This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Dorie’s Cookies was definitely more of a cake than a “bar” or “square” and definitely not a cookie. So-named because Dorie baked them up when she was snowed in from a blizzard and was suffering “Cabin Fever”, these “bars” used what she had on hand when she couldn’t go to the store. I made 1/2 the recipe (so, in a 4-inch loaf tin instead of a square pan) and it made 6 lovely little slices (could easily have made 12 little squares or 8 bigger ones too). The perfect amount for a 2-person household with neighbours who like to help taste-test the sweet treats that come out of our kitchen!
What I loved about this recipe was that it was neither too caramel-ly nor too banana-y; it was very subtly flavoured and actually tasted more like the types of (plain) cakes my mum used to make when we were little. The combo of mashed banana and sour cream (I used Greek yoghurt) makes it a lovely moist cake that kept well (the one slice I stashed away) overnight.
Dorie suggests topping it with melted chocolate and chopped nuts but to me, the cake was begging for a simple butter/ icing sugar/ cocoa frosting “just like mum used to make” and as soon as I saw it frosted, I knew it needed sprinkles (these are Classic Sprinkles – what I would call 100s and 1000s from Sweetapolita) to complete the retro look!
This was SUCH a great cake, I am wishing I made a full-sized version to share with my colleagues at school. I might just have to very soon!
Get the recipe for Dorie Greenspan’s Cabin Fever Caramel Banana Bars on page 65 of Dorie’s Cookies.
Want more cookie recipes? Buy Dorie’s Cookies on Amazon
(this link should bring you to the Amazon store in your country) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us over on Tuesdays with Dorie and bake your way through the book!
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Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Dorie’s Cookies” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing so. All opinions 100% my own.
The best part of this was: it is so unbelievably moist. 🙂
I agree with you that it was cake more than cookie bar. We loved it too.
Nice post, Mardi
so fun! i’m copying you next time! 🙂
These were good! I like the sprinkles you put on top. I used Greek yoghurt too – saved me from buying sour cream.