bananas

December 19, 2015

Single Lady Banana Bread.

One of my favorite guilty pleasure* hobbies OF ALL TIME includes listening to copious amounts of rap and hip-hop. Usually I can be found listening to lots of modern songs, but I am gonna go ahead and throw it out there: I have a “2000s Hip-Hop” station on my Pandora account, and it’s one of my favorite playlists to throw on when I wanna get pumped up.

*I actually have zero shame, tbh.

I mean, let’s be honest: who doesn’t like “Laffy Taffy,” “Salt Shaker,” “U and Dat,” and other songs?! They’re just classics for those of us that grew up in the early 2000s.

On the topic of 2000s Hip-Hop, do you remember the song “Independent” by a dude named Webbie? The lyrics are below:

“I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.
Do you know what that means, man?
She got her own house, she got her own car.
Two jobs; work hard.
YOUSA BAD BROAD!”

Secretly, I’ve always liked to think that song was meant for me. I’ve always been a bit independent to a fault. I have two jobs right now, and I have my own car, and I pay my own rent. I like to think that makes me a “bad broad.” 😛

If you’ve made it this far in this post, you’re probably wondering what in the heck hip-hop music has to do with a food blog or better yet with banana bread. Well, this isn’t just any ol’ nanner bread recipe. This recipe is for one single miniature loaf of banana bread. It’s an adorable, delicious little loaf, perfect for a badass, independent chick (or dude) such as yourself. You could technically share it with your significant other, if you have one and felt so inclined. But it’s also a nice amount for one person.

Well, I’m not gonna lie. I ate the entire loaf in what was probably more than a 24 hour period but less than a 48 hour period of time. It’s juuust the right amount of banana bread to satisfy a craving, plus use up that single overripe nanner that’s sitting on your counter, daring you to use it for something (but of course, one banana is never enough for a regular-sized loaf of bread).

Alright, now that rambling is over, go make a miniature loaf of nanner bread and listen to some good ol’ 2000s hip-hop songs while you’re at it. It’s a great way to use up a banana and feel like a total badass. Winning. 😎

nannerbreadslices — {Cute little slices of nanner bread on my favorite yellow gingham tray!}

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Single Lady Banana Bread.
Yield: One small loaf (a miniature loaf pan’s dimensions are usually about 5 ¾” x 3” x 2”).

Ingredients:
– 1 small (6-7”) over-ripe banana
– 3 TBSP. unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra for pan)
– 3 TBSP. granulated sugar
– 2 TBSP. honey
– 1 large egg yolk
– ½ cup all-purpose flour
– 1 TBSP. flax seed meal [Christina uses wheat germ, but I don’t ever keep any on hand. I always have flax seed meal, though. Personally, I think a tablespoon or two of flax seed meal adds a nice, nutty flavor, with the added benefit of some extra nutrition!]
– ¼ + ⅛ tsp. baking soda
– Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 5 ¾” x 3” x 2” mini loaf pan with butter or cooking spray (and a little parchment paper!). Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the banana into a puree using a fork or potato masher, if you have one. Next, add the butter, sugar, and honey to it and stir well.
3. Stir in the egg yolk well. Finally, sprinkle in the dry ingredients: flour, flax seed meal or wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan slightly before moving it to a wire rack. Enjoy!

+ Recipe via Dessert for Two.

May 17, 2015

Peanut Butter Banana Bread. {With Chocolate Chips!}

Do you ever have those times in which you just know something you’re making [or baking, as the case may be] is gonna be good? That was the case with this nanner bread.

Now, this nanner bread isn’t something I’d eat slice after slice of in a row. It’s pretty rich, hence the bananas/chocolate/peanut butter. However, it is really, really good banana bread!

I took some to a little STL foodie get-together at Urban Chestnut Brewery in The Grove, because I needed to pawn it off on people [read: so I wouldn’t eat it all, because I would, despite its richness]. I packaged it up in some simple Saran wrap, but then added some pretty Washi tape and emoji stickers! Yes, emoji stickers are a thing. I found some on Amazon. I know they’re probably a bit ridiculous, but I love them. They’re so fun!

{Photo courtesy of We Eat Stuff STL.} — {Photo courtesy of We Eat Stuff STL. Because they have a WAY cooler camera than me… And they are much better at food photog than I am.}

If you’ve got some overly ripe bananas sitting on your counter, and some creamy Jif [Jif peanut butter is the only peanut butter that matters] sitting in your pantry, well then you should probably make this quick bread. If you know what’s good for ya, of course. Package it up all cute-like, and hand it out to people you barely know! They’ll probably think you’re super sweet [or super creepy; your mileage may vary]! And they’ll snack on it while they wait for their food for 45 minutes. 😀 😉

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Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– ¾ tsp. baking soda
– ½ tsp. salt
– 3 medium bananas, mashed
– ½ cup creamy peanut butter
– ½ cup granulated sugar
– ½ cup light brown sugar
– ⅓ cup buttermilk [I used a buttermilk substitute.]
– ¼ cup vegetable oil
– 2 eggs
– 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard sized loaf pan, or cut parchment paper to fit it so that the paper hangs over the sides. Set prepared pan aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat together the banana, peanut butter, sugars, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold together until no raw flour clumps remain. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaf is golden brown, and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. This should take about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. Note: If your bread is browning too quickly, place a tended piece of foil over it. [I had to do this at about forty minutes, so just keep an eye on it. But don’t open your oven too much.]

