Peanut Butter Zabaglione over Grilled Bananas

We are half moved in.   

Only half.  :(  :(  :(  :(

Wait.

Already HALF!!!!  :)  :)  :)  :) 

I'm trying to work on my attitude.

More specifically, I am trying to be less negative and sarcastic, and more positive and uplifting.  But can I tell you a little secret?

IT AIN'T ALL THAT EASY SOMETIMES, PEEPS!!!!

*Breathe*  Happy happy joy joy.  Rainbows.  Puppies.  Unicorns. *Exhale*

But I press on.  I press on towards that goal.  I will get there one day!!!

Here's something positive.  I finally cooked a real meal in my new kitchen.  In fact, I have cooked two real meals.  See?  See all the positive?

I won't mention that I have yet to move my dining room table.  Because that would be negative.  So I'll just keep that to myself.

But I also made this dessert!  In my new kitchen!

Zabaglione is an Italian custard made from a whole lot of egg yolks AND it starts with a Z so how cool is that?  How many Z things have you eaten lately, huh?  Probably not many.  That's a great reason to make it right there.

Here is a link to listen to how to pronounce it.  It's a tad tricky, but just think how you will impress everyone.  Plus, it's kind of fun to say even if you are just talking to yourself.

This zabaglione has peanut butter in it and is served over bananas that have been grilled.  I love this dessert.  It's kind of elegant, but it's kind of not.  It's like it's both.  Awesome.

 Here are my notes:

-I think this dessert is best served immediately.  The zabaglione gets very thick as it cools, so I like to keep it warm sitting over the water so it's easy to spoon over the bananas.

-You will need ripe but firm bananas.  I wouldn't use them if they are too soft.  They'll probably fall apart.

-It only takes a minute to grill the bananas if your grill pan is very hot.  And you don't have to coat the bananas heavily in brown sugar.  Just a little bit is enough to get a crunchy caramelized exterior.  This time I used dark brown sugar and they were lovely, just lovely.

 

Peanut Butter Zabaglione over Grilled Bananas

Printable Recipe

8 large egg yolks

1 cup packed light brown sugar, divided

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ripe but firm bananas

2 tablespoons melted butter

6 tablespoons chopped honey-roasted peanuts

Whisk the egg yolks and 2/3 cup light brown sugar in a medium glass bowl until smooth.  Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.  Whisk until it has thickened and the sugar dissolves, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off heat.  Whisk the peanut butter and vanilla into the egg mixture. Cover and leave the peanut butter mixture over the water to keep warm.

Peel bananas and cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half horizontally. Place 1/3 cup brown sugar into a pie plate.  Spray a grill pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over high heat until very hot.  Brush bananas with melted butter, then carefully press each banana piece in the brown sugar until coated front and back, shaking off excess.  Grill bananas until golden brown and caramelized, flipping once.  Divide the bananas into 6 dessert bowls or glasses, then spoon the zabaglione over the top.  Sprinkle each with the peanuts.

Catching My Breath

You know that scene from The Sound of Music where Liesl gets kissed by Rolfe, then she throws her hands out in front of her and shouts "WEEEEEEE!!!" like she is soooo ridiculously giddy and happy and without a care in the world?

Well, I do not feel like that today.

Have I mentioned that I am in the middle of moving?  And since it has been about fourteen years since I last changed residences, I had forgotten what a god-awful experience it is.  I bought my mother's house last month and my sister and I spent all last week moving her and my stepfather into their new place.  (We coined a new term term too--Organized Hoarding.  JUST KIDDING, MOM!  Sort of.)   Now I get to repeat the whole process AGAIN.  Only add some painting and some repair work to it.  I'm about three fourths crazy right now and I haven't cooked anything worth anything in a week and a half.  And what's even worse than that is that I have ignored some basic grooming tasks like eyebrow plucking because how can I justify that extra seven minutes in front of a magnifying mirror when there are cabinets to be wiped out and dishes to be boxed up?

*I am a hideous beast*

And in the middle of all this, my cell phone had a bad accident and now the battery won't stay in, which causes it to shut down every ten minutes.  I did manage a temporary fix until I have a pocket of time to figure out what kind of new phone I should get. 

On the bright side, the office clips look very Easter-y, wouldn't you say?

And because we're in transition, I have little food in my home.  And I have discovered that having groceries in your home is an integral part of having a successful food blog.  Which means epic fail for Mississippi Kitchen.  A good amount of my daily caloric needs this week have been met with Biscoff and Nilla wafers, which was fine the first 6 times I ate it, but now my body is crying out for protein.

What I wouldn't give for a home-cooked meal.  *Sigh*

But, and this is a big but, I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.  I really am.  Soon, and by soon I mean maybe two weeks,  I will be settled and I will be doing the fun stuff like gardening in my new yard and getting to know all of these trees and plants I have.  And cooking.  Because I'm starving.

Be back as soon as possible.  With food.:)

Whole Wheat Pancake and Waffle Master Mix

Everyone needs a good, basic pancake and waffle recipe in their repertoire, and mine has always been the basic recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook.   I recently got smart though, and developed a master mix by adapting and combining both the pancake and waffle recipes to save some time in the mornings.  Or at dinner.  (Yeah, sometimes we do this.)

I am partial to whole wheat pancakes and waffles.  When I eat pancakes made of all-purpose white flour, although they taste glorious, they just don't stick with me long, and leave me feeling lethargic and lazy later on in the day.  When I switched to 100% whole wheat flour a few years ago, I found I tolerated them much better and didn't suffer from that sugar crash.  Plus, I love the texture of the whole wheat.  Really, these are every bit as good as the white ones.

Here are my notes:

-I prefer buttermilk to milk in this recipe, but you could use either one.  I tested with both.  I think the buttermilk tastes better and richer.  

-I prefer melted butter, but oil will work fine too.

-I usually add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin out the batter when making it with buttermilk because it is super thick.

-You can find 100% whole wheat flour by the regular flour in the baking aisle.

-The yield will vary depending on the size of your pancakes and waffle maker.

-My personal favorite is when I load them with blueberries, but the banana and mini chocolate chip ones I made the other day were excellent too.  My hubby likes toasted pecans in his.

Whole Wheat Pancake and Waffle Master Mix

(Adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook)

Printable Recipe

Dry Master Mix:

(Single Recipe)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

(Quadruple recipe)

4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

(8 X recipe)

8 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoons salt

To make the dry mix, stir all ingredients together very well, then place in an airtight container to store at room temperature or in refrigerator. (I put all my ingredients in my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment, then whisk on low speed for 1-2 minutes to thoroughly mix.)

Pancakes (1 batch)

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter

1 1/4 cups master mix

Whisk first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended.  Add mix and stir until just blended.  It’s okay if there are some lumps.  Don’t over mix.  (This makes a very thick batter.  I usually stir in about 2 tablespoons water to thin out, but you can adjust the amount to your liking.)  Cook on a buttered griddle until golden brown.

Waffles (1 batch)

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter

1 1/4 cups master mix

Whisk first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended.  Add mix and whisk just until blended.  It’s okay if there are some lumps.  Don’t over mix.  (This makes a very thick batter.  I usually stir in about 2 tablespoons water to thin out, but you can adjust the amount to your liking.)  Cook in a hot waffle maker that has been brushed with butter.

*Whole milk can be substituted.  Decrease to 1 cup.

*Stir in berries, bananas, or toasted nuts to the batter as variations.  Or chocolate chips.