Lemon Crinkle Cookies

This recipe was the winning cookie on an L.D.S. Web site. I tried it and thought it was very good. I love chocolate crinkles, but this lemon version is light, crisp and has just enough lemon to say it is Spring...bring on the citrus. Not too sweet either, but rolled in powdered sugar to give them the typical crinkled look. I am also glad to say that this cookie, when stored covered, did not dry out but remained chewy. Oh, go on, give it a try!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar. Mix well and chill for 30 minutes. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls and roll dough balls in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-11 minutes at 350 degrees until barely browned on edges and matte (not shiny and damp looking). Cool 3 minutes before removing to cookie racks to cool. Makes about 40? Can't really remember and now we have eaten them all!

Jacked up banana bread

For years I've been making different banana breads, in hopes of finding a really great one and saving that recipe. And for years, I've made banana breads that weren't banana-y enough. Even the highest-rated ones on allrecipes.com, which is my go-to site for recipes, weren't that great.

Last night I was bored and decided to do something with my overripe bananas. On a whim, I went to one of the ultimate great food blogs, smittenkitchen, for inspiration. Thankfully, she had a banana bread recipe, and more thankfully, it's fantastic! I've learned that the secret to better banana bread is (and please don't laugh if this sounds silly).... MORE BANANAS. WHO KNEW. Most of the banana bread recipes out there use 2 or 3 bananas for a 9x5 loaf. This one uses 4 for a 8x4 loaf. So here 'tis:

JACKED UP BANANA BREAD

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (depending on the level of sweetness you prefer, she uses the smaller amount, I use the larger of course)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

YUM.