Fall is the perfect season for baking and dusting off the old family recipes. From my family to yours, here is my all-time favorite food: chocolate and banana nut bread.

Disclaimer: contains nuts, eggs, and dairy.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup butter (melted)
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 small bananas, smashed, equivalent to about 1 cup
¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
⅔ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Grease the pan with butter or line it with parchment paper. On the side, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the butter and sour cream, then whisk again.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the mixing bowl. Add the mashed banana and whisk again. Add the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and stir thoroughly.
3. Evenly pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

During the holiday season, I’m always at my grandma’s house, and she’s always teaching me how to make several cookie and dessert recipes that have been in the family for years. One of my favorites is fudge! It’s a pretty quick recipe that gives you fantastic results and it’ll just take around 10 minutes of straight stirring to get there.

Never Fail Fudge by Jiff

Disclaimer: contains dairy and eggs.

Ingredients:
3 cups White Sugar
¾ cup melted butter
⅔ cup evaporated milk
12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips
7 oz jar marshmallow fluff
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Grease 9-inch by 13-inch pan
2. Mix sugar melted butter, marshmallow fluff* and evaporated milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until combined. Bring mixture to a boil**, stir for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla extract.
4. Pour in the pan and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

*Microwave the marshmallow fluff for 10 seconds to remove from jar easier
**Don’t mistake air bubbles for boiling!

Another recipe my family enjoys around this time a year is my aunt’s gingerbread cookies. These gingerbread cookies can be enjoyed by themselves or with her butterscotch glaze with an ingredient you might not expect. This recipe was actually published in a book called “The Christmas Table” which features Christmas recipes from across the US.

Gingerbread Cookies by Barbra Hanson
Cookie Ingredients:
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup butter softened
1-½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light molasses
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over butter.
2. Add spices, brown sugar, and molasses until blended.
3. Mix in flour and chill for 2 hours.
4. Roll out onto a floured surface to a quarter-inch thickness.
5. Cut out dough with cookie cutters of your choice and place it on a baking sheet.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Cool completely.
8. Leave them plain or frost with butterscotch glaze.

Butterscotch Glaze
Ingredients:
2 cups butterscotch chips; divided
3 teaspoon oil divided
½ teaspoon orange extract

1. Combine 1 cup chips one and a half teaspoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon extract in the microwave on high setting until chips are melted checking out one-minute intervals
2. Mix well and dip cookies in glaze
3. Placed on wax paper until cool
4. Repeat until all cookies are glazed

Happy baking!!!