Here is an outstanding banana bread recipe from innkeeper Donna Muilenburg at the Okoboji Country Inn.

Banana Bread Recipe

• 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups chopped pecans divided

Orange Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla, mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup chopped pecans. Transfer to two greased 8×4 inch x 2 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over loaves. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Place on wire racks to cool.

Enjoy this award winning banana bread. Our summer helper Katelyn, is in 4-H and entered this recipe in the Dickinson County Fair last week and won a blue ribbon. It was also selected to go to the Iowa State Fair and is on it’s way there now. Katelyn may decide to enter it in the Clay County Fair too. It may just be a triple award winner!!! Enjoy!!!

Even though I followed the recipe that was somewhat vague on how much of certain things I should use, I forged ahead with my best guesstimates - the portions I used are below.  What I didn’t expect was how it turned out. Even so, they got rave reviews and there was very little left.  One guest even took some for the flight home.

Caramel Sticky Buns

1 pkg frozen Texas Rolls (23-25 rolls)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 stick butter, melted
1 3-oz. pkg butterscotch pudding mix (don’t use instant)

Spray an angel food cake pan or large bundt pan and place the frozen rolls in the pan.

Mix the pudding mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts and sprinkle over the rolls. Pour the melted butter over the rolls and place the pan in a cold oven overnight. (The original
recipe had suggested leaving 2-3 rolls out the first time to see how it worked with the
pan chosen. I didn’t as I thought it was a large pan.  Lesson learned.  Place a cookie
sheet under the pan as mine raised way over the top and were drooping over the sides
the next morning.  I pulled about 10 off the top and sides as it raises even more as it
bakes. I ended up with a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish of rolls besides.)

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Take out of the oven and put a large
plate over the pan and invert them being careful not to get burned by the hot syrup.  Then enjoy the compliments.

Virginia Walker
McNeill Stone Mansion B&B