Serving up Warm Banana Chip Scones

2 3/4 cups wheat flour

1T. baking powder

3/4t. salt

stick butter

cut that together - will resemble course crumbs

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

3/4c. milk

**optional 2 T. Agave syrup **

stir well should form firm dough ball, additional flour may be needed

1 heaping T. at a time up to 3 to form large dough ball

turn it out onto a sprayed cookie sheet. Cut dough like large pie, slightly separate pieces

bake 24-28 minutes on 375

Oat Flour. Agave Nectar. Apple Delight with Walnuts.

I brought this to a potluck recently. I had a couple requests for the recipe so here it is. It is made with oat flour and agave. I adapted it from one of my favorite Apple desert recipes.

4 medium, tart cooking apples, pealed and sliced. ( I used granny smith this time)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1/3 cup stick butter, softened
3/4 teas ground cinnamon
3/4 teas ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375. Grease bottoms and sides of square pan with shortening.

Arrange apples in pan. Mix remaining ingredience. Spoon over apples. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping looks golden and apples are tender. Enjoy the smell. Serve warm alone or with cream or ice cream.

I doubled this recipe and put it in a 9 by 13 inch pan for the potluck and I actually used lots more apples. I just heaped my pan up with apples because I wanted to use then up. They always shrink down quite a bit!

Hope you enjoy this like we did,

Yours Truly,

Berry Coffee Cake

Our neighbor lady brought over this coffee cake one day this fall. She made hers with huckleberries. It was so good. I had to ask her for the recipe. She said it is the easiest coffee cake recipe that she has. So here it is...

Berry Coffee Cake

1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz cream cheese

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

1 to 2 cups fresh for frozen berries*

Mix first 5 ingredients. Add next 3 ingredients and mix well. Fold in berries. Batter will be very thick. Place in a 9 inch round pan.

Sprinkle 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar on top.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

*I have used raspberries and marion berries. You could also use blueberries, strawberries, huckleberries, and maybe even cut up rhubarb(?)...

Pumkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Bars

4 eggs
1 cup agave nector*
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teas baking powder
2 teas cinnamon
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas ground ginger
1/4 teas ground cloves
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inches, lightly with shortning.

2. Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin in large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. Stir in raisins. Spread in pan.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting (below). Sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate any remaining bars.

*may replace 1 cup agave nectar with 2 cups sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese , softened**
1/3 cup stick butter, softened
1 teas vanilla
1 cup agave nectar***

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and agave in medium bowl with hand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.

To make with powdered sugar in place of agave nectar,
** replace the 8 ounce package of cream cheese with a 3 ounce package of cream cheese
*** replace 1 cup agave nectar with 2 cups of powdered sugar

Agave Sweetened Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been trying our some recipes lately with Agave in them. Agave nectar is a low-glycemic sweetner and it comes from the agave plant, a desert succulent native to Mexico. Agave nectar is sweeter than sugar and can be used more sparingly. To read more about agave, click here. I recently made this carrot cake for my sons birthday and it was very moist and delicious. With ingredient like this, pineapple,walnuts, coconut, and of course carrots...

Without Further Ado,

Carrot Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
2 teas. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups agave
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teas. vanilla
1 teas. almond extract
1 3/4 cup grated carrots
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup walnuts or pecans (chopped)
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe to follow)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour 2-9" round cake pans.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, beat eggs, agave, oil, buttermilk, and extracts with an electric mixer. Add to flour mixture. Beat on medium speed until blended.
4. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut, and nuts. Pour into prepared pans.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Check center for doneness with knife.
6. Place pans on wire rack to cool. Cool completely before removing from pan and frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2-8 ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup agave (use light agave for lighter frosting)
2 teas. vanilla extract
1 teas. almond extract

1. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer.
2. Gradually beat in agave, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
3. Chill before using.

These recipe comes from Everyday Agave by Anne Astle