Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Pizzelle Sandwiches

This is the perfect summer treat. Peanut butter banana ice cream served in pizzelle tacos or cups. Although this treat is a little equipment heavy, it is so worth it.

Pizzelles are a light Italian cookie. I’ve tried a vegan and a non vegan recipe. My recommendation is to first try the Stonewall Kitchen mix. I’m not a big fan of mixes, but this will help ease you into Pizzelle making. The next batch try this non vegan recipe. If you’re feeling a little brave, move on to the vegan recipe. Traditional pizzelle batter is thicker, but this vegan recipe is thin, so the cookies will not be as sturdy.

To bake pizzelles, preheat iron for about 10 minutes. Place one spoonful of pizzelle batter in center of iron. Close iron all the way down, until steam comes up and release. Allow to bake for 30 seconds.

Carefully transfer baked pizzelle with fork. To shape, either place around cannoli roller or place in small bowl. Allow to set until hardened.

The ice cream portion requires a Yonanas, but I read someone had success using a blender. The first time I made Yonanas the cream was a little bitter, but this time I perfected the technique. Make sure you freeze really ripe bananas, like black ripe. Just continue to add peeled bananas in your freezer, until you have enough to make a batch.

Once you are ready to make the ice cream, set bananas out for 10 minutes. Then pulse them through the machine. Once all bananas are transformed into ice cream, stir in peanut butter. Place ice cream in pizzelle tacos/cups and garnish with chocolate chips and strawberries. These are super light, but they remind me of Ben & Jerry's decadent Banana Peanut Butter Greek Frozen Yogurt.

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 5 very ripe peeled frozen bananas
• 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter, or to taste

• Chocolate Chips
• Sliced Strawberries

Instructions

Place bananas in Yonanas. Once all bananas are churned, mix in peanut butter.

Spoon in pizzelle tacos/cups and garnish with chocolate chips/strawberries.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Lemon blueberry muffins are the perfect treat. They are sweet and indulgent, but they also feel a little healthier with fresh blueberries.

These muffins have one of my favorite ingredients, coconut milk. This gives the muffins a moist and creamy texture.

This recipe makes more than your normal batch of muffins because I didn't want any leftover coconut milk. If you want to make a dozen muffins, this recipe can easily be divided.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins Adapted from Chloe's Vegan Desserts

Makes about 26 muffins

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1   1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

• 1    16 oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp lemon extract

• 2 cups of blueberries (about 2 pints)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper wrappers.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients from top column - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine all liquid ingredients from second column - coconut milk, oil, lemon juice, zest and extract.

Pour liquid ingredients into dry and whisk until combined. Fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly among muffin tin. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Basil Tofu Pizza

My family has been making this pizza for several years. I think it all started when I found a pizza dough recipe. I don't know where I found the recipe, but I have it saved on my handy dandy TextEdit filed titled "Online Recipe Winners." I created this back on August 18, 2009. The recipe is attributed to Joy of Cooking. I'm afraid I don't know who the original blogger was that posted it, but it's a super simple dough recipe that can be ready in about an hour and a half.

We make this sans cheese, with Isa Moskowitz's Basil-Tofu Ricotta. The first time I made this, I really thought it tasted like cheese.

What's great is for my family, it makes enough for two meals. One pizza yields about 6 large slices.

I use a preheated pizza stone to make pizza, but I'm sure you could sub a regular baking sheet.

What kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?

Basil Tofu Pizza Adapted from Joy of Cooking and Vegan with a Vengeance

Makes 2 pizzas

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 2   1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1   1/3 cup warm water

• 3   1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Basil Tofu

• 1 pound pressed firm tofu 

• Juice of one lemon
• 1 clove of grated garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried basil leaves, or to taste
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp olive oil

Assembly

• 1 jar of tomato sauce - try your favorite pasta sauce

Instructions

Pizza Dough

Combine yeast and warm water in large bowl. Let sit for five minutes.

Add flour, salt and oil. Stir to combine. Knead for five minutes.

Place dough in floured bowl and allow to rise for one hour.

