Banana Trail Mix Loaf

This very moist and soft loaf is my favourite vegan banana loaf. (My favourite non vegan banana bread is this banana apple one.) E thought it wasn't as sweet as regular banana bread - and it wasn't with only 1/3 cup sugar. But for me it's actually the perfect sweetness. Plus I added in some Trader Joe's Temping trail mix (with peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, dried cherries, almonds and cashews) which adds some sweetness. Sometimes I buy trail mix because it seems like a good idea but then I either forget to eat it, or don't want to eat it (like the giant bags of trail mix at Costco). I always get so sucked in by the Trader Joe's ones. So many enticing combinations!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf
Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf

Banana Trail Mix Loaf
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa

Makes 1 loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup natural cane sugar (Sucanat)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened plain soy)
1 1/4 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 bananas)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups trail mix (for a vegan loaf, ensure your trail mix is vegan)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil, parchment, or oiling it. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, nondairy milk, and vinegar, and whisk together until emulsified. Stir in the bananas. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir together, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the trail mix.

Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan, and smooth the top with the back of a spatula. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

It has been way too long since I've baked! Probably about a month, or more. I'm going through some serious baking withdrawal. Usually I bake at least once a week and sometimes more. And usually it's something simple like this apple cinnamon bread, but sometimes something a little fancier like the birthday cake I'll be making this weekend for my mom. (The first time I made that cake, she thought she'd hate it but now she loves it and keeps requesting it for her birthday.) I'm hoping to bake a few other things this weekend too! So about this apple cinnamon bread, it's a great quick bread which you probably have all the ingredients for already. It has both a bit of applesauce, and 2 cups of chopped apples. I liked the cinnamon sugar topping, but it definitely doesn't need it and it tends to mostly fall off anyway.


In other extremely exciting news, I have a new nephew!! E's brother and his wife just had a super adorable baby boy.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Morning Glory Muffins
Grandma Jennie's Date and Nut Bread
Garden Harvest Cake
Mom's Banana Apple Bread

Apple Cinnamon Bread
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups chopped apples, skin removed

Topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 4 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Next, add the sugar and mix until well combined.

4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until flour is barely combined. Gently fold in the apple chunks. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

5. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter in the loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until loaf is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen sides and remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

Pumpkin quick bread is one of my favourite baked goods. Well in general whenever I see pumpkin anything I want it! However I've always been wary of the combination of chocolate and pumpkin, but I saw a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip loaf in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. (I want to make pretty much everything in this book but right now I'm especially fixated on the grasshopper cake!) Anyway, I gave the loaf a chance and while I really loved the loaf itself, I do prefer my pumpkin without chocolate.

Now that my finals are over, I can't wait to start on some holiday baking!! What are you all making?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pumpkin Cheesecake
All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake
Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups (15 oz can) pumpkin puree
1 cup canola oil
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, baking soda and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add the sugar and whisk again. Whisk the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add 2/3 cup room temperature water and whisk until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Gently knock the bottom of the pans against the countertop to even out the batter. Use the spatula to smooth the tops.

Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Invert the loaves onto wire racks and cool completely before serving.

Chile-Cheese Bread

I always have this plan to update my blog every 2-3 days. Sometimes I do it but sometimes life just gets distracting. I'm amazed at the healthy living bloggers who are able to update their blog several times a day and still seem to lead very busy lives! Anyway, now let's talk about this chile-cheese bread. Because it is one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Ever. It is so incredibly flavourful I can't even describe it. Cheddar cheese, black pepper, canned green chiles, fresh jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper. SO good oh my. Just make it. And have you heard of the Savory Baking cookbook? I want to make pretty much everything in it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheddar & Dill Beer Bread Rolls
A Dilly of a Cheese Scone
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Sun Dried Tomato, Feta and Oregano Muffins

Chile-Cheese Bread
Adapted from Savory Baking (found on montcarte from Pink Parsley)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt (I'd use 1/2 tsp next time)
4 ounces (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained (Though I couldn't figure out how to effectively drain it so just dumped it in)
3 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno chile, veined and seeded
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F, and grease or spray an 8x3 inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the cheese and gently toss and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Whisk the milk, oil, egg, green chiles, jalapeno, and red bell pepper in another bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and cheese mixture, and pour the milk mixture in the center. Briefly blend with a spatula, only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place in the oven. Bake until the top is golden-brown, and springs back when touched in the center, about 45-50 minutes (mine needed more time). Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

