Banana-Cashew Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
Prep Time: 35 Minutes Start to Finish: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Makes: 24 bars Calories Per Bar: 210
So I am baking my way through Betty's Crockers Big Book of Cookies, and my next recipe in line was the Banana-Cashew Bars with Brown Butter Frosting. I love banana bread, as much as I love cashews, so I was really excited to make this recipe. **Full disclaimer it was extremely hard for me to not eat the whole bag of cashews while baking these bars**
Let me tell you, they were a hit! The bottom of the bar was like a soft banana cake, and the chopped up cashews gave the bars a perfect crunchy texture. The brown butter frosting added a great balance of sweetness to the whole dessert. The frosting was just a thin layer, so it wasn't too overpowering. Here are my tips for you to ensure your baking is a major hit.
~First off, this recipe calls for 2 very ripe bananas, which means you need to plan ahead if you are going to make this (unless you have some frozen bananas you are saving for a time just like this). I did not...so I was waiting for my bananas to ripen - because let me tell you it is not easy to find ripe bananas in the store. I even went to the store where I buy smoothies to see if they had some extra ripe ones in the back!
~The recipe doesn't specify whether or not to use salted or unsalted cashews. I opted for salted and the bars were delicious!
~After you make the batter, you spread it into a greased pan. The layer will be somewhat thin. I used to a spatula to spread it out. It says to bake 22-26 minutes. I started at 22, and had to add an extra 3 minutes. Every oven is different, so always start off at the lower end and add timing as needed.
~When making the brown butter frosting be sure to keep an eye on the butter when melting it. You don't want to burn it...and butter can become brown very quickly. When you add the sugar in the consistency will be very dry and crumbly, and difficult to stir. Once you add in the vanilla and milk it thins right out to the perfect icing. Just make sure to add the milk one tablespoon at a time..all 3 tablespoons might not be needed.
~I added a cashew halve to each bar. I just used a small paring knife to split open the cashews. You can make score lines to see where you will cut the bars so that you know where to center a cashew on each square.
"These bars are perfection," my coworker said to me. When I see people going in for seconds and thirds I know it was a hit!
<3 P.S.
The frosting is a little sticky which made cutting the bars a bit challenging, but appearance isn't always the important thing. Sticky goodness tastes amazing no matter how you slice it.