Praline Crunch Snack Mix

If you like sweet, crunchy snack mixes, you’ll love this amazing recipe. I’m not kidding when I say I have to limit how much I make because I can’t stop snacking on it. It’s that good. Enjoy!

Items needed to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal https://amzn.to/3Ie2OpW

• Lyle’s Golden Syrup https://amzn.to/3jw6fOs

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3Q1ZnVn

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Praline Crunch Snack Mix

makes 10 cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 21 ounce box (8 cups) quaker oatmeal squares cereal (brown sugar or cinnamon flavor)

• 2 cups pecan halves (or chop them up if you like)

• 1/2 cup Lyle’s golden syrup (*see notes for substitution)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (*see notes)

• 4 tablespoons butter (*see notes)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250F and place oven rack in center position.

2. Spray a large roasting pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal and pecan halves; set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan over high heat, stir golden syrup, brown sugar, and butter together until it reaches a full rolling boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda until bubbling subsides.

5. Pour hot syrup over cereal and pecans and toss until evenly coated; transfer to prepared roasting pan.

6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and spread snack mix on silicone or parchment-lined half sheet pan to cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

• Light corn syrup can be used instead of Lyle’s golden syrup, but the flavor of Lyle’s is superior so I highly using it.

• I prefer to use cinnamon flavored quaker oatmeal squares for this recipe, but the brown sugar variety can be used.

• Don’t skip the vanilla in this recipe - it really enhances the flavor. Be sure to use the good stuff.

• Feel free to use light or dark brown sugar, as well as salted or unsalted butter.

adapted from quakeroats.com

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My favorite loaf pan manufacturer just started making the skinny Cocktail Loaf Pan that I’ve been searching for for years. Cocktail bread is traditionally rye or pumpernickel, but I like to use this pan for quick breads. One pan will make a long skinny loaf of quick bread that would normally fit in a 9x5 loaf pan. I absolutely love serving smaller slices from this size pan - perfect portion control. Here’s a recipe for chocolate chip banana bread with a touch of cinnamon and cardamom. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 3x14-inch tea or cocktail loaf pan https://amzn.to/3XW6CBV

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ELpRVX

• mini chocolate chips https://amzn.to/3ENvMtu

• ground cardamom https://amzn.to/3ENvFy4

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

makes one 3x14-inch cocktail loaf pan (or one 9x5 loaf pan)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1 teaspoon fine table salt

• 2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet), plus more for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F with rack in lower third of oven.

2. Prepare a tea or cocktail loaf pan (3x14-inch) with nonstick baking spray.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt; set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, milk, pure vanilla extract; set aside.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat both sugars and butter together until light and creamy, several minues.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 second after each addition.

7. Beat in the mashed banana mixture.

8. Add the flour mixture just until no traces of dry ingredients remain.

9. Remove bowl from stand mixer and stir in the mini chocolate chips by hand (scrape side of bowl in the process).

10. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips if desired (looks great after baked).

11. Bake on lower rack for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

12. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely before serving. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

• If you don’t have a 3x14-inch tea/cocktail loaf pan, a 9x5-inch loaf pan can be substituted (increase baking time to 65-75 minutes).

• Alternately, batter can be mixed with a handheld mixer.

• The batter for a double recipe will fit in a 5-quart stand mixer.

• This banana bread is very heavy and can break in half when turning out of the pan. To avoid this, be sure loaf is completely supported by a cooling rack when unmolding. Don’t be tempted to unmold loaf into your hand like you might do with a standard sized loaf.

• Although the photos above show these pans wrapped with insulated baking strips, I’ve concluded doing so is unnecessary for this recipe.

adapted from allrecipes