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MONKEY SQUARES


it all started with a search for a new banana bread recipe for my very ripe bananas. as you may know, i actually already had a recipe i found which started the yummypages blog, but every time i made it, i felt like it still wasn't right. so, as i searched, i was intrigued by a recipe for monkey squares...banana bread base with brown butter frosting. when i was looking for a recipe, i was to start baking at 9pm, so i wasn't about to get complex and i was very happy to see that this recipe could easily turn into a loaf, so i went with it!

what i realized when i was mixing the components was that the addition of wet ingredients made a huge difference in overall moisture. the original recipe calls for sour cream, but i only had plain yogurt, which is a perfect substitute and it also called for butter, which i was limited to. so, the substitution of canola oil brought the moisture level up a little more. i hope you enjoy the two recipes in one.

MONKEY SQUARES
posted on the girl who ate everything on june 12, 2010
  • 1 1/2 c white granulated sugar
  • 1 c sour cream (or plain yogurt)
  • 1/2 c butter, softened (or oil)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)
heat oven to 375°F. grease and flour a 8x8 baking dish.

beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy. blend in bananas and vanilla. add flour, baking soda, and salt. stir in walnuts and spread in pan. bake 20-25 mins or until golden brown. let cool.

BANANA BREAD LOAF OPTION: bake in a loaf pan at 350°F for 45-50 mins.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 4 c powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
  • 3 T milk or half & half
heat butter in saucepan over medium heat past melting point until boiling and browning. remove from heat and immediately stir in sugar, vanilla, and milk. the consistency should be thicker than a glaze, but thinner than frosting. smooth on top of the monkey squares.

my yummy tip: do not make frosting until after or close to pulling the monkey squares out of the oven. but, if you are eager to make the frosting, simply heat in saucepan to soften before frosting the monkey squares.
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