Banana Bread with Coconut and Pecans

I had bananas left over from the vegan banana bread I made recently so I wanted to try out a new banana bread recipe I had come across.

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour

11/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup canola oil (I used coconut oil)

11/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, beaten

11/2 tsp vanilla extract

11/2 cups bananas, mashed

3/4 cup sour cream (I used plain yoghurt)

11/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  In a large bowl, beat together the oil and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add the bananas and sour cream and beat well.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined.  Stir in the pecans and coconut.  Pour batter into greased loaf tin until it is half full (I got 2 banana bread loaves from one batch).  Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the loaf.  Allow to cool for at least an hour before removing it from the pan and serving.  Tastes great plain, or with a little bit of butter.

To toast pecans: place nuts on a baking tray and heat in the oven (180°C/ 350°F/ Gas Mark 4) for 15 minutes or until light brown and fragrant.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Continuing with the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, this time in the form of a whoopie pie!

Ingredients:

1 egg

150g caster sugar

125g plain yoghurt

25ml milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

75g unsalted butter (melted)

275g plain flour

75g cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

60g crunchy peanut butter

Cream the sugar and egg together until light and fluffy.  In a separate jug or bowl, pour the yoghurt, milk and vanilla and stir.  Gradually add this to the sugar and egg mixture.  Mix on a low speed until everything is well combined, then mix in the melted butter.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.  Add half to the batter and mix well on a low speed and then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture is smooth.  Add the peanut butter and mix it in.  Chill the batter in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.  Preheat oven 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3.  Line some baking trays with greaseproof paper, or grease your whoopie pie tins.  One the batter has cooled, spoon the mixture onto the trays/ whoopie pie tins.  If you are using a baking tray the mounds of dough should be 3-5cm in diameter, with enough space around each to allow them to expand (2-3cm) the mixture should make between 16 and 20 mounds.  (When I made them I used my whoopie pie tin and it made a lot more).  Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when pressed.  Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling:
170g unsalted butter (room temperature)
280g icing sugar
220g marshmallow fluff

While the sponges are baking, get a new bowl and mix the icing sugar and butter together until smooth.  Add the marshmallow fluff (available from sellers on eBay, or if you live in Northern Ireland I know that it is available from the Rinkha in Islandmagee) increase the speed and mix until the filling is light and fluffy.  Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

To finish, layer your whoopie pies, one piece of sponge, spread 1 tbsp of filling on top of it then top with another piece of sponge.

The sponge mixture for these whoopie pies was a much more firm than the mixture for the sponge of the Banana Cream Whoopie Pies I had made before and didn't spread at all in the whoopie pie tin so I pressed the batter into the tin.

Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are my dad's favourite and they are super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4

Cream the sugar and margarine together, add the beaten eggs and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and combine well.  Roll the dough into small balls (walnut sized).  Place on a greased baking tray, leaving space for them to expand.  Press flat with a floured fork.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Pupcakes!

This one is for all the readers out there who have a canine companion.  Have you ever been in the kitchen cooking or baking and look down to see a little pleading face looking up at you with hope in their puppy dog eyes?  Why not use your baking skills for your furry friend as well?  These pupcakes are so easy to make and will have their tails wagging in appreciation!

Ingredients:

375g wheat free and gluten free flour

300ml semi-skimmed milk

250g peanut butter (no added salt and no added sugar)

2 eggs

1 mashed banana

4 tbsp honey

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven 160°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3

Mix all the ingredients together until they are well incorporated.  Divide evenly between the baking cases (mixture should make 20 pupcakes).  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden in colour and spring bake when pressed (insert a cake tester/ toothpick to make sure they are done).  For smaller breed dogs, or younger pups I suggest making mini cupcakes.  If you decide to do this, adjust your baking time accordingly.  Place pupcakes onto a wire cooling rack, when they are completely cool you can decorate them.

Pupcake frosting:

250g low fat cream cheese or quark

125g peanut butter (no added salt and no added sugar)

4 tbsp olive oil

10 glacé cherries (optional)

Combine ingedients and beat until they become fluffy and then pipe it onto your pupcakes.  You can draw anything you want on top.  I did some with paw prints on them and the others had cat faces drawn on them, using the glacé cherries as noses and eyes.

Hope your pups enjoy them as much as the ones who got mine!

Banana Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Sugar Free)

Everything I have ever baked has been full of eggs, butter, milk etc.  I have wanted to try out vegan recipes as well as gluten free/ wheat free for a long time so I got myself some recipes and sourced ingredients for them.  I have always loved banana bread so when I saw this I knew it would have to be one of the first things I tried out.  I have to say, for somebody who has always been a little wary of gluten free baking, it was pretty darn good!

Ingredients:

300g Doves Farm plain white gluten-free flour (available in Tesco)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum (available in Tesco)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125ml coconut oil [melt the oil before measuring], plus more for the tin (available in Holland & Barratt)

150ml agave nectar (available in Holland & Barratt)

150ml rice milk (available in Tesco and Holland & Barratt)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I got mine on eBay)

6 medium bananas, mashed

Preheat oven 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3

Lightly grease the loaf tin with some coconut oil.

