What’s cookin’, hot stuff?
I’m celebrating the release of HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR today with a Cyber Launch Party at AuthorIsland.
I hope you’ll come over & join me for what’s sure to be a super-fun discussion. And there will be a giveaway—THREE winners will get to pick a Silhouette/Harlequin Desire of their choice from my backlist!
HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR is HERE! Yes, it’s true…after all this time of waiting & talking about it, you can finally get your hands on “The Bakery Book.” :chick
And in case I haven’t mentioned it a time or twelve before, one of the very best recipes I have to offer is actually inside the book. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheels. So if you want to taste Heaven in cookie form, be sure to pick up your copy asap. :eats Whether you decide to read the book first or bake the cookies first…that’s totally up to you. And if you’re really good, you may be able to do both at once. :cookinme
But because I am so kind & generous, so selfless & giving :devang I am still willing to continue sharing even more delicious recipes with you right here at WIPs and Chains.
Today’s recipe is pulling double duty. It’s like the Superman of yummy desserts because it can go from mild-mannered banana bread to the solution for all of your mental incapacitation problems.
I call it Writer’s Block Bread, because when I first started writing, Madame Mommy Dearest used to make this for me whenever I ran into trouble with a story & the words wouldn’t come. Now, I don’t know if it’s the process of actually making the bread, the smell of it baking, or the highly enjoyable act of eating it once it’s ready, but something about this particular banana bread recipe really does help to shake out the cobwebs & get my brain running in the right direction again. :doh
I have it on good authority, though, that you don’t have to be a writer for it to work. It seems to help with all kinds of Blank Brain Syndrome. I’d even be willing to challenge you to give it a try the next time you just can’t seem to think, think, think, no matter what cerebral-heavy project you’re working on. :argh
WRITER’S BLOCK BREAD
(a.k.a. Banana Nut Bread)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon each orange juice & vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ripe bananas (frozen, then thawed peeled, & patted w/ paper towels)
2/3 cup chopped nuts (I use a mix of walnuts & pecans)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 . Grease & flour 2 loaf pans.
In large mixing bowl, stir until blended: butter, sugar, eggs, zest, & orange juice.
Add flour, baking soda, & salt. Mix well.
Fold in bananas which have been cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
Add nuts & mini chips. Stir batter. Divide evenly into prepared loaf pans.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Place loaves on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
After completely cool, place loaves in plastic bags or foil & refrigerate.
Slice loaves while cool (not room temperature) so chocolate chips don’t stick to knife.
(Note: You can also make this recipe in muffin form, but you’re on your own when it comes to figuring out the baking time.)
For more great recipes & fun chit-chat, be sure to sign up for my HappyBookers YahooGroup. We’re doing a bit of a recipe swap over there, too, in anticipation of HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR‘s release, so you can collect or share recipes to your heart’s content. And talk about some of the recipes you’ve seen (& tried?) here in The Dungeon—the good, the bad, & the fattening—too, if you like. :flip
Comments
10 Comments • Comments Feed
Jessica Lemmon says:
WOW that sounds AMAZING! *runs away to bake* :gingerbread
On June 9, 2011 at 9:08 am
Heidi says:
Just be sure to make (& eat) this only when you’re actually having writer’s or another form of brain block. Otherwise, you’ll end up at about 400lbs & unable to write because your fingers are so fat. :ROFL
On June 9, 2011 at 10:15 am
Mary Kirkland says:
Nice post over on the Cyber launch Party.
I need to do some more baking..
On June 9, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Heidi says:
Thanks, Mary. It’s always so much fun to have a Launch Party over there. Can’t say I’m a fan of Blogger or the way the comment section is set up (much prefer it over here, where you can reply right inside a comment & keep conversations all grouped together), but it’s till FUN, FUN, FUN! :jump
Let me know what you think of the banana bread! :cookinme
On June 9, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Donna says:
My daughter will love this recipe. Thanks. Off to AuthorIsland.
On June 9, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Heidi says:
Thanks to you, too, Donna. I thought I recognized some names over there…if not the different avatars. *g* But it’s great to have folks to chat with & keep the place hopping. :flag
On June 9, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Laura J. says:
Another one I’m going to have to save/store and possibly try to make later.
On June 9, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Hollie says:
I’ll just look for the smoke signals from LJ’s house…then I know when she’s done making this!! :ROFL
Just kidding!!
Im going to put this in my “to do” pile! :chick
On June 9, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Heidi says:
:ROFL You guys are bad.
Given how hot it’s been, I won’t blame anybody for waiting to try out this recipe. But come winter, when we don’t mind turning on the oven again, you’ll be thanking me. Oh, yes, you will. :howyoudoin
On June 9, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Karen C says:
I’m trying to figure out why it’s taken me so long to find you!
Your recipe for Banana Bread sure is different from mine – can’t wait to try yours.
Congratulations on the release – Will be at cyber launch shortly.
On June 9, 2011 at 11:18 pm