Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze

Bananas are among our favorite fruits so we always have them at our house. I usually buy a dozen per week and most of the time, we are out of it in just 3 days. But there are times when we end up with a bunch of brown spotted bananas. Not wanting them to go to waste, I usually turn those overripe bananas into banana bread, banana cream pie shake and sometimes into banana chocolate cake, banana trifle or banana bars like these... 

They look pretty, don't they? Well, these Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars aren't just pretty...they're also delicious and very easy to make! It's a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and banana bread with the added goodness of caramel. I'm sure you'll love them! And with the added Cream Cheese Glaze the banana bars will even be more wonderful!

The next time you have a bunch of overripe bananas in your fruit bowl, don't throw them and try this recipe instead! Overripe bananas may not be the best for eating out of hand, but when it comes to these baked treats, they couldn't be better! 

Holiday Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I can't believe 2011 has flown by so fast! It seems like only yesterday when I started Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner...but 11 months have actually gone by. In my first months of blogging, I did all sorts of things to promote my blog like joining linky parties, entering in giveaways and participating in recipe contests. I can still remember how happy and excited I was when I won in A Latte with OTT,A's CLABBER GIRL IRON CHEF CHALLENGE with the Filipino Inipit as my entry. It is a pastry that originated in Malolos, Bulacan where I was born, and is basically two slices of sponge cake with custard "pressed" or "inipit" in between them. Clabber Girl’s Culinary Classroom Chef April Osburn, who was the judge of the challenge said that she chose my recipe because it was unique and my post was well written. It was such a joy for me to be chosen Iron Chef Challenge winner for the month of April. Not only did I love my gourmet basket prize, it also helped me gain confidence to keep doing two of the things that I love to do, which is cooking and blogging! :)

Now that 2011 is coming to an end, Amy of A Latte With OTT,A is hosting a Bake Off between the 10 Iron Chef Challenge winners with Taste of Home as the contest sponsor and judge. Such a great end-of-year challenge, don't you think??! It is different from the  previous challenges because this time, we are asked to bake the exact same thing. Yes, you read it right! The contestants will all be making the same recipe given by Taste of Home and from there, must create something else with it. We will be judged based on what creative ideas we come up with. Can you imagine how excited I am to be part of this! Even the busy Holiday season won't stop me from joining the fun!

Taste of Home chose Cinnamon Raisin Bread to be our base recipe. I must honestly say that I had a hard time deciding what to do with it. I thought of making pudding...trifle...cinnamon raisin bars...but after looking up on the web, I realized those are the common twists people make with Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe. So I decided to make something uncommon...something that will let me and my family enjoy Cinnamon Raisin Bread as it is but with added goodness, and a festive look that will make it more perfect for the coming Holidays. I call my creation Holiday Cinnamon Raisin Bread...

I baked the Cinnamon Raisin Bread based on the exact recipe from Taste of Home, then I cover it with Cream Cheese Glaze and topped it with Pecan Crumble. To make it more Holiday-ish, I added some green and red edible confettis. I must say it looks festive enough to fit it's name...but wait 'til you try it. The creamy sweetness of Cream Cheese Glaze and the crunch of the Pecan Crumble will definitely bring the already delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread to a new level!

The winner of the 2011 Iron Chef Champions Edition will receive a Taste of Home Baking Book. This is something that I really want to have so I hope I'll win! That would be a good Christmas and birthday present for me...so wish me luck everyone! :)

I would like to thank A Latte With OTT,A for hosting this amazing challenge, and of course, Taste of Home for being the sponsor. Don't forget to check out Taste of Home for lots of amazing recipes that will surely be wonderful additions to your everyday and Holiday menu!