Honey Banana Bread ~ adapted from A Pinch Of Joy

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 9x5 loaf pans or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In medium bowl, mix applesauce and honey together. Add eggs and mashed bananas and stir well. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Divide between prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Makes 16 slices, 8 per loaf.

Chef's Note: Using 2 baking pans reduces the baking time by half, as most banana bread recipes bake for an hour. Using honey in place of refined sugar and applesauce in place of oil cuts the calories to 121 per slice.

Flourless Peanut Butter Mini Muffins ~ adapted from Avery Cooks

1 over ripe banana

1/2 c natural peanut butter, no added sugar

1 egg

2 T honey (optional)

1 t vanilla

1/4 t baking soda

pinch salt (optional)

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a blender and puree until very smooth, approximately 1 minute. Using a small cookie scoop, fill each muffin cup 3/4 with peanut butter mixture. Top each with 4 or 5 chocolate chips.

Bake 8-9 minutes until tops are puffed and set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Yield 18-20 mini muffins.

Note: If omitting honey, also omit salt. 

Fruit and Nut Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
3 c raw organic almonds
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger powder

Wet Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
8 dates, pitted
3 eggs
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
1 T vanilla

Folded In:
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
1 lg carrot, trimmed and grated
1 c golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Thoroughly grease regular muffin tin with extra coconut oil or low fat cooking spray. Set aside.

Place almonds in food processor and grind to the consistency of corn meal. Transfer to large bowl and add remaining dry ingredients. Place wet ingredients in a blender and liquify until smooth and creamy.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix thoroughly. Fold in apple, carrot and raisins. Divide batter evenly in muffin tin, bake 15-20 minutes until set. Cool in pan 5 minutes, run table knife around muffins to release from pan. Store refrigerated in airtight container. Makes 12 muffins.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Banana Bread ~ adapted from Parenting Magazine

I don't know how it is that I've never posted this recipe since I've been making it every couple of months for the past 7 years. I suppose it's just something I've always made and never really thought about publicly posting until my sweet friend Gayla asked me if I had a banana bread recipe. So because she asked, here it is for you all to enjoy.

Banana Bread
3 overripe bananas
1 1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1/4 c butter (half one stick)
1/2 c chopped nuts, optional (I never put nuts in mine)

Preheat oven to 325°. Liberally grease 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside.

Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, egg and nuts and stir. Melt butter in microwave, add to bowl, and stir just until blended.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 60-70 minutes or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm with butter.

Chef's Note: I use my Pampered Chef pastry cutter to mash bananas. Its blades work well at getting the right consistency quickly without overworking my wrist.