Banana bread

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-139900

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
3 medium bananas, very ripe
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line the loaf pan with parchment, letting the excess hang over the sides. Spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray. → If using nuts, toast them in the oven for 10 minutes as the oven is pre-heating.
2. Melt the butter: Melt the butter in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop. → Alternatively, for a more cake-like banana bread, soften the butter (but do not melt) and cream it with the sugar in a stand mixer in the next step.
3. Combine the butter and sugar: Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until combined. (Or cream in a mixer until fluffy.)
4. Add the eggs: Crack the eggs into the bowl. Whisk until completely combined and the mixture is smooth.
5. Add the milk and vanilla: Whisk the milk and vanilla into the batter.
6. Mash in the bananas: Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl. Using the end of the whisk or a dinner fork, mash them into the batter. Leave the bananas as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. If you prefer an entirely smooth banana bread, mash the bananas separately until no more lumps remain, and then whisk them into the batter.
7. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt: Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Switch to using a spatula and gently stir until the ingredients are just barely combined and no more dry flour is visible. 
8. Fold in the nuts or chocolate, if using: Last but not least, scatter the nuts or chocolate over the batter and gently fold them in. 
9. Pour the batter into the pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using the spatula to scrape all the batter from the bowl. Smooth the top of the batter.
10. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes: Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the top of the cake is caramelized dark brown with some yellow interior peeking through and a tooth pick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Baking time will vary slightly depending on the moisture and sugar content of your bananas — start checking around 50 minutes and then every 5 minutes after.
11. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes: Set the loaf, still in the pan, on a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan.
12. Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes: Lift the loaf out of the pan using the parchment paper "wings." Set it on the cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing. Leftover bread can be kept, covered, at room temperature for several days or wrapped in foil and frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes:

• Banana Muffins: To make muffins, line a muffin tin with liners and fill each cup to roughly 3/4 full. Makes 8 to 10 muffins.

Big soft ginger cookies

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/big-soft-ginger-cookies

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. 
2. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Pineapple coconut ice cream

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/coconut-and-pineapple-ice-cream/

400ml can coconut milk
Pared strip of lime zest, plus juice of 1 lime
3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
300g pineapple pieces, plus extra wedges to serve
200ml double cream
Toasted coconut flakes, to serve (see tip)

METHOD

1. Place the coconut milk in a saucepan with the lime zest. Bring to just below boiling point, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool and infuse for 20 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and cornflour until smooth. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly. Return to the saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the custard thickens. Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl, discarding the lime zest. Cover with baking paper and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, whizz the pineapple in a food processor for a few seconds, until it’s a rough purée. Stir into the custard with the cream and lime juice. 
4. Place the ice cream mixture in a freezerproof container and freeze for 45 minutes. Remove from the freezer, beat well, then return to the freezer for a further 2 hours. Alternatively, pour into an ice cream maker and churn until thick.
5. Serve scoops of ice cream with wedges of fresh pineapple. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and decorate with pineapple leaves, if you like.

2 cans coconut milk

1 lime (skin + juice)

5 egg yolks, 1 white

1 c sugar

4 tsp cornstarch

1 can crushed pineapple

473 ml whipping cream

1/2 c flake coconut