Ultimate Banana Bars with Brown Butter Icing

My youngest child has learned the hard way that she really needs to eat more fresh fruit. She recently spent an intense week away at a Volleyball Camp.

They get a pretty good workout with the conditioning and court play and so of course she developed cramps in her calves one night. Her solution was, the next day, to consume 5, yes FIVE, bananas over the entire day and evening.

Sheesh! I have been trying for the last 5 years to convince that girl to eat more fresh fruit!! Good 'ole muscle cramps were the tipping point!

I always most times have an enormous amount of fresh-in-season fruit available. With a large tiered basket on my island, it's easy to just keep filling that baby.

But to celebrate her new found interest in the importance of actually eating and not drinking your fruit, I also made her a pan of these delicious, moist...

These are seriously so good!

They are moist and a little denser than an actual cake and the frosting is.....well,

the frosting on the cake!!

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed-(err on the side of more)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

6 tbsp butter

3 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.  Butter and flour 15x10-inch a jelly roll pan. 
2. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts if using.
3. Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown (about 4-5 minutes-watch carefully) and remove from heat immediately.
5. in a large bowl or stand mixer, add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Gradually pour in melted butter and beat on low. Beat together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).
6.  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 
   
   
   Recipe Adapted From:The Girl Who Ate Everything
   
   
   
   
   

Enjoy!!

This recipe is shared on My Link Parties

Also shared on Weekend Potluck 
and FoodieFriendsFriday