Mascarpone Banana Nut Bread

Who doesn't love a warm slice of banana nut bread.....yummmmm!!!!

I didn't know the banana nut bread existed while I lived in India. Come to the US and Thanks to Starbucks, and there it is - the Banana Nut Bread. My husband never leaves Starbucks without a slice with his coffee. My 3-year old son has taken after and expects the same when we visit a Starbucks. Why spend $3 for a slice when you can make a loaf for probably lesser, says the Mallu me :)

I have always used the recipe from The Kitchn and it never failed me.

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-the-simplest-easiest-recipe-139900

Come Thanksgiving 2020 and I had bought mascarpone from Trader Joe's for the mashed potatoes (separate blog another day). With so much mascarpone remaining in the tub and reading and tasting it's sweet notes, I realized it could be added to a cake. 

Rotting bananas on the counter, mascarpone in the refrigerator and time on my hands, gave birth to my own recipe of the Mascarpone Banana Nut Bread. One slice down and Ajit goes looking for a domain for me on GoDaddy (how sweet :)). at this point I don't have a domain, but who knows, some day!!!!!

Changes I made to the recipe from The Kitchn

Ingredients Substituted:

1 cup white sugar       1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar

3 ripe bananas            4 ripe bananas

1 stick butter               Took away 2 Tbsp off the stick and added 2 Tbsp Mascarpone Cheese

I always add walnuts and chocolate chips (who doesn't love a lil chocolate?)

I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer and followed the recipe. About 30 mins in to the baking I pulled out the bread/cake and tented the mold with foil and pushed it back in for another 25mins.

Viola! I gave birth to the most amazing, yummy Mascarpone Banana Nut Bread (Haven't checked if this recipe exists anywhere on google, but today I invented it)

Not 'cos I made it but its a yummy, super soft, a lil heavier and richer version of the humble Banana Nut Bread. I am definitely a happier woman now than when I started the day.

Falafel

Falafel...….

After many, many years, here I am logged in to my blog. I have only used this blog to pen crazy feelings of happiness and sadness during my younger days. Not that I am old :) but I am a mom now and jobless at the moment, locked indoors due to the Covid pandemic, so what else other than cooking to fill the hours in a day. I am going to record my cooking experimentations to come in handy and record the recipe for later.

A weekly Friday outing to Shawarma King for some yummy shawarma was the only thing we looked forward to during the pandemic. I've eaten one too many falafels some greasy, some tasteless. I used the recipe from https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/falafel/. Not bragging but the falafel I made was one of the best I've eaten so far. My husband from who's mouth a praise for a new dish rarely appears said it was even better than what we get at Shawarma King. I'll take that :D

If you've made a parippu vada before, Falafel is no rocket science. Its the Mediterranean parippu vada. I substituted red chilly pwd instead of cayenne and besan for the chickpea powder from Tori's recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper, might even make an appearance while hosting sometime in the future.Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, just like meee (shady dialogue!)