One-Bowl Banana Bread

This one-bowl Banana Bread recipe is what I call Banana Bread Without All The Fuss. I have been making this recipe since I purchased my first cookbook, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, in the early 1980s. Unlike most recipes, this banana bread doesn't require a mixer, as it has no butter that needs to be creamed. In fact, it has no fat at all other than that provided by the eggs. This is not a banana cake, therefore, but a banana bread that has a compact crumb that is moist purely from the power of the bananas.

As with all banana breads, though, you want to use ripe bananas. The riper, the better. One common trick is that when you are down to that last banana that's riper than you prefer, let it continue to ripen until it is spotty brown, then stick it in the freezer. The skins will turn almost black, but that's OK. When you have collected 3 or 4, let them thaw to make the banana bread. You'll want to peel them over the mixing bowl. Depending on how ripe they were when they went into the freezer, they will be very soft, and there may even be a separated liquid. That's OK.

The Easiest Easy Roast Chicken

I've been making this easy roast chicken for years. The inspiration comes from Thomas Keller, of the world-famous French Laundry and other restaurants. You'd think that a good roast chicken recipe shouldn't be this simple, but trust me -- If you are accustomed to rubbing things over or under the skin, basting, or otherwise fussing with your chicken, you don't need any of that to have a great bird. If you've never made roast chicken before, this is foolproof and requires next to no effort. The only issues you might run into is if your chicken is spoiled, or if there's a problem with your oven.

The lovely thing about roast chicken for me, as a single grrl, is that it gives me multiple meals. The first is obviously as a traditional entree as it emerges hot from the oven, all crackly brown skin and tender meat. But, after the remainder is cooled sufficiently, the whole thing gets wrapped in foil and put in the fridge. Now I have the makings for a chicken sandwich, or chicken salad, or some tasty protein I can add to a soup or a salad. The possibilities are endless; the presence of a roasted chicken in your icebox is the gateway to additional tasty lunches and dinners.

Small Batch Wedding Cupcakes

Small Batch Wedding Cake Cupcakes

One of my favorite items at Gigi's Cupcakes is the Wedding Cake Cupcake, and this small batch cupcake recipe gives me all of the thrills with none of the downsides. It may sound boring to some people, but I just adore the hint of almond and vanilla and the purity of the white cake and white icing. Even for a dedicated sweet tooth like mine, however, Gigi's mountain of frosting on an oversized cupcake can be a bit much, and I'm just not in the store's neighborhood that often. An issue in making your own cupcakes, though, especially when you are a Single Grrl, is that most recipes make at least a dozen, and often two dozen, and they can be hard to cut down to make fewer. Luckily I stumbled across a great small-batch vanilla cupcake recipe several years ago. It only makes six home-style cupcakes, which is great when you want to have enough to share but not enough to have endless stale leftovers. I've tweaked the recipe to give it that "wedding cake" flavor, but you could easily revert to regular vanilla cupcakes by omitting the almond flavoring. While they are not a duplicate of Gigi's, they are tender and flavorful, just perfect for a sweet bite with tea or coffee or as a fun dessert, with or without colorful sprinkles.