Bananas Foster Cupcakes

I've made enough banana bread to sink the Titanic, so when my grandmom forced upon gave me more bananas I knew I did not want to make banana bread!   A cake would have struck too close to home as far as bread goes.  Cupcakes were winning, but I wanted to take them out of the muffin territory!  Chocolate and nuts - too obvious...Rum and caramel - delicious win!

Bananas Foster Cupcakes 
Yields approximately 15 cupcakes

Ingredients 
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp rum flavoring 
2 large eggs
1 VERY ripe banana, smashed
1 stick butter, softened
Approximately 2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tbsp caramel syrup
Toffee flavored sprinkles 

To Prepare the Cupcakes 
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon.
3. Blend the milk, rum flavoring, and oil into the dry ingredients.
4. Add the eggs and banana and mix well.
5. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
6. While the cupcakes are baking, blend the butter and 1 cup of confectioners sugar together.
7. Add the caramel syrup to the icing mixture.
8. Add the remaining confectioners sugar until your icing has the desired consistency.
9. When your cupcakes are cool. ice them and top with the toffee sprinkles. 

Pecan Encrusted Pork Cutlets with Salted Apple Caramel Cream Sauce

Fall is, by far, my favorite season, and with that comes the flavors of fall!  I have always been a fan of pork and apples, but wanted to put a new spin on it this year.  Salted caramel has been something I have been encountering a lot this year at restaurants and in recipes, and wanted to marry that flavor with the pork and apples.  The pecans add the right amount of savory and nutty flavor to balance out this sauce!  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!


Pecan Encrusted Pork Cutlets with Salted Apple Caramel Cream Sauce 
Yields 4 - 5 servings


To Prepare the Sauce
1. Add 2/3 cup of heavy cream to a sauce pan on VERY low heat.  The burner should barely be on!
2. Add 2/3 cup of T. Marzetti caramel dip to the sauce pan.  T. Marzetti is the most commonly found brand of straight forward caramel dip.  You should be able to find it with the apples in the produce department of your grocery store!

3. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt to the pan, and gently stir all of the ingredients together until the color and texture is even.

4. While the mixture continues to cook over low heat, slice 1 Granny Smith Apple into very thin slices.  They should be approximately 1/8 inch thick, but no thicker than 1/4 inch!

5. Add them to the sauce pan and continue to simmer it and occasionally stir it over low heat while you prepare the pork!

To Prepare the Pork
1. Put 1 pound of pecan pieces on a piece of parchment paper on your counter or a table.

2. Using a rolling pin, break down the pieces just a little bit more by rolling them and pressing down with some force.

3. Spray a little non-stick cooking spray into a glass casserole dish. 
4. Take a pork cutlet and press it into the pecan pieces.  Do this to both sides, and then place it flat in the casserole dish.  I used 1 pound of pork cutlets! 

5. After all of the cutlets are coated and in the dish, bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

To Serve
1. Plate your pork cutlet and top with a little bit of the sauce!

I served mine along side green beans and some homemade smashed red potatoes!  It was beyond delicious...all I had hoped for and more!