Memphis Mafia Bars

It started with a doughnut in Portland. A Voodoo doughnut. A doughnut so wonderful that it became my friend Ellie's Facebook profile picture.

Commenting ensued. It looked amazing. Banana. Chocolate. Peanut butter. It was called the Memphis Mafia. Hey, Memphis, do you know how many shared college memories are there? It needed to be replicated. We were reuniting in five weeks: excuse to invent a Memphis Mafia bar.

So for those of us who didn't get to check Portland off our destination wish list, we got the goodness of Memphis Mafia to snack on at the lake house.

Banana cake.
Chocolate frosting.
Peanut butter drizzle.
Peanuts.
Chocolate chunks.
Yum.

I even made it dairy free for a friend who can't have the best food group of all for now, and to my surprise, it was still as decadently delicious as that doughnut looks.


Memphis Mafia Bars
Batter from Betty Crocker

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
Perfectly Chocolate Frosting (see below)
Peanut Butter Drizzle (see below)
¼ cup peanuts, crushed (I beat mine inside a baggie.)
¼ cup chocolate chunks, chopped small

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Spread in pan.

Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Spread Chocolate Frosting on cooled cake. Drizzle Peanut Butter Drizzle on top. Sprinkle with chocolate and peanut pieces.

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting
Hershey’s Cocoa Box

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.


Peanut Butter Drizzle
Godtopus Eats

1/2 cup peanut butter, melted (the commercial kind, not the natural kind)
4 Tbsp. powdered sugar


Melt the peanut butter in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and stir it until smooth again. Scrape the mixture into a sandwich bag and seal the top. Cut the tip from one corner and use it to pipe the drizzle onto the cooled frosting.