6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The banana bread will keep for several days, wrapped tightly and kept at room temperature.

– Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.

April 27, 2015

Strawberry Banana Muffins.

So, I realize that I have talked about what I want/need in a muffin in the past. My ideal muffin has to be moist [sorry/not sorry]. It has to be flavorful. It has to be light enough and not overly dense. Well, although I am a huge fan of the vegan chocolate chip banana oat muffins, I have to say that these strawberry banana muffins are my absolute favorite.

The recipe for these muffins is actually for a loaf bread. So of course, you can make a quick bread if you want. For some unknown reason, I’ve always just preferred to make the batter into muffins. The first time I ever made these muffins was approximately two years ago, back when I was living at home. My brother ate one and immediately asked, “Do we have to share these with anyone else?” Yup, they’re that good.

muffinstin — {I just love this vintage eight-cup muffin tin!}

These mofos were also a huge hit at work when I finally made them again a few weeks ago. And they’re just so freakin’ moist; it’s insane. Again, I’m sorry/not sorry for the usage of the word “moist.” But damn. I do actually bake them long enough, and as you can tell, the tops of them turn a nice golden brown color. And yet they’re still incredibly moist, thanks to the banana, the Greek yogurt, and the diced strawberries studded throughout them.

muffinstray — {I found this yellow gingham tray on my whirlwind trip to Portland. It’s just the bees knees.}

My roommate says that it’s often difficult to discern whether or not I’m actually enjoying something, because I don’t tend to display many extreme emotions. It is true: I tend to not really have extreme [outward] reactions to most things. I’m a very introverted, in-my-own-head-way-too-much, mostly laid back person. Of course, I have emotions, but I’m just really bad at displaying excitement, plus I’m a naturally more chill person, I guess. And it’s sometimes also difficult to express crazy emotions via written communication. That being said, I just have to say that OMFG THESE MUFFINS ARE FREAKING AMAZING!!!!1 Make them as soon as possible. Make them into a loaf; IDGAF. Just make them. Strawberries + Nanners = True Love. They’re effing amazeballs. {I sincerely hope that outburst accurately conveyed my excitement.} 😉

muffinopen — {“Used to be up in them guts like erryday.” – Me, channeling Snoop Dogg every time I am taking close up photos of food.}

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Strawberry Banana Muffins.
Yield: About 24 regular-sized muffins, or you can bake one regular-sized loaf of bread.

Ingredients:
– 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
– 1½ tsp. baking soda
– ¾ tsp. salt
– 1½ cups granulated sugar
– ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil
– 3 large eggs
– ½ cup Greek yogurt
– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 2 small bananas, mashed
– 1½ cups strawberries, diced

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with liners [or grease/line with parchment paper a regular-sized loaf pan], and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment [or you can use an electric hand mixer], beat the sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Add in your bananas, and beat until combined.
4. Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Fold in strawberries.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared muffin tin [filling cups about 2/3rds of the way full], or loaf pan.

NOTE 01. Loaf Pan: If baking a loaf, bake for one hour, rotating the pan halfway through. (If the top begins to brown too much, just cover the pan in foil so that it will continue baking without burning the top.)
NOTE 02. Muffins: If you’re going the muffin route, bake them for approximately 15-20 minutes. The time may vary, but just err on the side of less time, rather than risking them getting burnt. Start out for about 15 minutes, then check for doneness with a toothpick.

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy. These will keep in an airtight container for a few days; however, they do go moldy really fast due to the moisture content. So eat ’em up!

– Strawberry banana bread recipe from The Crepes of Wrath.

April 12, 2015

{Vegan} Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Muffins.

Three fun facts about me:

1. I have had bananas getting overly ripe and taunting me from the counter for quite awhile now.

2. Also, I was out of eggs for about a week.

3. In addition, I go through extremely lazy phases in which I don’t even want to drive ten minutes to get some eggs from Trader Joe’s. {Please tell me I’m not the only one?}

So what’s a girl to do in such a dire situation? Make vegan nanner muffins, that’s what!

