After Dinner Desserts 4

Banana Bread
3 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

To Make: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas in a bowl until smooth. Stir in melted butter or margarine, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt and stir. Fold in flour until just combined. Pour into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake 55 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 and 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Make: Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pudding thickens and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter or margarine and vanilla. Pour into bowls and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Fried Bananas
3 bananas, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

To Make: Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add banana halves cut-side down and cook for 2 minutes until golden. Flip bananas carefully and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook for another 2 minutes until sugar melts and bananas are caramelized. Serve warm, plain or over vanilla ice cream.

Homemade Applesauce
6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

To Make: Place apples and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mash with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Serve warm or chilled.

Coconut Macaroons
2 and 2/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Make: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Stir together coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla and mix until all coconut is coated. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until edges and tops are golden. Let cool completely on the pan before removing.

Graham Cracker Icebox Cake
2 cups heavy whipping cream or 1 tub (8oz) whipped topping
2 tablespoons sugar (skip if using whipped topping)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 sleeve graham crackers
1 cup canned cherry pie filling

To Make: If using heavy cream, beat with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. If using whipped topping, stir in vanilla. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream in the bottom of an 8-inch square dish. Lay graham crackers in a single layer on top, breaking to fit. Spread half the whipped cream over crackers. Add a layer of cherry pie filling. Repeat cracker, cream, and fruit layers. Top with remaining cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Baked Pears with Brown Sugar
4 pears, halved and cored
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

To Make: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place pear halves cut-side up in a baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over pears. Dot each pear with a small piece of butter or margarine. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pears are tender and caramelized on top.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
4 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey or corn syrup
1/3 cup chocolate chips

To Make: Measure cereal into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter and honey or corn syrup over low heat and stir until smooth and warm. Pour over cereal and stir to coat evenly. Press into a greased 9-inch square pan. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Drizzle over top. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm, then cut into bars.

Old-Fashioned Rice Crispy Treats
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal

To Make: Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in cereal until evenly coated. Press firmly and evenly into a greased 13x9-inch pan using greased hands or a greased spatula. Let cool at room temperature 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Vanilla Wafer Banana Cream Dessert
1 box (3.4oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
3 ripe bananas, sliced
2 cups vanilla wafers
1 cup whipped topping

To Make: Whisk pudding mix and milk together for 2 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Fold in whipped topping. In a 9x13-inch dish, layer vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and pudding mixture. Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, ending with pudding on top. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

💗 Jo