together in a clean bowl with the electric mixer till smooth.

When the pan is cool to the touch, spread the icing evenly over the top and sprinkle with reserved cranberries.

Place reserved white chocolate in a microwave-safe cup or mug and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir vigorously with a fork. If necessary, continue microwaving for 15-second intervals, stirring vigorously after each until the white chocolate can be stirred completely smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the sheet using the fork. Allow white chocolate to harden (at least 15 minutes) before cutting into bars.