Caramel Brownies

I found this yummy recipe over on StacyJulian.com. We are already done with our Christmas baking for the year, but that doesn't mean we can't try these for New Years! :)

Caramel Brownies

1 German chocolate cake mix
1 bag of small wrapped caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup margarine1 cup walnuts (choppped)
6 oz. chocolate chips

Melt the caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk together in medium saucepan and set aside. Mix together the cake mix, margarine, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and walnuts. Spread one half of the cake mixture in a 9×13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips and drizzle melted caramel over partially baked mixture, drop remaining cake mixture on top. Bake 15 minutes more and cool completely.

Banana Bread

I keep finding new and better banana bread recipes. This one is especially moist and perfect. I found it in the Worldwide Ward Cookbooks...Mom's best recipes.  It is called Anna's Banana Nut Bread, but I usually leave the nuts out of bread recipes. In the recipe, it says, "My friend calls this 'gourmet' banana bread because it is so moist and flavorful."


1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp. warm water
2 c. flour
3/4 c. walnuts, chopped

Cream margarine or butter and sugar toether. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in mashed bananas, mixing well. Add salt. Stir in baking soda and warm water mixture, stirring well. Mix in flour and stir in nuts. Put batter into two small well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until loaves test done with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack. When cool, wrap in aluminum foil. Makes 2 small loaves.