And just like that, Labor Day weekend has come and gone and it is now quite officially the start of fall! I can see from all of the mass activity amongst my Pinterest set that most of you have become ENTIRELY obsessed with all things autumn, so what better way to kick things off than with two simply delicious recipes and a couple of free printables to go along with them?
Surprise the kiddos with some delicious caramel apples waiting on the counter when they get off their bus this week....or more importantly, enjoy a slice of this delightful peanut butter banana bread with that newly available Pumpkin Spice Latte that you pick up on your way home!
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Ingredients:
Bread:
~ 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
~ 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
~ 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
~ 3 tablespoons butter, melted
~ 2 large eggs
~ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
~ 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
~ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
~ 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
~ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
~ 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
~ 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts (optional)
~ Cooking spray
Glaze:
~ 1/3 cup powdered sugar
~ 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
~ 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.
4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.
(recipe courtesy of Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light)
Homemade Caramel Apples
Ingredients:
~ 6 apples
~ 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
~ 2 tablespoons milk
~ wooden skewers/craft sticks
Directions:
1.) Remove the stem from each apple and press a craft stick into the top. Butter a baking sheet.
2.) Place caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool briefly.
3.) Roll each apple quickly in caramel sauce until well coated. Place on prepared sheet to set.
(recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com)
And without further adieu, here are your FREE printable labels (scroll below for the links to download!!):
Multiple Banana Bread Labels
(just print as many as you need & cut the entire colored portion out, fold at the line where the solid box meets the pattern to create a tent, and you are all set!!)
Multiple Caramel Apple Tags
(Print as many as you need and cut the squares out. Using a craft knife, make a small slit at the top & bottom center of the square label, about 1/2 an inch from the top (and bottom!) and slide along your wooden craft caramel apple stick!)
Here is how the label should look on your stick (a pic example of a cake pop version, so you can see the placement of the slits:) A picture to follow as soon as our Juneberry Caramel Apples are ready to go:)...
There you go! You are all set for that fall bake sale, book club meeting, or even just to have a couple close friends over for some strong coffee and good conversation! Hope your short week is off to a terrific start!