Basil Tofu

Press tofu.

Mush pressed tofu with your hand until it resembles fine crumbles. Add in ingredients from second column (lemon juice, garlic, salt, basil leaves, nutritional yeast) with your hands. Once combined, drizzle in olive oil and stir to coat.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 30 minutes before baking time. Place pizza stone in oven. 

Divide risen dough in half. Roll into circle on a floured surface. Once desired size, transfer dough to preheated pizza stone. Top with half of one jar of pizza sauce. Top with half of basil tofu.

Bake 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Note: If making extra pizza next day, place dough in refrigerator. Pull out of fridge two hours before making pizza.

Strawberry Hand Pies

My mom has been inspiring lots of different recipe ideas. She even came up with a new blog name, more on that later . . . maybe. While she was at the store, she got me some fresh berries to bake with. I toyed with lots of different ideas - pies, cupcakes, cakes, muffins - the list goes on and on. I settled on a hand pie - everything you love in a pie, in a portable form.

These are pretty simple. First whip up the strawberry filling. Once done, place in the freezer, just so berries are more stable during prepping and baking.

While the strawberries are chilling, make the pie dough. Don't be scared of this dough. All you need are your hands and patience. Once the flour and butter/shortening combine into small pellets, add ice cold water and vinegar mixture and mix until a workable dough forms. The dough is now ready to be rolled and shaped with no need for additional chilling.

I initially decided on a half moon design for pies, but then switched to mini circular pies - my mom's idea :)

Once pies are assembled, bake until golden brown. These sweet treats are great straight from the oven or at room temperature.

Strawberry Hand Pies Adapted from Vegan Pie in the Sky

Makes 12 pies

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

• 1 pound fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Juice of one lemon

Pie Dough

• 2   1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery stick, cold
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance shortening, cold

• 6 tbsp ice cold water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Strawberry Filling

Combine all ingredients (strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice) in small bowl. Place in freezer while preparing pie dough.

Pie Dough

Fill measuring cup with 2 cups of ice and fill with water. Set aside.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add sugar and combine. Cut butter and shortening into tablespoons and place in bowl with flour. Use your fingers to combine butter/shortening with flour, it should take 3 - 5 minutes. Butter/shortening and flour are combined when the two resemble small pellets and no large chunks of butter remain. When you press the mixture in your hand it should hold together.

Pour 4 tablespoons of ice cold water in small bowl. Add apple cider vinegar. Pour mixture by tablespoons into flour mixture. Mix with hands after each addition. Once dough holds together it is ready. Add extra cold water if dough does not hold.

Split dough in two. While rolling first piece of dough, place other half in refrigerator.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll dough on floured surface. Cut out 3" diameter circles. With one circle, use your fingers to moisten edge of dough. Put about one tablespoon of fruit filling in center. Top with other dough circle, closing the two circles with moistened fingers. To ensure two circles combine, press edges with fork. Cut slits in top of pie.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Crusty Italian Bread

If you've been following the blog from its inception, you will know I love making bread. So far I've shared a Cinnamon Raisin Bread, a Maple Whole Wheat Bread and a French Bread. This past Christmas I got an Italian Loaf Pan. I really wasn't sure how to use it. The directions said use a solid, sturdy dough. The dough from the French Bread is really sticky so I didn't think it would be a good tester loaf. So I started exploring and I found this great recipe from Cook Like Your Grandmother. It wasn't easy to find either, it was tucked away on the 10th page of Google results.






































This bread is a little time intensive, but I've found if you decrease the rising times it still works out beautifully. I would recommend rising 1 hour for the first rise, 20 minutes for the second rise. This is a serious reduction of the original rising time. If you have the time, do the full 2 hours and 40 minutes of rising, but if you don't, don't be afraid to decrease the time.

After the first rise, take the entire ball of dough and roll it into a long loaf then cut it in half with a dough cutter and line on your Italian Loaf Pan. According to the original recipe, you can also bake the loaves on a pizza stone or on the back of a baking sheet, so don't worry if you don't have an Italian loaf pan, although it helps make a crusty bread.

