Sour Cream Banana Bars

We had some overripe bananas the other day. Like most people I use my overripe bananas for banana bread or muffins. However, a few years ago my life was changed forever when I tried to make banana bars. Guys! These bad boys are so yummy! I combined a few recipes and tweaked things where I thought needed and I'll tell you what, these things are soo good! The sour cream makes the bar soo moist and the brown sugar glaze just ties it all in perfectly. The glaze was a concoction I made while pregnant with with Oaks because I was craving something with the salted caramel flavor. I'm telling you, my best recipes come when I'm pregnant and craving things haha. Anyways, these bars are soo yummy and I hope you love them as much as we do! Let me know if you make them!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

Sour cream banana bars 

-3/4 c white sugar 

-3/4 c brown sugar

-1 c sour cream

-1/2 c softened butter

-2 eggs 

-2-3 overripe bananas (mashed) 

-2 tsp vanilla 

-2 c flour

-1 tsp salt 

-1 tsp baking soda 

Brown sugar glaze 

-1 c butter 

-1 c brown sugar 

-1 c powdered sugar

-1 tsp vanilla

-dash of Salt (Just like a shake or two from your salt shaker. If you're using salted butter just do one shake but if you're doing unsalted you might want more. Just taste test it!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper (or grease and flour a jelly roll pan) Mix sugars, sour cream, butter, and eggs in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until well combined. Beat in mashed bananas and vanilla. Mix until combined. Slowly add in flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. Pour into the pan and bake until golden. (20-25 minutes) Let bars sit for about 10 minutes and then poke several times with a fork and pour glaze over the top. 

To make glaze:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add in brown sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt. Continually whisk until smooth. Let boil for 5 minutes whisking occasionally. Slowly add in sifted powdered sugar in 3 increments whisking each time. Pour glaze over banana bars and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut, and enjoy!

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Tasty Tuesday: My Favorite Energy Bites

Literally every single night right after the girls go to bed, all I want to do is treat myself to something sweet. It's like giving myself a reward for getting through another day, ha! If I was still 16, it would be totally fine to have a little treat every night! Buttttt... I'm not haha. So, I've been trying to find an alternatives to cookies, ice cream, and all the other deliciousness I crave. There are a million and a half protein and energy bite recipes out there. Each of them contain mainly the same ingredients, just different ratios and different extras. After putting these ones together, I became obsessed! They are plenty sweet without all that extra guilt and are filling enough that you really only need one. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

-2 cups natural peanut butter or almond butter

-2 cups quick oats

-1/4 cup honey or agave (if you choose agave, you'll need about 1/4 cup extra quick oats to hold them together better)

-1/3 cup chopped almonds

-1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

-1/3 cup shredded coconut 

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine. You can do this with a spatula, your hands, or my favorite way... in a kitchenaid with the bread hook. 

2) Line tupperware with parchment paper. Spray your hand lightly with cooking spray. Grab a small handful of the mixture and roll it into a ball. You can also use a cookie scoop to make it easier. If you run out of room, you can add another layer of parchment paper so they don't all stick together. 

3) Keep in the fridge until set! You can also freeze them. Whatever you fancy!

Anddd that's it! So simple and so yummy!

I hope you love them!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Best Peanut Butter Cookies

Since the very first Sunday Hunter and I spent together as a married couple, he has asked me to make peanut butter cookies after dinner.

I have tried several different things and changed up my own recipes several times but they just never came out how I wanted them.

I love cookies in just about every shape or form, but I'm a firm believer that they need to be thick, chewy, and very slightly crisp on the outside.

Finally, one Sunday, that is just what my peanut butter cookies turned out to be!

So, this recipe is a keeper :)

Ingredients

• ½ cup softened salted butter (sweet cream from Costco, oh yeah!)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or crunchy, I've tried both!)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla (but let's be real, we all do a little more, right? Or is that just me?)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (don't go overboard, pb is already salty!)

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Mix until light and fluffy.
2. Next add your peanut butter, one egg, and vanilla. Mix that well making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get it all!
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and add that to the butter mixture at once and mix until just combined. Don't over mix!
4. Scoop your dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or very lightly greased sheet. I use a cookie dough scooper from Wilton
5.  Bake the dough at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until just set. Halfway through I smashed my cookies with  a spatula. 
6. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack or somewhere else other than the pan to prevent over-baking. 

This dough freezes very well too! 

I don't want to eat like 24 cookies in one day so I usually save half the dough for another day in the freezer and just thaw a few hours before baking. 

I hope you guy enjoy these cookies as much as my family does!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

Ps... Did you know the Macy's Friends and Family sale is going on right now?? You can take an extra 25% off and get free shipping on any $25 purchase with code FRIEND.

These are my favorite kitchen finds from there right now!

THIS Kitchenaid  color is incredible!

Both this apron and this apron are the cutest ever!

And last but definitely not least, we all need these Kate Spade kitchen towels!

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Tasty Tuesday: Butterfinger Sheet Cake

Sunday's are our treat days.

It's also the day I make a big dinner, so it's pretty much filled with cooking.

That's how I like it, though! I just love being in the kitchen and creating. It's such a great creative outlet for me.Before we put Oaklyn down for bed this last Sunday, Hunter and I began talking about what I should make for dessert. I was feeling sheet cake. I really love sheet cake!He asked for chocolate sheet cake with peanut butter frosting because the guy could live off peanut butter.That's how this amazing recipe came to life!I was taking chances as I went along throwing things into the kitchenaid and I could not be more happy with how it turned out. Seriously, it is so good!The sheet cake is moist and rich. The frosting is the perfect mix of sweet and salty. And of course the butterfinger bits are the perfect crunchy addition.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup water
2. 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3. 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 2 cups all-purpose flour
5. 2 cups granulated sugar
6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
7. 1 tsp baking soda
8. heaping 1/2 tsp salt
9. 1/2 cup sour cream
10. 2 eggs
11. heaping 1 tsp vanilla

 Frosting Ingredients: 

1. 8 Tbsp milk
2. 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3. 1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
4. 1 tsp. vanilla
5. 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more or less)
6. 1/2 cup crushed butterfinger bits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a jelly roll pan.
2. Add water, butter, and cocoa powder to a medium saucepan over medium heat stirring occasionally. Let the mixture come to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, cream together eggs, vanilla, and sour cream in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer. When combined slowly add in flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Once the chocolate mixture has been brought to a boil, remove it from the heat and pour into the other batter. Mix it up until there aren't any lumps.
4. Pour your batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula to make sure there is an even layer. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until set. Mine was perfect at 15 minutes. You want it to be moist, not overdone. 
5. When the cake is about half-way done start to make the frosting by adding milk, peanut butter, vanilla, and butter to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once brought to a boil, remove from heat and mix in your powdered sugar. I like to use my hand-held mixer to get rid of powdered sugar lumps. Pour the warm, delicious icing over your warm cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle your butterfinger bits over the top. Now try your hardest to allow the frosting to set for another few minutes before eating!

6. Enjoy!

Seriously though, I really hope you enjoy this!

Sheet cakes obviously make a ton, so I brought a bunch to my husband's work and they all loved it too.

If you store it in an air tight container it should last a few days.

I can't wait to make this stuff again!

Let me know if you tried the recipe and loved it in the comments :)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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