Noreen Kinney's Irish Soda Bread

I was sitting in class one day and suddenly became obsessed with the idea of making Irish soda bread - which I've never made before and it was about time! So I started looking up recipes on Epicurious and came across this serious gem of a recipe. It's full of so much good stuff like wheat bran, oat bran and wheat germ (the 3 ingredients I have trouble finding recipes that use significant quantities of so I always seem to have giant stockpiles of it that I'm trying to use up). And it also has flaxseeds and my most favourite seed of all, sunflower seeds. The bread tastes buttery (yum!), though there are only 3 tablespoons of butter in the whole recipe. Instead of making one big round, I made them drop scone style. This proved to be a very brilliant idea. I always freeze my baked goods, so when I would reheat these in the toaster oven, the crust got all nice and crisp while the insides were still soft. So incredibly addictive.

Apparently what people think of as Irish soda bread, made with white flour and raisins, is actually called Irish spotted dick (or dog). Traditional Irish soda bread is supposed to be more hearty, like this one is, with different types of grains. I loved this bread so much and would always want to have it in my freezer. It's perfect for eating with soup or salad or jam or cheese or anything really. I often just ate it by itself!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pecan Fruit Rye Bread
Buttermilk Honey Bread
Focaccia
Oatmeal Knots

Noreen Kinney's Irish Soda Bread
Adapted from Epicurious | March 2008, from A Baker's Odyssey

Makes about 12-15 little loaves (see original recipe above for instructions on making 1 big loaf)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour or graham flour, plus more for shaping (I used whole wheat flour)
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup untoasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 large egg
About 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (I used milk+vinegar)

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets.

In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the fat particles are very fine. Stir in the baking soda, salt, sugar, wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds.

Beat the egg lightly with a fork in a 2-cup glass measure. Add enough buttermilk to come to the 2-cup line and stir with the fork to combine well. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dough gathers into a thick, wet-looking mass.

Use an ice cream/cookie scoop or a measuring cup to drop 1/3 cup amounts onto the prepared baking sheets. Don't be concerned about evenness—the loaf should look rustic. Make a cross-shaped indentation on top of each loaf going right to the edges. Use a plastic bench scraper and press it into the dough very gently; don't actually cut the dough. During baking the indentation expands, giving the top of the loaf an attractive pattern.

Bake the bread for about 15-17 minutes, until it is well browned and sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom. Cool the loaves on a wire cooling rack, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Grandma Jennie's Date and Nut Bread

A month or so ago we went to visit my grandparents, who I unfortunately don't get to see very often because where they live requires a few hours to get to (including an hour and a half ferry ride). I wanted to bake something so that my family would have something to eat on our trip over and throughout the day, and also to have something to give to my grandparents. So this bread/loaf was perfect for that because it makes 2 loaves - one for us and one for them. (And why do people always call loaves breads?? If there's no yeast in it, it's not a bread! At least that's how I think. Though I just noticed I have a tag on my blog for "breads/loaves" so obviously I'm getting sucked in too.)

I'm not a big dried fruit person and in particular don't really like dates, but I've had some good date loaves and date bars, and my mom loves dates so I went with this date and nut bread (loaf!!!) And I also have the largest stockpile of dates ever for some reason so it was good to use some of them up. The loaf turned out really well - moist, yummy, and everyone loved it. I like lots of spices so next time I would add more. Oh and despite using 2/3 whole wheat flour (and 1/3 all purpose), you can't tell at all that it's mostly whole wheat.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Garden Harvest Cake
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
bill's Coconut Bread
Pumpkin Bread

Grandma Jennie's Date and Nut Bread
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 2 loaves

1 pound pitted dates, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups boiling water
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 tsp grated navel orange zest
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (lightly packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups walnuts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350F. Generously butter two 8"x4" loaf pans, and line the bottoms with baking parchment.

2. Place the dates in a bowl. Stir in the boiling water and the baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and allspice. Set aside.

4. Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the orange zest and mix on medium speed until lightened in colour, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary and mix for 1 minute longer.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each addition, then blend in the vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the date mixture, diving the flour into three parts and the dates into two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and using an oversize spatula, fold in the walnuts.

7. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when it's firm to the touch, the sides begin to release, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool on racks for about 20 minutes. Invert each bread onto a rack and gently lift off the pans and the parchment. Turn the breads right side up and let cool.

Cocoa-Nana Bread

I know I know I've said so many times I don't like banana bread. But it's a pretty impossible thing to not make given the fact that overripe bananas are bound to occur. The bananas used for this loaf were from my boyfriend's brother & wife who had a bunch of overripe bananas and somehow I went home with them. I asked my boyfriend what he wanted me to make with them and he said chocolate chip banana bread, but I thought I'd go a little further and do a chocolate chocolate chip banana bread. I found it in my most favourite baking book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. It was super chocolatey, had a great texture, and was really soft. And it was equally banana-y and chocolate-y.

Have I mentioned that I'm extremely excited that it's October?? Ahh my favourite month and time of year. What's yours?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Garden Harvest Cake
Chocolate Strawberry Loaf

Cocoa-Nana Bread
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

2 cups all purpose flour (I used 272 g)
1 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 cup store bought chocolate chips)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan and placed it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other. (This will keep the bottom of the loaf from overbaking.)

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the brad and unmolding it. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

Garden Harvest Cake

I saw this cake on Cookie Madness a while ago and knew I had to make it. It's full of lots of yummy things like apple, carrot, zucchini, cinnamon and walnuts! And it's pretty healthy too. I was definitely not disappointed with the results. The cake was so tasty and moist, and reminded me of carrot cake mmmm. Next time I'd like to try reducing the sugar even more (the original recipe calls for 3/4 cup and I cut it back to 1/2 cup) and try using maple syrup or another natural sweetener instead. Maybe cut back the oil a bit too?

Yaey for Friday and the weekend being here! Hope you all have a good weekend. I'm loving watching the leaves change colour.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Chocolate Strawberry Loaf

Garden Harvest Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light, April 2009

1 cup whole wheat flour (130 g)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy milk + 3/4 tsp vinegar (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk)
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and walnuts to flour mixture; toss well. Combine soy milk and vinegar together. Add in canola oil and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

3. Spoon batter into an 8 x 4–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Roast Banana-Pumpkin Breakfast Bread

I discovered this recipe for roast banana-pumpkin breakfast bread a few years ago on 101 Cookbooks, a while before I had a blog. And over the years I've thought about making it - roasted bananas, rum soaked raisins, coconut milk, pumpkin seeds. It sounded like such a unique and delicious combination of flavours but I was always missing an ingredient. The cookbook the recipe comes from also really interests me but it doesn't seem to be in print anymore - Southwestern Vegetarian. Anyone have this cookbook? I'm just curious if it's as good as it sounds. Regardless I think it's time that I try and track it down!

Well how did this magical banana bread that I'd built up in my head turn out? It was good, but not as good as I had hoped. I thought roasting the bananas would impart something special but it just tasted like regular banana bread. You can taste the rum in the raisins which was a nice touch. If you love banana bread a lot I think it's one worth trying out, just for something a little different.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Banana Crunch Muffins
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins

Roast Banana-Pumpkin Breakfast Bread
Adapted from Southwestern Vegetarian (found on 101 Cookbooks)

Makes 1 loaf

3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark rum
2 ripe bananas, unpeeled
2 cups cake flour (I used 250 grams.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a small pot, combine the raisins and rum. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then take off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Strain the plumped raisins and set aside, discarding any remaining liquid.

Place the bananas on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the skins are black and they have started to seep. Remove from the oven, set aside, and let cool.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Turn the machine to low and add 1 egg. Mix until completely incorporated and then add the second egg. Mixing again until completely incorporated.