The bread goes great with anything. Traditionally we have it with spaghetti on nights before long runs, but we've also had it with pasta and peas and most recently as a sandwich with Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages sauteed with peppers and onions. It's also great paired with a soup.

For more detailed instructions, check out Cook Like Your Grandmother's post. The author, Drew Kime, provides step-by-step instructions. 

Crusty Italian Bread Adapted from Cook Like Your Grandmother

Ingredients

• 2     1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water   

• 1 cup warm water

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

•  1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Combine yeast and 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl. Let sit 3 minutes or until small bubbles form and yeast dissolves.

Pour 1 cup warm water in large bowl. Add dissolved yeast. Combine.

Add flour, sugar and salt. Mix until combined.

Once combined, add olive oil.

Knead for five minutes. Transfer dough to oiled bowl. Let rise one hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll dough in long loaf. Cut in half. Place on Italian loaf pan. Let rise 20 minutes.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 400 degrees. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cover loaves with aluminum foil. Continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

Lemon Frosted Coconut Carrot Cupcakes

As promised, here are the cupcakes my family had to celebrate Easter.

I had requests for coconut, lemon and carrot. I was worried about picking one flavor and ignoring the other flavor suggestions.

So after brainstorming ideas, it came to me. A carrot cupcake loaded with coconut and topped with a light lemon frosting with an extra sprinkle of coconut. 

The cupcakes were super moist and the frosting was the perfect addition. You can also make this in cake form with or without frosting.

Lemon Frosted Coconut Carrot Cupcakes Adapted from The New Me and Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Makes 16 cupcakes or one 9 x 9" square pan

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon 

• 3 cups shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup canola oil

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1    1/2 cups shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine dry ingredients from first column. Stir in carrots. Pour in canola oil and mix. Batter will be thick. Pour in orange juice. Batter will slowly thin a bit. Fold in shredded coconut.

Grease muffin tin or 9 x 9" square pan. Pour batter into greased dish. If making cupcakes, bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If making cake, bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Shortening
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Stick

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

• Zest of 2 lemons

Instructions

Blend shortening and butter until combined with hand mixer. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments alternating with lemon juice. Beat three minutes or until fluffy. Fold in lemon zest.

Frost cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with coconut.

Sugar Coated Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

I'm longing for road trips. Trips to DC, the North Carolina mountains, the coast, somewhere. With the bright sun on the dashboard and either the quiet companionship of a good book or some cheerful tunes.

Perhaps my favorite things about road trips though are lunch breaks, with a good peanut butter sandwich, apple slices and water.

Some of my fondest memories of trips involve pit stops either at awkward middle of nowhere fast food places or rest stops. I can't forget the time my family inadvertently tried to get on Quantico Marine Corps base three different times - we were just looking for a gas station! There's also the time we met a cat coming home from the Outer Banks. We astutely named her Plymouth after the town the rest stop was in.

So back to the peanut butter sandwiches. What could be better than to have them on cinnamon raisin bread? If you're going on vacay, and don't want to have to eat out every day or go to a grocery store, baking a loaf of the bread the day before will at least help for the lunches.

This loaf is gorgeous with its cinnamon swirl, specks of raisins and sugar coated topping. 

Sugar Coated Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread Adapted from Peter Reinhart (Check out all his fabulous books here)

Ingredients

• 1   3/4 cups bread flour (recommended KAF)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 5/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 5/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance shortening
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/8 cup water 

• 3/4 cup raisins

Cinnamon Swirl/Topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon  

For greasing loaf

• 1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine ingredients from first column - flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cinnamon. 

Once combined, add applesauce, shortening, almond milk and water

Knead dough for 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, incorporate raisins.

Transfer dough to oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours.

Prepare cinnamon swirl topping by mixing sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.

Roll dough into a rectangle, about 10 x 12 inches. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up tightly, pinch ends and transfer to greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, seam side down.

