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Saturday, March 26, 2011

No Bake Banana Split Pie

Surprise! I've got two announcements for you today. First of all, welcome to my new blog design! I've been working with the fabulous Ashley for quite some time now to make this blog a better place to visit. While there was nothing wrong with the previous site, I was ready for a new design and wanted to make the blog more user-friendly. So what's new, aside from the color scheme, header, and all that fun stuff?

First of all, you'll find some buttons at the time. Contacting me is a whole lot easier now--just fill out the form under the contact tab. Recipes are much easier to sort through as well, thanks to a new recipe page! I finally got around to writing an about me page and restaurant reviews, both in STL and on our vacations, can be found in one spot.

As if that wasn't enough, check out the buttons in the left column...I've created a Facebook page to keep readers up to date when a new post goes up (please "like" me so I don't feel too lame ;)). There are also buttons for twitter and subscribing to my feed via feedburner or email.

Like I said, lots of changes around here...but for the best, I think! We'll still be working out a few minor glitches in the days to come so hit me up with any feedback if you see something that doesn't work or looks funny!

And now about that other change...I've been holding out on you, readers. I've hinted at our crazy lives here and there, which isn't out of the norm for Ryan and I, but I failed to tell you one piece of news that's kept us extra busy lately. We're moving. We're staying in the St. Louis area, but leaving the duplex that we've loved for the past few years and making our way to a single family home. We leave with bittersweet feelings; this will always be the place we began our lives together and I will forever have fond memories of it. It's the place where I learned to love the kitchen and Ryan can attest to the fact that I have made many, many messes in this kitchen :)

In a few short days, though, we'll be moving on to bigger and better things. A bigger kitchen, for one, which you can probably imagine is what I'm most excited about! (Messes will still be made with their usual regularity!) Bear with me, if meals seem simple and posts seem short and sweet; moving is no easy task!

This banana split pie was part of the "clean out the kitchen" challenge I've been taking on for the past month or so. The less that is in our house, the less we have to move. With that in mind, I've been trying to use up little scraps of things I have laying around. As you can see, this cake was a fitting vehicle for such a task! I've had whipped topping (aka cool whip) sitting in my freezer for way too many months now. That and about a dozen half-bags of baking chips and candy. This dessert ended up being creatively decorated: chopped snickers bars, m&ms, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries. I loved the end product--it looked like a celebration (which is why I couldn't stop taking pictures of it. So fun!!). Fitting, I suppose!

Lucky for us and the friends we shared it with, it tasted as good as it looked. I'm not sure if banana split pie is the absolute best title for this, although I see where it comes from. It's certainly easier to say than "no bake buttercream layered dessert with bananas, pineapples, candy, and a graham cracker crust". Regardless of what you decide to call it, it's a fun dessert--nice when you don't want to use your oven and fun to decorate!


One Year Ago: Moroccan Carrot Sandwiches


No Bake Banana Split Pie
adapted from Natalie's Killer Cuisine

Ingredients:
-2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-1 stick butter, melted
-2 sticks butter, room temperature
-2 cups powdered sugar
-2 eggs (if you're worried about raw eggs, buy pasteurized!)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1can of diced pineapple
-2-3 bananas, thinly sliced
-1 container whipped topping (note: if you want a thick layer, you'll need 2 containers. I just covered up bare spots with extra toppings!)
topping ideas: chocolate sauce, maraschino cherries, sprinkles, chopped up candy bars, m&ms

Directions:
1. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are completely moistened. Press into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 dish.
2. In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating for at least 6 minutes, until mixture is thick and smooth. Spread buttercream mixture over the graham cracker crust.
3. Top buttercream mixture with sliced bananas and diced pineapple pieces. Spread whipped topping over fruit. Top/decorate as desired and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.


This post is linked to Eat at Home.