Meanwhile, squeeze the flesh of the bananas out of the skins and into a small mixing bowl. Add the coconut milk and vanilla and mash together. Add half of the banana mixture to the electric mixer bowl and blend thoroughly on low speed. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining banana mixture, blend thoroughly, and add the remaining flour mixture; mix just enough to thoroughly blend the ingredients. Fold the pumpkin seeds and reserved raisins into the batter and pour it into a lightly greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Chocolate Strawberry Loaf

Even though I have a huge back log of things to post about, I thought I'd post this strawberry loaf so that if it sounds good to you you'll have a chance to try it while strawberries are in season! Mostly I really don't like using fruit in baking, especially precious strawberries. I much prefer eating them fresh and unadorned. But we bought a gigantic container of strawberries from Costco and they really didn't taste so good so I thought I'd take the opportunity to bake with them. Elyse posted this strawberry loaf as if in answer to my strawberry woes! (Speaking of Elyse, go and check out her amazingly spectacular creation - a Samoa inspired cheesecake.)

I modified the recipe a bit - omitting the nuts, nutmeg and lemon, and adding chocolate chips. The loaf reminds me of the very moist banana bread my mom made when I was growing up. And the great thing is you can taste the strawberry! For myself, I wouldn't make this loaf again but my boyfriend wants me to. And it's a great way to use up strawberries if you have too many (not that it's really possible). And yes the loaf did have a pink tinge to it.

If this sounds good, you might like:
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf
Pumpkin Loaf
Banana Crunch Muffins

Chocolate Strawberry Loaf
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

The recipe calls for "mashed" strawberries. I pureed mine to make them less chunky. As mentioned above, my modifications were to omit the walnuts, nutmeg and lemon, and to add chocolate chips.

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) pureed strawberries
1/2 cup (3 7/8 ounces) vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray) a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the chocolate chips, flour, sugar, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, strawberries and vegetable oil. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, whisking until well-blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a rack to cool completely, 1 hour or longer. For best flavor and easiest slicing, wrap the bread while still slightly warm and let it sit overnight.

Mom's Banana Apple Bread

I know banana bread is well loved by many but for me it's pretty blah. Banana bread was what my mom frequently baked when I was growing up and while I did love it, now I could easily take it or leave it. But I was intrigued by this recipe for banana bread that involved sauteed spiced apples. And thus began my journey into The Sweet Melissa Baking Book (which is excellent by the way). This loaf was really delicious and very soft. The apples added a yummy flavour - enough to convince me that while it is "just" a banana bread, I will be making it again.

I'm getting into finals now so unfortunately not as much time for baking as I'd like but I'm definitely spending a lot of time thinking about what goodies I'll be making for Christmas! I can't wait to see what everyone else will be making - especially the cookies.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Caramelized Apple Danish Braid
Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie-Cake
Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf

Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

Makes either 1 9"x5"x3" inch loaf or 1 8"x4" loaf and 6 muffins.

For the apples:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the banana bread:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups very riped mashed bananas (2 to 3)

Before you start
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter your baking pans (either one 9x5x3 pan, or one 8x4 pan and 6 cup muffin tin).

To make the apples
Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and saute until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the banana bread
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Combine the orange juice and vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the reserved apples.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan (and muffin tin if using). Bake for 55 to 60 minutes (for loaves) or 25-30 minutes (for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool further.

Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf

This is the maple loaf that I was trying to make (when I realized I didn't have any maple syrup) and made the delicious coconut lemon bundt cakes instead. I wasn't sure if I'd like the loaf or not but with a name like "candied maple walnut pancake loaf" how could I not try it? After baking the loaf, you poke holes in it and pour maple syrup on top, which is supposed to cause some kind of candy like thing with the nuts that are on top, as well as soaking into the loaf. Well I really dislike when cakes are soaked with things so I wasn't too sure how to feel about all this. But actually the loaf part is quite yummy - moist and dense. I would make the loaf again but with less maple on top (because the sides and top were kind of mushy) and more cinnamon and walnuts added to the actual loaf. I also want to try this loaf with pecans instead of walnuts. But that's just me - I know some people liked the loaf just as it is, maple syrup soaked and all, and you might too.

And as for the cookbook, Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More, I'm still in love with the design of it, the photos and the yummy sounding recipes but this is only the second recipe I've made from it. And it seems like the instructions are sometimes way more complicated than seems necessary (or at least way more complicated than all other baking books I've used). I also tried the pineapple squares with toasted coconut streusel, which were decent but didn't taste much like pineapple and I need to improve my streusel making skills - big clumps not tiny powdery streusel.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pumpkin Loaf
Banana Nut Shortbread
Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Mini Pear Loaves

Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

I'd recommend adding more of the cinnamon walnut mixture to the actual loaf.