Let rise an additional 2 hours. (Loaf will not rise above pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake loaf for 20 minutes. Rotate pan 180 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the center of the loaf reaches 190 degrees.

Immediately brush loaf with butter and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over loaf. (Tip: Do this over a pan to catch extra butter/cinnamon sugar.)

Easter Wrapup + Candy Studded Brownies

I used to love winter. The thrill of snow days was always so exciting. But not so much anymore. I don't know if it's because I'm older and can't stand the cold or the thrill of it all has died down. Regardless, I can't wait for warmer days. Spring has been a tease so far, but North Carolina got a little peek of it for Easter weekend. I tried to put aside my school work for a couple of days and just soak up the rays and bake, bake, bake.

The baking started with a brownie by Doron Petersan topped with Easter candies, idea courtesy of The Domestic Rebel. Although my candy choices weren't exactly vegan, the toppings could easily be replaced with your choice of candies.

Next on the list, Sweet Dough for Easter morning breakfast nests. I used hard boiled eggs, but to veganize, the dough could be shaped in nests and baked. After baking, a plastic egg could be inserted in the center. Glaze with lemon zest icing.

Serve the nests on a bed of grass with jelly beans, if desired.

Now on to the grand finale, cupcakes. I'll give you a sneak peak now, but next week they will be the featured post. What kind do you think they are?

Now back to the brownies, from the beginning of the post. These are extra special with chocolate chips studded throughout and baked with coffee concentrate. These would be a great way to use up any extra easter candy.

What have you been making? What's your favorite season?

Candy Studded Brownies Adapted from Doron Petersan and The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coffee concentrate + 1/3 + 1/8 cup water (Tip: Measure concentrate in measuring cup. Then pour water on top to 2/3 cup mark) OR use 2/3 cup brewed coffee
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
• 2 ounces chocolate chips 

• 2   3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1   1/2 tsp salt

• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp vanilla

• 2 cups plus 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

• Candy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips with coffee in microwave at 60 percent power in 1 minute intervals until completely melted.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add oil, water and vanilla and combine.

In a large measuring cup, mix flour and baking powder. Add chocolate chips. Pour into wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour batter into one large 9 by 13 inch baking pan or two smaller pans - Recommended: 8 x 8 inch square pan and 7 by 11 inch baking pan.

Bake brownies for 40 minutes. Add candies.Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using marshmallows, the candy will puff up and will lightly brown.

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Banana Cream Granola Parfaits + MCM Registration

It's Marine Corps Marathon registration day. Where thousands of runners vie for their chance to run the People's Marathon. I don't know which is scarier - trying to get in or the morning before the race starts, standing in the freezing cold scared of what's before you.

Sometimes you forget why you signed yourself up for this torture - all the grueling hot and humid early morning training runs.

But on race day it all becomes clear. Whether you're having a good running day or not, beauty surrounds you. There's running through Rock Creek Park at the beginning, running over Key Bridge with the Potomac rippling under you, going down M Street with its cheering crowds, the long trek down to Hains Point, finally making it to the Mall, running in front of the Capital, beating the bridge, meandering through Crystal City and finally making it back to Arlington. That hill at the end is nothing. It's all worth it, and it doesn't hurt you get your medal from a Marine.

So how do you secure your spot?

1) Take @orginalstalet's advice: typing drills.

2) If you don't get in on registration day, look on MCM's Facebook page. I decided to run after the registration date in 2010. I looked on the page and people were posting their bibs they could no longer use because of injury, etc. You can legally transfer up to a certain date.

3) Stay calm while waiting on registration time by making a banana cream granola parfait. You don't want to be weak when the frantic website reloading and info entering occurs.

Fingers crossed, this will be my fourth MCM. It's the only marathon I've ever done, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the best. Good luck to everyone trying to register. It's a great race.

These parfaits do require work the day before, but it makes breakfast easy the next day. Just layer everything together and you have a sweet and filling breakfast.