Personally, I’m not vegan, but I do love experimenting with vegan baking from time to time. It’s especially convenient during times in which I am too lazy to go buy eggs/milk/real butter, as aforementioned. I’m a sucker for a good muffin, but I am also somewhat of a muffin snob. You won’t see me eating just any muffin. To me, muffins need to be flavorful, relatively light, and definitely moist. {Sorry for the usage of the word “moist,” but there’s really no other way to describe a good muffin…} Dry or dense muffins can get outta here.

These muffins are my ideal muffins: they’re moist, they’re packed with flavor, and they are not overly dense. They prove that vegan baking is, in fact, awesome. Vegan baked goods (well, vegan anything, really) often still get a bad name, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that they are vegan unless you already knew. They’re bursting with enough banana flavor, and the oats and chocolate chips add just a little extra somethin’ to them. I also added a bit of cinnamon, just because any type of banana bread-related baked good that I make has to have cinnamon. But you don’t have to add it if you’re not feeling it. You should make these muffins if ya know what’s good for ya. They are very tasty, even if you aren’t vegan. Perhaps best of all: they are quite healthy, aside from the brown sugar. But there’s not much sugar in them, and they still taste great!

muffinsstand — {I love how the muffins look on my jadeite cake stand!}

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Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins.
Yield: About 10-12 regular sized muffins, depending on how full you fill the cups.

Ingredients:
– 2 flax “eggs” {Note: To make a single flax “egg,” combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Stir it around, then allow it to sit for about five minutes so it thickens up. Just double that to make two “eggs.” This is the binding ingredient in the muffins, as we’re not using real eggs.}
– 4 medium ripe bananas [don’t worry about measurements – it’s forgiving]
– heaping 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
– 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon {I had to add it; I can’t have banana bread/muffin anything without it!}
– 2 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1/4 cup vegan butter [such as Earth Balance] or coconut oil, melted
– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour {I used whole wheat pastry flour, but I’m guessing most people don’t exactly keep it lying around their pantries… So regular, unbleached all-purpose flour will work fine too!}
– 1/2 cup rolled oats
– 1/2 to 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, and set aside.
2. Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl; set aside for five minutes to thicken.
3. Add bananas and mash, but leave a bit of texture.
4. Next, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and then whisk those ingredients for about one minute.
5. Stir in the vanilla and melted “butter,” and mix until combined.
6. Add the flour and oats, then stir with a spoon until it’s just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, if you’re using them.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, and fill them about 3/4ths of the way full.
8. Bake for 17-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for several minutes.
9. Remove from muffin tin, and serve warm. Once they’re completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. You may also freeze them for longterm storage.

– Recipe slightly adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Vegan Banana Crumb Muffins.

singlemuffin

March 1, 2015

Buttermilk Banana Bread.

There are so, so many banana bread recipes out there. I have at least 10-15 nanner bread recipes pinned on a Pinterest board, most of which I still have yet to try. But I recently realized that it had been awhile since I made some good nanner bread, and so I found this buttermilk banana bread recipe. I’ve been intrigued by it for awhile because I haven’t ever used buttermilk in a quick bread such as this. Also, as with most baked goods that have over 9,000 recipes in existence, I enjoy trying out as many as possible. For science, of course. 😀

The sun was so bright, shining through our kitchen windows that my slice over on the right is way too over-exposed. Whoops.

This recipe makes a mama loaf and a baby loaf of bread [or you could make one larger loaf, but I have a mini loaf pan and I enjoy putting it to use on occasion]. Look at how cute they are together!

In my opinion, the buttermilk adds a unique tang to the bread, and it makes it more moist, of course. This bread isn’t quite as intense with banana flavor, so I may eventually try it again and add more bananas. The initial recipe doesn’t call for any spices, but I couldn’t resist adding cinnamon, because cinnamon and banana bread are just meant to be. Overall, I liked this bread. It’s a bit different from what I’m used to, but it was a nice little change! Try it out; you might be pleasantly surprised. 😀

PS: It’s also a lovely treat to hold us over on the rest of these gross winter days…

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Buttermilk Banana Bread.

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 2 large eggs
– 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium sized bananas)
– 4 TBS. buttermilk
– 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 tsp. baking powder
– 1/4 tsp. salt
– 1/8 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large loaf pan (about 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 inch) or use a combination of a mini loaf pan and a smaller loaf pan (e.g. 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch). [Note: I just grease my pans with cooking spray and place parchment paper in them for easy removal, but you do you. Just make sure you can get the bread out easily!] Set pans aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and butter and cream until light and fluffy. Next, add the rest of the wet ingredients (eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla). Mix until combined.

3. Add in the dry ingredients [flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon], and mix until combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. {Note: Oven times and temperatures often vary. I think my larger loaf only baked for about 45 minutes before it was done, so keep an eye on it!}

4. Allow the bread to cool in its pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and then remove it from the pan. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve (or serve it warm; that’s the best!).

– Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.