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup self-rising cake flour, spooned in and leveled, sifted
6 tbsp sour cream
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp pure maple syrup

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 325F. Either butter an 8x4 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the whole egg and egg yolk on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar, 1 to 2 tbsp at a time, taking about 2 minutes, and continue to beat until thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Blend in the vanilla. Drizzle in the oil in a steady stream, taking about 30 seconds. Beat for 15 seconds longer.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one-half of the flour, then blend in the sour cream, then the remaining flour, mixing only until combined after each addition.

Combine the walnuts and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 cup of the nut mixture into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining walnut mixture over the top. Bake for about 40-60 minutes (it took me 60 but the author recommends 40), or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted deeply into the center comes out clean. Note: The loaf won't rise to the top of the pan and this is okay as the shallow cake pan allows the maple syrup to be fully absorbed.

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Poke the cake at 1 inch intervals using a skewer or a toothpick (make sure you poke lots of holes). Spoon the maple syrup over the top very slowly to allow the cake to absorb the syrup. Do this several times until all the syrup has been absorbed. Let stand for 30 minutes.

To remove from the pan if you chose the buttering method, place a piece of aluminum foil directly on top of the loaf, cupping it around the side to hold the topping in place. Cover with the cooling rack, invert the cake, and carefully life off the pan. Cover with another rack, invert again, and cool right side up. Otherwise, just lift the loaf out of the pan with the parchment.

Mini Pear Loaves

This recipe is originally for pear ginger "bread" (not sure why it's called bread though as it's really more muffin/loaf-y). Anyway I thought - pear and ginger? That sounds good. Well I was wrong! The recipe calls for 3 tbsp fresh ginger which is a lot of ginger, too much for me and I love ginger. But I think I prefer it in savoury things like beet and tofu salad. Or at least in the dried form for baked goods, though I've never tried crystallized ginger.

Anyway, the great thing about these little loaves is that they're so deliciously soft and the pear in them is just perfect and doesn't make them mushy, as I've found apples can in muffin recipes. I tried a pear, cardamom and pumpkin seed muffin version of this recipe and while I liked the sound of it, I didn't really like the cardamom in there. I plan to try out other variations on this recipe adding different spices, nuts and fruit (and of course I'd like to try out a version that involves chocolate!) I modified the recipe to be healthier, as with most other muffin recipes I make (unless I just want to go all out).

If this sounds good, you might like:
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Almond Coconut Muffins
Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

Mini Pear Loaves
adapted from The Garden of Vegan

Makes 8 mini loaves or 12 muffins.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1 large pear, cored and cubed
1/2 cup nuts or seeds (pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in sugar, apple juice, applesauce, banana, pear, and nuts/seeds. Stir together gently until "just mixed." Pour batter into a lightly oiled mini loaf pan or muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

My 100th Post! And Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

This is my 100th post! I don't have anything exciting to celebrate it with but this banana bread was pretty delicious. I rarely make banana bread because when I was growing up my mom always made it. It was yummy but I guess lost its magical appeal. She never put walnuts or chocolate chips in it though, and this was actually my first time putting chocolate chips in banana bread. I like to maintain this image in my mind of banana bread being healthy and if I put chocolate chips in it, well it just makes it a little more difficult to believe! But I thought if I cut down the sugar a lot (to 2 tablespoons) and only put a small amount of chocolate chips, it wouldn't be a terribly unhealthy snack. And thus begins my love of this chocolate walnut banana bread.

I haven't used my mini loaf pans for a while and forgot how great little loaves are. In the recipe I wrote that you can use either oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. The oat flour makes it much denser, but I loved it that way. If that's not quite for you, try the whole wheat pastry flour. It will still be a dense muffin but lightens it up a bit.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Earl Grey White Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Healthy Banana Bran Muffins
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
Adapted from How It All Vegan!

Makes 1 loaf, 6 mini loaves, or 12 small-ish muffins

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour OR oat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional*

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until very mushy, then add the applesauce, sugar, and walnuts and stir together.

In a separate large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour (or oat flour), salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and mix together gently until "just mixed". Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon into a lightly oiled loaf pan (or muffin pan) and bake for 40-50 minutes**. Test with a toothpick or a knife to see if done.

