Salted Peanut Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

So...I betcha thought I fell off the ends of the earth, right!  Might have been more fun, however, I received a jury summons for this past week and had to sit in the "Jury Room" for two days, waiting to see if I would be called for a trial.  As it turned out, I wasn't assigned to a trial and got sprung yesterday knowing that I did my civic duty.

Well, anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a sitting kind of person and, furthermore, I don't like to talk on the cell phone in public, so what else was a gal to do to pass the time?? I was thinking of recipes I want to try.  The first one, because I noticed there were some ripe bananas on the counter:-( would be a banana bar.  I have to chuckle because sitting in the courthouse and thinking about jail bars made me think of doing a bar to begin with:D!  Also, I know it seemed like something I hadn't tried with bananas and that's what enticed me to create a memorable snack.

Salted Peanut Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
Shortbread Crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees. Use a 9" x 13" baking pan (and for ease, line with aluminum foil, making sure you extend the foil beyond the sides, and spray the foil with a non-stick baking spray)

I use a 9" x 13" springform pan--makes it easy to cut and remove bars.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula, as needed.  Add the flour and salt and mix until combined--mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingertips.

 Distribute shortbread dough on the bottom of the baking pan and, with impeccably clean fingers, press the dough out as smooth as possible.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven while you mix up the banana layer and melt the butter for the brown butter frosting.  Don't turn off the oven.

Heat 1/2 cup butter over medium heat

Reduce heat to low and cook the butter until it turns a golden brown.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a glass bowl to cool before using in the frosting.

Banana Bread Layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium, but measure just in case)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. Banana flavoring (optional, but enhances the flavor)

1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Salted Dry-Roast peanuts, chopped

You don't need to wash the bowl you mixed the shortbread up in.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the mashed bananas, Banana Flavoring and Vanilla Extract and mix on medium speed.  Add the egg and beat well.

Add the dry ingredients and the salted peanuts and mix on low just until incorporated.  Spoon over the shortbread crust and use an off-set spatula to spread evening.  I placed the 9" x 13" baking pan on a baking sheet so the shortbread crust wouldn't become too brown.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bars are golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out cleanly from the center.

Allow to cool for 10 min, then, run a straight spatula around the edges before removing the sides.  If you lined your baking pan with foil, you should be able to life the bars out of the pan to cool completely.

Brown Butter Frosting:

Melted and cooled brown butter (from 1/2 cup [1 stick] unsalted butter)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 - 3 T milk
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the brown butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract together.  Add milk, one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is spreading consistency.  Spread on top of the cooled bars and but into squares.

Now, it didn't take me two days to think this up, but I will tell you I thought of a whole bunch of options to make these even more unique.

• Nuts--Substitute peanuts for pecans, walnuts, macadamia, or almond
•  Add 1 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips, Reeces peanut butter chips or 1 cup shredded coconut to the banana layer.
• Pour a chocolate ganache layer on top instead of the brown butter frosting--Ganache --Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream + 2 T light Karo syrup, until bubbles appear around the circumference. Pour heated cream over 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips.  Let sit a few minutes and then, stir until smooth.  Pour over the bars before removing them from the pan. 

One last thing...everyone asks, "what do you do with all the things you bake?"  Well, these got packed up and brought to some friends at my favorite on-line craft supple store--Ellen Hutson, LLC.

I love sharing. Enjoy!