3 Chiquita holiday treats
Give gifts from the heart this holiday — Homemade preserves. Loaves. Cookies. All made with delicious Chiquita bananas. You can’t find a better gift anywhere for those special people you want to please.
Banana cookies recipe
Also known as Chiquita holiday cookies
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of shortening
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of mashed, ripe Chiquita bananas (2-3 bananas)
Directions
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the shortening until soft. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy; then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with mashed bananas. Blend well after each addition.
Drop the mixture by the tablespoons on an ungreased baking sheet. (Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, nuts, or coconut.) Bake in a 375 F oven for 12 minutes. Remove the cookies and cool them on a rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Country banana bread recipe
Also known as Chiquita country loaf
Ingredients
1/3 cup of shortening
2/3 cup of sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2-3/4 teaspoon of double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of mashed, ripe Chiquita bananas (2-3 bananas)
Directions
Beat shortening until creamy (or 1 minute on medium speed in an electric mixer). Blend in sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately with bananas; blend well after each addition.
Grease the bottom of a 4-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 3-inch loaf pan. Turn the batter into the pan. Bake in a 350 F oven for 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack. Makes 1 loaf.
Create a fruit cake by adding a 1/2 cup each of chopped nuts and mixed candied fruit and peels.
Cranberry-banana marmalade recipe
Ingredients
4 cups of cranberries
1 cup of water
2 cups of mashed, ripe Chiquita bananas (5-6 bananas)
6 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of grated orange rind
1 pouch of (3 fluid ounces) of fruit pectin
Canner rack
Optional: add 1/2 cup of diced orange
Directions
Simmer the cranberries in the water for 10 minutes. Mix in the bananas and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil mixture for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the orange rind. Remove from the heat, and mix in the fruit pectin.
Pour into sterilized, self-sealing hot jars within a 1/8″ of the top of jar. Wipe the jar rim; adjust the lids. Set jars in a canner rack. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes; remove the jars. Makes about 4 pints.