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon.  Add the coconut oil, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to your dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Using a spatula fold in your mashed bananas until they are evenly distributed in the mixture.  Fill the loaf tin halfway with your mixture.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, rotating it 180 degrees after 20 minutes.  When the banana bread it ready it will bounce back when pressed and a cake tester/ toothpick will come out clean when inserted.  Let the banana bread cool for about 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes, run a knife along the edges to loosen.  Cover the loaf tin with a cutting board and turn out onto the board.  Get another cutting board and carefully turn the banana bread onto it so that it is right side up once again.  Can be eaten warm or cooled and stored for up to 3 days at room temperature, in cling film.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake

This cake is lemony and moist, just delicious.  Great if you're having a friend over for a cuppa and a chat.

Ingredients:

85g unsalted butter (room temperature)

245g caster sugar

Lemon zest from 11/2 unwaxed lemons

15g poppy seeds (plus extra to decorate)

165ml whole milk

235g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 egg whites

Lemon syrup ingredients:

Freshly squeezed juice and zest from 1 lemon

50g caster sugar

Lemon glaze ingredients:

Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon

250g icing sugar (sifted)

Preheat oven 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3

In a bowl, mix the butter, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds and beat until the ingredients are well incorporated.  Slowly add the milk (don't worry if the mixture looks slightly split).  In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition to make sure everything is incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the mixture with a metal spoon.  Pour into a greased ring mould and use a palette knife to even out the batter.  Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when touched.

While the cake is in the oven make your lemon syrup.  In a small saucepan, add the lemon juice, zest, sugar and 100ml of cold water and bring to the boil on a low heat.  When the syrup starts to boil, raise the heat and boil until the mixture has reduced by half or until it has a thin syrup consistency.  When the cake comes out of the oven and is still in the tin, pour the syrup over the top of the cake.  Leave the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

When your cake has cooled entirely, make your lemon glaze by mixing the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.  The juice from the lemon should be enough liquid to make the glaze, it should be thick, but pourable.  If the glaze is too thick add more lemon juice or water to get it to an acceptable consistency.  Place your cake on a stand or plate then pour the glaze over your cake and sprinkle the extra poppy seeds to decorate.

I was able to find poppy seeds on eBay for a decent price.  They have lasted ages, so it was definitely money well spent.

Banana Cream Whoopie Pies

These are the first whoopie pies I've tried out so far.  I got a whoopie pie tin on Amazon to keep all my whoopie pies at least similar in size.  The recipe is sort of a whoopie pie version of a banana cream pie.  It's topped with salty caramel which was to die for, I literally could've just sat and eaten it with a spoon. Deelish!  The mixture makes 9 large or 24 mini whoopie pies.

Ingredients:

280g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large banana
150ml crème fraîche
125g unsalted butter (room temperature)
100g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) Gas Mark 4
If you're going to be using baking trays, line them with greaseproof paper, for whoopie pie tins, make sure you grease them.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Stir in the salt and set the dry ingredients aside.  In a separate bowl, mash up your banana and then mix in the crème fraîche and set it aside too.  In a third bowl, cream the butter and both sugars together until they are light and fluffy.  Add the egg and mix well.  Add the banana mixture and continue to beat until everything is combined.  Add the dry ingredients until everything is just mixed.  Chill the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.

While the batter is chilling you can make your vanilla custard cream for the filling, for this you will need:

Pinch of salt
50g caster sugar
15g cornflour
1 egg
225ml whole milk
1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
25g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
50ml double cream (optional if you just want to make vanilla custard)

In a bowl, mix together your sugar, salt and cornflour.  Whisk in the egg to form a paste.  Heat the milk, vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan until it begins to froth, but before it starts to boil.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Slowly pour half of the hot milk mixture into the bowl, whisking as you add it.  Pour the conents of your bowl back into the saucepan and whisk.  Return the pan to the heat and whisk until the custard thickens.  Strain the custard into a heatproof bowl.  As it begins to cool gradually stir in the butter.  Cover the custard with clingfilm, pressing the clingfilm right onto the surface so as to prevent a skin forming.  Leave the custard to cool for 20 minutes, then chill for a further 2 hours.  (Custard will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, so this can be made in advance).  Before using the custard, whip the cream and fold into the custard.

Remove your chilled batter from the fridge and using a teaspoon drop your batter onto the baking tray/ whoopie pie tin.  Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10-12 minutes for large whoopie pies, or 8-10 minutes for mini whoopie pies.  Remove the whoopies from your tray/ tin and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

While your whoopie pies cool you can make the salty caramel topping.  For this you need:

2 tbsp cold water
100g caster sugar
120ml double cream
25g unsalted butter
Pinch of sea salt

Put the water in a heavy bottom saucepan.  Add the caster suagr and heat gently to dissolve, swirling the pot around without mixing the contents.  Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat up to high and bring it to the boil.  Continue to heat until the caramel is darkening (keep an eye on your pot, the caramel quickly darkens and can get very bitter if left for too long).  Whisk in the cream, be sure not to splash the mixture!  Add the butter and sea salt next and continue to whisk until smooth.  Let the caramel sauce cool before using it.  (Can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week).

To assemble your whoopie pies:
Take one whoopie half, add some of the custard cream, then another whoopie half.  Top with a drizzle of salty caramel and chocolate shavings (optional).

Yum yum yum!!