I get cookbooks from many sources. Some I buy (we all know I have a problem) but some I get from publishers. Some they want me to review. Some the send hoping I will mention them. If I like the book it makes it on here. If I don’t like the book I usually write the publisher and tell them if they want me to post my real opinion of the book in which they say no thanks. So it doesn’t go on. But I got an email from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt listing a few cookbooks and did I have any interest in receiving one. I looked at the list and chose Beat This! Which I must have been in a very mature frame of mind when I chose that because when it came in the mail I could not help but giggle like a 12 year old boy at the title.
Once I got past giggling about the title I noticed that it was a reprint and 50 new recipes had been added. So I asked around and somehow I have been living in a cave….because a large amount of people I know own, and love this cookbook. I felt so very out of the loop. What is great about this book to me is that, just like the cookbook I hope to write some day each recipe usually has a little something written, often humorous with each recipe. I put off for weeks figuring out what I wanted to make. My best friend was rooting for the Jalapeno Corn Bread. The rabbit was leaning towards the carrot cake as to get the carrot tops. My tight pants were suggesting something like the Lime Sorbet Supreme. But in the end, it was the extremely large amount of almost too ripe bananas that won out. I looked up bananas and found Best Banana Bread.
Now when recipes call something the best it irks me. Because what is best to me, is not to you so I hate when people say these are the best chocolate chip cookies, or pie, or whatever. This banana bread was good…but not the best. I like my mom’s the best. 🙂 And to be honest this is more borderline cake with 2 cups of sugar in it…and cake flour. 😀 Which of course was fine by me. The original recipe used lemon juice and orange zest which I opted out of. Instead adding vanilla extract and chopped up peanut butter cups.
The smell was over powering to my puppy. As you can see she was doing all that she could to restrain herself from licking it. She really, really wanted to. In fact, that last photo was one I took of her right after I took the bread away. It was her: how dare you take that away and not give me any you mean mommy look. But the chocolate inside was the meanie…not me. 🙂 She does say thanks to all of you for sending her hugs after her incident.
If you have been living in a cave like me and have not heard of this book either, it’s a good pick up. It’s not just baking either. There are a variety of foods in there from Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup to Slow-Cooked Salmon with Pistachio Butter. All which sound delightful.
As usual I must disclose that I received my copy of Beat This! Cookbook by Ann Hodgman for free but the opinion, ramblings, and bad grammar are all mine.
Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread
2 cups granulated sugar
16 TBSP (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 very ripe large bananas
4 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups cake flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
10 regular sized Peanut Butter Cups, chopped into small pieces and coated in 1 TBSP of flour
Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray two 9-5-inch loaf pans with baking spray.
Using a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla extract, and bananas and beat until uniformly blended.
Sift together the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, at the flour mixture and add just until you cannot longer see any of the dry ingredients.
Remove bowl from mixer and fold in candy pieces.
Bake 45-55 minutes. These get brown quickly, so check at the 30 minute mark, you will want to put foil lightly over the top to stop it from going Cajon brown on you…blackened is not good on bread, only meats. 🙂 Cool the loaves on a rack for ½ before you remove them from pan.
Adapted from Beat This! Cookbook by Ann Hodgman
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I’ve never heard of the book. The addition of peanut butter cups would make my boys go crazy! It sounds delicious!
Ploplop says
OMG! It looks soooooo good!
EG says
Chopped up peanut butter cups?! Oh My God. That is just decadent.
Gin says
Poor puppy! I have three dogs who adore peanut butter, so I commiserate! Two of my three have also had rough weeks. Hang in there PB and puppy!
Natalie S. says
When I saw the title of the recipe in the URL, my eyebrows raised and my jaw dropped. I cannot wait to try this!
Rosa says
That cake looks great! Anything with peanut butter cups gets my vote…
Cheers,
Rosa
nina says
A not so healthy banana bread, I love it. It must be so moist and delicious. Love the pup!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
That is my kind of bread!
Kelly-Jane says
Looks good.
You give your sweet little dog a big hug from me, rotten boy – thing like that make me so mad too.
A Little Nosh says
My husband would LOVE this. I’ve never heard of that cookbook either but I’ll have to check it out.
BTW, I can practically SMELL the deliciousness in the close-up shot. Yum!
Joanne says
I tend to be pretty picky about the things I review…unless we’re talking about cookbooks in which case I have a serious problem with saying no. It’s an addiction. But I am certainly always honest in my reviews. I’m not exactly the sugar-coating type. This cookbook does sound awesome though and I think it’s your changes to the banana bread that would make it the best ever!
Nikki (Pennies on a Platter) says
Yup, I’ve been living in a cave, too!
Maureen says
Besides “Beat This” she wrote two other cookbooks “Beat That” and “One Bite Won’t Kill You” I have the first two books and love them.
Your puppy might like to know that she wrote “No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch,” an essay about taste testing various dog foods.
Amy @ ElephantEats says
Hehe, Beat This! Just wanted to say that your banana bread sounds tasty, but more importantly that your puppy is so freaking adorable…look at those eyes! 🙂
Adam says
I love banana bread, especially my own :), which has taken me a while to perfect (I tell people I’ll die with the recipe… :)). But I’m a banana bread purist, I don’t normally like nuts, or chocolate or anything in them, but damned if I ever though to use peanut butter cups. That might just be what puts me over the edge :). PB Cups + Anything = Better Anything :). And you’re Pup looks too sweet :). My dog is constantly underfoot and begging when something is cooking on the stove (not so much with baking though) and she gives a similar look when something doesn’t strategically hit the floor :).
Elizabeth says
Peanut butter cups in banana bread?? Thats genius!! Nothing goes better on a banana than peanut butter cups.
Mrs. L says
You had me at peanut butter cups. And yes, I know all about your addiction (not first hand oh no not me cookbooks? Never! giggle).
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie says
I’ve heard of this cookbook before and giggled at the title too!!! Never thought to add peanut butter cups to my banana bread–it’s a great idea!
Claire says
THAT bread looks so good! PB and banana? yes!!!!