Mango Banana Muffins

Mangos and bananas are two of my favorite fruits. Bananas are a staple food in most homes, available year round, perfect pair of peanut butter, and cheap too. Mangos are sadly only around for a very short time every year, expensive, but oh so yummy! If I had to choose 3 things to eat for the rest of my life, mangos and bananas would definitely be on my list. 

I am not a big fan of muffins, but when I came across this recipe I thought they would be a lovely addition to a sunday morning breakfast, specially because I had ripe bananas and some mangos laying around. The muffins were delicious with some homemade strawberry preserve that I got at a strawberry festival, where by the way they had no strawberries for sale! At least, they had really good homemade ice cream with strawberries. 

Happy sunday!

Mango Banana Muffins

Recipe slightly adapted from EatLiveRun

Makes 14-16 muffins

Ingredients

1 big ripe banana, mashed

1 ripe mango

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Pure the mango in a blender.

3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut flakes.

4. In another bowl, whisk mango pure, mashed banana, oil, and eggs. 

5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth, try to not over mix (the batter will be thick).

6. Scoop batter into muffin tins (either greased or using cupcake paper liners). Sprinkle top of muffins with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I set my timer for 20 minutes and they were perfect.

Enjoy with some homemade jam! 

Anniversary Dulce de Leche Bars

I will start by saying that if you don't like cooking or baking or you think you can't bake or cook, it doesn't matter. This recipe will make everybody think that you are one AWESOME cook! 

Dulce de leche is so good! It is the Latin-American version of caramel and it is so much better; but then again I am biassed because I love my hispanic flavors. Dulce de leche is made with sweetened milk, hence the name; on the other hand, caramel is made from sugar. It is great on toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes, or just as a midnight snack replacing peanut butter (just not as healthy :)

This bars came together in no time. Mix store bought sugar cookie dough, oatmeal, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bake once. Spread dulce de leche from a can (or something fresh from the store if you are in Latin-America). Cover with second half of sugar cookie dough, oatmeal, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bake again. Cool down. Refrigerate (the longest part of the process!) EAT!!!!! 


Happy 2 year anniversary to my lovely husband and Happy birthday to my friend Valerie! 

Dulce de Leche Bars

Ingredients

2 rolls of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 1/2 cup quick oats or old fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 cans dulce de leche*
9x13 baking pan


Directions

1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Grease baking pan.
2. Stir or knead 1 roll of sugar cookie dough, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3/4 cups oats, 1 tsp vanilla. Press mixture evenly on the baking pan until you have an even crust. Bake for 14 min. (The crust will continue to bake on the step 4).
3. While crust is in the oven, soften dulce de leche in a small saucepan until it is soft enough to spread easily on crust. Spread on crust that you baked on step 2.
4. Stir or knead the rest of the cookie ingredients: 1 roll sugar cookie dough, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cups oats, 1 tsp vanilla. Crumble this mixture evenly over the dulce de leche. Bake for 20-25 min or until somewhat golden brown. Bars will continue to cook once you take them out of the oven.
5. Let them cool for 30 min. Then refrigerate for 1 hour. 
6. Cut in squares of your desired size and ENJOY!