Banana Coconut Pecan Bread

Banana Bread is a type of bread that is made with mashed fully ripe bananas. It is often a moist, sweet, cake-like quick bread.

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350°F and line a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. 
- Stir in eggs until well blended. 
- Add mashed bananas, buttermilk and coconut extract .Beat until smooth.
- Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
-Finally stir in pecans and shredded coconut.
- Pour into prepared pan. 
- Bake about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely for about 1 1/2 hours.

Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is a chocolate confection. Generally it consists of peppermint candy pieces, such as candy canes, in white chocolate on top of dark chocolate, but peppermint bark can refer to any chocolate with peppermint candy pieces in it.

Ingredients:

- 8oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- 8oz White Chocolate
- 2 tsp Vegetable Oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract, divided
- Candy Canes or Peppermint Candies, crushed

Directions

- Line a 8" by 8" baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Smash candies with a meat tenderizer. Then pass them through a mesh strainer to get rid of the dust. We only need the chunks.
- In a heat safe bowl, add brown chocolate and 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Melt chocolate at 50% power in 30 second intervals (about three times). Stir well after each heating.
- When fully melted, stir in 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract.
- Pour melted brown chocolate onto prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with a small amount of candy chunks.
- Transfer to the fridge for 15 minutes or until fully set and hardened.
- Repeat melting process with white chocolate and 1 tsp of oil at 50% power in 30 second intervals. Stirring well after each heating.
- When fully melted, stir in 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract.
- Pour over brown chocolate. Spread out.
- Sprinkle with remaining candy pieces.
- Transfer to the fridge for an additional 15 minutes or until fully hardened.
- Remove from baking sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle).