Banana Split Cake with Homemade Hot Fudge

Here is a fun new twist on the banana split.  I found this recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook I have.  You make a banana cake to use instead of the bananas and then top the cake with the ice cream and toppings.  This cake is perfect for a summertime treat and it's great to share with friends!  I also made homemade hot fudge to go with it because it's super easy and very tasty (recipe below).  Give it a try!


Banana Split Cake:


Ingredients:
1 box yellow or golden butter cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) banana instant pudding (or you can use vanilla)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray bottom only of 9x13-inch pan with baking spray with flour. 
2.  In a large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour into pan.
3.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.  Cut cake in half lengthwise, and cut crosswise 11 times to make a total of 24 slices. 
4.  Place 2 cake slices in each banana split dish and top with ice cream and toppings of your choice. 

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce:


Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 (1 oz) squares semisweet baking chocolate
2 tbsp butter (use only BUTTER)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat stir milk, chocolate, and butter until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and mix in vanilla until well blended.  Store in the refrigerator.

Grilled Squash

If you are like me you end up having an enormous over-abundance of squashes towards the end of summer.  I always tell my hubby we need to plant less squash and zucchini plants the next year but then we end up planting too many again.  One of our favorite ways to eat them is to throw them on the grill.  We grill a lot in the summer because it's delicious and it doesn't heat up the house.  Here are a couple of ways you can prepare your squash (and these work for yellow squash or zucchini). 

Grilled Squash 1:

Cut your squash or zucchini into large enough pieces that it won't fall through the grate on your grill.  Simply brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  That's it!  Couldn't be easier!  Grill for about 4 minutes on each side or until heated through and just getting tender.  Enjoy! 
 
*You can also sprinkle the slices with lemon juice or garlic if you want to try something different*

Grilled Squash 2:

Cut your squash or zucchini into large enough slices that it won't fall through the grate on your grill.  Toss in a gallon-size Ziploc baggie and add about 1/2 a cup of your favorite Italian-style dressing.  Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes and then toss them on the grill, grilling each side for about 4 minutes.  Enjoy! 

Jell-O Candy Popcorn

My daughter just had a Pinkalicious party for her 6th birthday and we thought that pink popcorn would be a fun treat.   I think we found this recipe on ourbestbites.com.  You can use any flavor or color of Jell-O you would like.  We used strawberry.  If you prefer a milder flavor (like me) just use about half of the Jell-O.  If you like a strong fruity flavor use the whole thing.  Enjoy!


Jell-O Candy Popcorn


Ingredients:
About 10-12 cups of plain popped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 (3oz) box Jell-O, any flavor (not sugar-free)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2.  Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl and set aside.
3.  Put corn syrup and butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir until butter is melted.  Add sugar and Jell-O and mix well.  After the mixture boils turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn to the bottom of your pot. 
4.  Immediately pour over the bowl of popcorn.  BE CAREFUL!  It's VERY HOT!  Mix right away and stir until all of the popcorn is evenly coated.  Spread evenly onto the 2 cookie sheets.
5.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.  After it cools to room temperature break it into pieces and enjoy! 

**If you want to make popcorn balls, skip the baking and just form it into balls immediately after mixing it but don't get burned!**

Hawaiian Bread

This is a recipe for sweet Hawaiian bread that I absolutely love!  It works great for rolls but it makes wonderful toast, too.  I love to spread a nice layer of Nutella on this bread for breakfast because they are perfect together.  You can also use this recipe to make some really good sweet rolls. 

Hawaiian Bread:

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/4 cup butter, melted
3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions: 
Layer the ingredients in your bread machine and select the dough setting.  Or...if you want to do it the hard way...In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.  In a large bowl, beat together the yeast mixture, salt, eggs, pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, vanilla, coconut extract and melted butter. Gradually stir in flour until a stiff batter is formed. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 
Take the dough out of the bread machine (or wherever you left it to rise if you chose to do it the hard way). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a well floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into 2 lightly greased loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.