Banana Cream Granola Parfaits Adapted from Forks over Knives

Makes about 12    4 oz   parfaits

Ingredients

Banana Cream:

• 1   16 oz   package silken tofu
• 3 ripe bananas
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1 batch Maple Coconut Granola

• Strawberries and blueberries - or your favorite fruit

Instructions

Blend top ingredients in a blender (silken tofu, bananas, lemon juice, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract and salt) until smooth and creamy, about five minutes.

Chill overnight.

Layer parfaits: pour 2 medium spoonfuls of banana cream into glass, top with 3 small spoonfuls of granola, 3 sliced strawberries, 6 blueberries. Repeat until glass filled. Top with granola and a drop of cream.

Jelly Bean Cookies

Instagram - you fooled me.

You made me think my pictures were special.

You made me think my pictures were foodgawker worthy.

You made me think one filter could turn an iPhone shot into a masterpiece.

But it's not true.

I'm not a photographer. I'm not a Photoshop pro. And your app can't make me one. But it can inspire me.

Seeing all the beautiful food blogs out there has inspired me to create my own beautiful pictures. As this blog has progressed, I have been trying to improve my photo skills. This is the first post where I really spent a lot of time food styling and using Photoshop to improve my pictures. It's a work in progress, but I like how it's going.


I introduce you to Jelly Bean cookies. I tried these last Easter and I was in love. To be honest, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them.

They are fruity and buttery (with no butter of course!) I'm pretty sure I'd rather have these any day over chocolate chip cookies. Don't get me started on my love for fruity gummy snacks. These can be made two ways either soft (bake 10 minutes) or crispy (bake 12 minutes.) I prefer soft, but make one batch of each so you can decide for yourself.

Jelly Bean Cookies Adapted from In Katrina's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup Earth Balance Shortening, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2    1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup jelly beans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat softened shortening with sugars and vanilla.

Add applesauce a 1/4 cup at a time, until combined.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in measuring cup.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.

Fold in jelly beans.

Divide into 24 equal pieces. Roll into balls and flatten slightly.

Bake 10 minutes for a soft cookie or 12 minutes for a crispy cookie. Cookie will puff up and will firm up while cooling. Let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes (if making soft) or 5 minutes (if making crispy.) Transfer to a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories:                        210
Total Fat:                         8 g
Saturated Fat:              2 g
Cholesterol:                     0 mg
Sodium:                            155 mg
Potassium:                        42 mg
Total Carbohydrate:       35 g
Fiber:                                   0 g
Sugars:                               23 g
Protein:                              1 g

My running story + Maple Coconut Granola

Starting this week, megbakes will have a special post on Wednesdays devoted to running tips and healthy recipes.

I hated to run. You couldn't pay me to run. It was torture.

But something happened. I can't exactly pinpoint what. Was it to get fit for swim team? Was it because I was scared of a backpacking trip or was it because I found I liked the challenge?

Something about pushing myself that extra mile invigorated me - so much so I ran 11 miles straight on a treadmill.

Running stopped though when out of nowhere the ball of my foot was in tremendous pain. I couldn't put pressure on it. I couldn't wear a shoe it was so swollen.

I was off the 'mill and the roads for over three months. I kept some fitness cycling, but it just wasn't running.

Once I felt like my foot was almost back to normal, I cautiously tried it out. I only ran 6/10ths of a mile that day, but I knew I was ready to run again.

After that, I increased my mileage little by little and before I knew it, I was signing up for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon.

With training for my fourth marathon coming up, I think I've learned valuable lessons in how to run and how to fuel.

So each Wednesday, I'll share a running tip and a healthy treat to fuel your runs.

For the inaugural post I introduce you to my favorite granola - Maple Coconut with almonds and raisins.

It's perfect for breakfast or a snack and it's easy to make.

Be careful though, it's addictive!

Maple Coconut Granola Adapted from Edward & Sons

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats (Recommended: Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup whole roasted unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup canola/olive oil mix
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients from top column in a large bowl.

Combine wet ingredients from second column in a medium bowl.

Pour liquid ingredients into large bowl. Coat oats with liquid.

Transfer coated oats to greased baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. Stir oats and bake for an additional 20 minutes.