In honor of National Banana Bread Day (no kidding), my husband and I are sharing a fantastic banana bar recipe that we published in our 13th Coffeehouse Mystery.
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Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
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Two layers of flavor and texture make these bars an outstanding treat. A soft banana cake layer floats over a rich, brownie-like base laced with chocolate chips.
It sounds complicated, yet it's very easy to make, and a perfect snack for afternoon coffee breaks or late-night noshing. These beautiful bars make a great home-baked gift for friends and family, too.
It sounds complicated, yet it's very easy to make, and a perfect snack for afternoon coffee breaks or late-night noshing. These beautiful bars make a great home-baked gift for friends and family, too.
Now let's start baking!
This giveaway is now over.
Congrats to our winner,
Melissa Nunez!
And don't miss the fun, new contests
coming up in our next
Coffeehouse Mystery Newsletter.
To sign up, click here.
Cleo Coyle's
Chocolate-Bottom Banana Bars
You'll notice we put a bit of earthy espresso powder in our chocolate bottom layer. Yes, we’re coffee fiends, but here’s the truth. You won’t taste coffee, only a more powerful note of chocolate. As bakers know, espresso powder is a way to deepen the flavor of chocolate in recipes.
These bars pair beautifully with coffee, espresso, and strong black teas.
May you bake them with love and eat with joy!
~ Cleo
Yield: 16 squares (one 9‑inch-square pan)
Ingredients:
2 cups mashed ripe* bananas (about 4 to 6 depending on size)
*See my note at the end of this recipe to ripen bananas in the oven
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup canola oil (or cold-pressed coconut oil, melt before measuring)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten with fork
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt or finely ground sea salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Step 1—Prep oven and pan: First preheat your oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9‑inch-square pan with parchment paper, allowing the ends to hang over the side like handles. You’ll use those handles to easily lift the baked banana bar slab out of the pan. Coat paper lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Step 2—Make batter: Combine your 2 cups of mashed bananas and sour cream with a fork. Add the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fork-whisk well (or use an electric mixer) to blend until smooth. Now add your flour and mix until a lumpy batter forms, but do not over-mix at this stage.
Step 3—Create chocolate bottom: Remove 1 cup batter and place it into a separate bowl. Add cocoa and espresso powder, fork-whisking until the batter is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, and (optional) chopped walnuts.
Step 4—Assemble and bake: Spread the chocolate batter across the entire bottom of the prepared pan. Take your time, using the back of a spoon to spread the batter all the way into the corners. Be sure the layer is even. Now pour your remaining banana batter on top and once again use the back of a spoon to even out the layer (otherwise your bars will bake up lopsided). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 2—Make batter: Combine your 2 cups of mashed bananas and sour cream with a fork. Add the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fork-whisk well (or use an electric mixer) to blend until smooth. Now add your flour and mix until a lumpy batter forms, but do not over-mix at this stage.
Step 3—Create chocolate bottom: Remove 1 cup batter and place it into a separate bowl. Add cocoa and espresso powder, fork-whisking until the batter is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, and (optional) chopped walnuts.
Step 4—Assemble and bake: Spread the chocolate batter across the entire bottom of the prepared pan. Take your time, using the back of a spoon to spread the batter all the way into the corners. Be sure the layer is even. Now pour your remaining banana batter on top and once again use the back of a spoon to even out the layer (otherwise your bars will bake up lopsided). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
QUICK KITCHEN HACK
TO RIPEN BANANAS FAST: Place yellow bananas on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes, turning once. Bananas will blacken. Peel right away (be careful, they’re hot!) and cool flesh in fridge before mashing.
Foodie
P h o t o s
Click here to download a free PDF
of this recipe that you can print,
save, or share.
of this recipe that you can print,
save, or share.
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| Click here to download the PDF. |
* * *
Our newest mystery is now
a bestselling hardcover!
a bestselling hardcover!
Dead to the Last Drop
A "Most Wanted" Mystery Guild Selection
A "Most Wanted" Mystery Guild Selection
A Baker & Taylor Fall "Trends" Pick
Three "Best of Year" Lists
Three "Best of Year" Lists
Dead to the Last Drop
is a culinary mystery with
more than 25 delicious recipes!
See the free illustrated
Recipe Guide by clicking here.
* * *
The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling works
of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each
of the 15 titles includes the added bonus of recipes.
* * *
Marc and I also write
The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries
Get a free title checklist,
with mini plot summaries,
COFFEEHOUSE MYSTERY
GIVEAWAY!
This Giveaway is Now Over!
Congrats to our winner,
Melissa Nunez!
This Giveaway is Now Over!
Congrats to our winner,
Melissa Nunez!
My husband Marc and I are hard at work on our 16th Coffeehouse Mystery, scheduled for release this December. In the meantime, many of you have read our 15th title, Dead to the Last Drop, an exciting installment set in Washington, DC, now a bestseller in hardcover.
Today we're giving away an autographed audio version of the book in a beautiful keeper CD format.
TO ENTER, leave a comment on this blog post with your e-mail address (or another way to contact you, for example, you can let me know if you are my friend on Facebook and I can get in touch that way, and feel free to Friend me if you aren't!)...
Now a bestseller in hardcover
and a "Most Wanted"
Mystery Guild Selection.
To learn more
about the book, click here.
and a "Most Wanted"
Mystery Guild Selection.
To learn more
about the book, click here.
This giveaway is now over.
Congrats to our winner,
Melissa Nunez!
Thanks to Blackstone Audio and
Penguin Random House
for sending us extra copies.
Congrats to our winner,
Melissa Nunez!
Thanks to Blackstone Audio and
Penguin Random House
for sending us extra copies.
Good luck and may you
read (and listen) with joy! ~ Cleo
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