*Use nondairy chocolate chips or omit them to make this vegan.
**The first time I made these, I used mini loaf pans and I can't remember how long it took. I would check them around 25 minutes and see how they are. Maybe even 20 minutes.

bill's Coconut Bread

I must've seen the recipe for bill's coconut bread at least a couple of years ago. Being a coconut fiend, I mentally added it to my list of things to bake. Finally I got around to actually making it recently. As for the results, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be but I'm happy I made it and would try it again with some modifications. It's like a very thick dense loaf mixed with bread - not as moist as a loaf and not as dry as bread. I loved how the exterior was crispy when it first came out of the oven - unfortunately it became completely soft the next day. The addition of cinnamon was interesting and people seemed to like it (in fact my boyfriend I think said that it was the thing about the bread that made it special) but personally I wouldn't put that much cinnamon in next time - maybe I'd add lots of vanilla extract, and extra coconut flakes sprinkled on top before baking? I made coconut nutmeg cookies once and that experience might still be traumatizing me from enjoying coconut with spices.

My loaves always puff up so much in the middle so I must remember to try and make sure the ends and corners have ample amounts of batter (assuming that would help fix it). I do love that this is unabashedly a real coconut bread. I think it would be wonderful made into French toast, and more simply, it's good toasted with some butter. And as for the lowercase b in bill's, it's not a typo - it seems to be typed that way for his show and on his site, etc.

bill's Coconut Bread
Adapted from Sydney Food by Bill Granger found on Baking Bites

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla
350g (2 1/2 cups) flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
225 g (1 cup and a bit) granulated sugar
150 g (2 cups) shredded coconut
75 g (1/3 cup) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180C /350F.

Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Stir in sugar and coconut. Make a well in the center and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just combined.

Add butter and stir until just smooth, being careful not to overmix.

Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Last week in food.

Sugar cookies from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. My friend and I wanted to have a cookie decorating day! Hers are the more beautiful ones. ;) I didn't think I liked sugar cookies but these ones were really good - a little shortbread-y. We used royal icing, which I was scared to eat since it contains raw egg whites, but everyone who ate an iced cookie seems to have survived.


Apple pie-crumb cake muffins from Vegan With A Vengeance. This is the first recipe I've tried from her cookbook. I thought they were decent tasting and not too sweet, and other people really liked them. The grated and chopped apple makes the muffin really moist though so they're best eaten within a couple of days or else they get soggy on top. There's a crumb topping that tasted okay but I would've liked a firmer crumb.


Curried cauliflower soup from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. I've been craving soup and salad a lot recently, and this is a perfect cookbook for that. I used red potatoes instead of russet which I think was not the best choice. Red potatoes are yummy on their own, but they added a strange taste to the soup.


Smoky red lentil spread from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet. I'm looking for a relatively healthy dip to eat with veggies and was hoping this might be it, but I'm pretty sure that it's not. It had a really strong onion and garlic flavour (due to the entire raw onion that was pureed into the dip). I'd try making a dip with red lentils again but maybe roast the onion first or add something else to it.


Crepes with sauteed mushrooms, cheddar cheese and green onions from The Clueless Vegetarian. This was my first time making crepes and it was incredibly exciting! They're something I've always wanted to make and talked about making but was too scared to for fear of them not turning out. The recipe even says something about not getting discouraged if the first few don't turn out properly - but they actually did turn out really well. I definitely want to make crepes again and experiment with different fillings, sweet and savoury.


Pumpkin bread from Bon Appetit, October 2000. Oh my god this was so good. I love pumpkin anything, so even if it hadn't turned out I'm sure I still would've liked it, but oh wow it turned out well. It was the perfect pumpkin bread/loaf - moist, dense, and full of flavour. A tablespoon of sugar is sprinkled on top before being baked, and it gives a nice crunchy top that I love. I substituted half of the flour for whole wheat flour and added extra spices. This is definitely a recipe to make over and over again - even pumpkin dislikers (hate is such a strong word...) liked it.

Pumpkin Bread/Loaf
Adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2000

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Sift first 8 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, lemon peel and vanilla. Whisk sour cream and milk in small bowl. Beat flour and sour cream mixtures alternately into batter in 2 additions each. Transfer batter to pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool.