Recipes for desserts we've tried recently

The Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is the first recipe I'm going to show you, and the other two of these recipes are mostly for the 4th of July.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. banana (approx. 5 bananas), mashed

2 c. pecans, chopped

2 c. chocolate chips

Tools:

2 loaf pans, greased

1 large mixing bowl

1 fork

1 rubber spatula

These measuring cups: 1 c., 1/2 c.

These measuring spoons: 1 T., 1 tsp.

Mix the first four ingredients in the large mixing bowl after melting the butter and and mixing the eggs with the fork. Add the other ingredients in the order that they are given to you, mixing well after each ingredient. Pour into the greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Cool and serve.

Flag Cake

Ingredients:

ingredients for your favorite cake - we used chocolate

whipping cream or Cool Whip

strawberries

blueberries

Tools:

tools for your favorite cake

1 frosting spreader

Make your favorite cake. Allow it to cool, then spread most of the Cool Whip (If you use whipping cream, you'll need to use a hand mixer and beat it at a high speed until thick and peaks are formed. Add a small amount of sugar to the whipping cream as well while you are beating it.)with the frosting spreader. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries in the look of our flag-without stars. :-) Make the stars with the rest of the whipping cream. If possible (before spreading the whipping cream) put other strawberries and blueberries on the cake so everybody gets both strawberries and blueberries.

Pretzel Sparklers

Ingredients:

thick long pretzel sticks (at least 25)

white chocolate melting discs

sprinkles

food coloring (opt.)

Tools:

1 small mixing bowl

1 rubber spatula

1 plate

waxed paper

Melt the white chocolate melting discs in the microwave according to the package directions. Add a few drops of food coloring if you want it to be a different color. Use the rubber spatula and spread the melted chocolate on the pretzel stick, leaving a small part at the bottom. Tap the pretzel gently on the bowl to get the excess chocolate off. Sprinkle the candy sprinkles onto the wet chocolate. Hold it over a plate to catch the extra sprinkles, you can reuse them. Put the pretzel on the waxed paper to dry.

Hope you enjoy!

Matthew