Banana Cake with Coconut Topping

From Penzies catalogue--successfully attempted by Bobbie P.

1 1/2c. sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c. buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup very ripe, squished banas (2-3 bananas)

Topping:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
5 TB milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 plan and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat well.  In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking sodea baking powder and salt.  Gradually beat into the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.  Stir in the vanilla and banana and mix until just combined.  Pour into the pan and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until browned an springy to the touch.  Let the cake cool before frosting.

For the topping; turn your oven to low broil.  Beat together the melted butter and brown sugar.  Stir in th nuts, coconut and enough milk to get a nice spreading consistency.  Spread over the cake.  Place under the broiler until bubbly, 5-10 minutes depending on your oven.

Serves 15-18

 

Looking for a yummy new recipe?  We have had a request to post this one for your enjoyment.  Let us assure you, it's a crowd pleaser.

White Lasagna
Regina Wahlstrom’s recipe

 Layer One:  ½ Lb Cooked Lasagna noodles (I use 3 layers of 3 or 4 noodles to fit your pan)

Layer Two: Bechamel sauce, recipe follows
Layer Three:  Meat mixture---brown 1 lb sweet Italian ground sausage with ½ lb lean ground beef and 1 clove minced garlic and drain well
Layer four:  Cheese mix—1 lb grated mozzarella with 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Layer five:  1 pint cottage cheese or sour cream mixed with two eggs (we used sour cream)

Topping:  ½ lb+ fresh mushrooms sliced and sautéed in butter.  Sprinkles of parsley and paprika.

 Start with a generously buttered 9 x 13 pan, there’s usually roo to do each of these five layers three times so you can divide each layer ingredient by three.  To the three layers of five with the sautéed muchrooms and then sprinkle with fresh or dried minced parsley and paprika.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot throughout.  All to stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.

Note:  because of the richness of the ingredients we divided the 9x13 into 12 servings in lieu of the 8.

Bechamel Sauce

3 TBS butter, melted
½ cup water
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 TBS water
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp white pepper
2 cups light cream (use half at a time)
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks (you can sub the 2 egg whites from this for one of the eggs in the sour cream mixture)

 .Combine butter, water and onion in a saucepan.  Boin until water evaporates and onion is soft.  Stir in flour and cook 3 minutes stirring constantly, do not brown (I can never get it to cook this long without browning.  I quit after about 1 minute).  Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add 1 cup of the cream and milk gradually.  Stir constantly until sauce thickens.  Beat 1 cup cream with egg yolks, stir into sauce and keep stirring until mixture almost boils.  Do not boil.