Banana walnut bread

My love for walnuts knows no boundaries. I like keeping a jar of chopped walnuts in my kitchen and top my yoghurt with some (they are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids). When we moved to the UK I discovered an organic brand called Yeo Valley and that's the yoghurt I use now in all my recipes. By the way, they did not pay me for saying that; I will gladly support that brand on my blog. As I was baking this bread over the holidays, I realised that I had never shared the recipe on my English food blog, only the Icelandic one, which I started sooner. I got the recipe at Starbucks in Canada a few years back and I have made some changes, of course. I found it a bit interesting that they said the fat content had been reduced, yet the original recipe contained ½ cup vegetable oil, which I find way too much. The nuts are fatty enough so there is no need for all that oil (you can also use pecans). I hardly have to tell you that I have reduced the sugar content as well and added pure maple syrup, which I also love. In the original recipe it says buttermilk but usually I use natural yoghurt.

BANANA WALNUT BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 260 g (2 cups) spelt flour (I like mixing fine and wholegrain)
• 1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder (½ if using regular)
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 100 g (½ cup) organic raw cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave syrup or organic raw cane sugar
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or organic vanilla sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons organic natural yoghurt or buttermilk
• 3 large bananas or 4 small (the original recipe says ripe)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts + 1 handful to top the batter

METHOD

1. Blend together the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. In another bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, syrup and coconut oil
3. Add the flour mixture and gently mix with a spatula (don't worry if it looks a bit dry)
4. Mash the bananas and add them to the mixture with the vanilla extract and yoghurt/buttermilk
5. Fold in the ½ cup chopped walnuts
6. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper and pour the batter into it
7. Top with a handful of chopped walnuts (the original recipe says ⅓ cup but I find it too much)
8. Bake at 175°C/325°C/gas mark 3 for 50-60 minutes (if you stick a fork into the centre and it comes out clean your bread is ready)
9. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from the loaf tin

Quinoa pudding with greek yoghurt and strawberries

© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte

Please find the quinoa pudding recipe on my blog Books & Latte (follow the link).

carrot muffins

Is it obvious that I like baking muffins? I have plenty of muffins recipes in my notebook and every time I think about what to post there is this voice inside that says no, you cannot post yet another muffins recipe. I find it a bit funny that in early 2009 I had never in my life baked muffins. I have no idea what was stopping me but after my first try there was no going back. My friend (Cafe)Sigrun was of course my inspiration; she was always talking about these amazing muffins she was making and one day I thought to myself that's it, now I'll give it a go and I went muffin pan shopping. I'm not pretending to invent the wheel with this recipe, I think the ingredients are pretty basic, but as you know I never use butter when baking and I don't drown my recipes in oil. Personally, I love using chopped pecans or walnuts in carrot muffins but my younger daughter is going through a phase where she doesn't want nuts in anything (too long phase, if you ask me!). As I like to make these for the children I leave the nuts out.

CARROT MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g spelt flour, a blend of wholegrain and fine (2 cups)
• 2½-3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1-1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• optional: ⅛-¼ teaspoon cardamom
• optional: ⅛-¼ teaspoon clove
• 1 large egg, free-range/organic
• 100 g organic raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or other fine vegetable oil
• 75-90 ml (5-6 tablespoons) organic vanilla yoghurt (or plain yoghurt + ¼-½ teaspoon organic vanilla sugar)
• 175 g coarsely grated carrots (two carrots)

Update 4 October 2012: I was asked in an email how I make these with nuts. Usually, I use chopped walnuts and I use about 50 grams, which is about ½ cup. And when I use nuts I only use ½ tablespoon of oil because the fat from the nuts is enough. The muffins get too sticky in my opinion if I use 1 tablespoon.

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside
2. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use). Then add the vanilla yoghurt and combine
3. Coarsely grate the carrots
4. Add the wet ingredients and the grated carrots (and walnuts if using) into the large bowl and mix gently. Make sure not to stir, the texture of the dough should be rather light
5. Lightly grease a silicon muffin pan with some coconut oil and fill each muffin cup about two-thirds to the rim (makes 12-14 muffins)
6. Bake at 180-190°C/350-375°F/gas mark 4-5 for 20-25 minutes (fan oven: 175°C/325°C/gas mark 3)
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack

french chocolate cake

This is my first recipe; the first cake I made healthier. French chocolate cakes are my absolute favourite but for my taste the common recipes include way too much sugar, butter, and even chocolate. It has been some time since I changed my baking habits, e.g. I replace butter with coconut oil, and I use much less, and I always decrease the fat and sugar content in recipes. I think it was early in 2008 that I decided to experiment with a healthier version of a French chocolate cake. After many experiments, my friend (Cafe)Sigrun helped me to complete the recipe. She was the one who suggested the cashew butter and I'm so grateful because it's perfect for this cake. I have got quite many praises for the cake, which encourages me to continue on this path (I have created another French chocolate cake recipe that doesn't contain nuts and I'll share it later).

FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 10 pitted dates
• 50 g cashew nuts (100 ml)
• 4 tablespoons cashew nuts + 4 tbsp coconut oil (to make cashew butter) OR 2 tablespoons organic cashew butter + 4 tablespoons coconut oil OR 6 tablespoons coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)***
• 140-175 g fine raw cane sugar, organic
• 1 egg, free-range or organic
• 1 egg white
• 65 g spelt flour (½ cup)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, organic/fair-trade
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, gluten free (½ tsp if using regular)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or organic vanilla sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• a few chopped walnuts (optional)
• luxury edition: 20-25 g organic dark chocolate

*** You can also use 4 tbsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp organic peanut butter.

METHOD

1. Soak the dates and 50 g cashew nuts in water for 30 minutes
2. If you want to make the cake with home-made cashew butter, place the 4 tbsp cashew nuts in a food processor and mix for one minute or longer, until they become very finely ground and slightly oily in texture. Add the 4 tbsp coconut oil, one tablespoon at a time, and mix for 30 seconds or so. Set aside. If you use store bought organic cashew butter with coconut oil or 6 tbsp coconut oil only, you simply skip this step
3. Chop the walnuts and chocolate (if used) in the food processor. Set aside
4. Drain the dates and cashew nuts, place in the food processor and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue blending for 5-10 seconds or until the mixture is smooth. (You can also mix the walnut and chocolate with the dates and cashew nuts.)
5. In a medium bowl, mix the raw cane sugar, egg, egg white, vanilla essence, and the cashew nut paste you just made (or 6 tbsp coconut oil), using a whisk or a fork
6. In another bowl, sift together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Use a rubber spatula to mix it slowly with the wet ingredients
7. Add the walnuts, chocolate (if used), and the mixed dates and cashew nuts to the batter, fold 2-3 times
8. Line a small spring form cake tin, no larger than 23 cm (9 inch), with baking parchment and pour the batter into it
9. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 12-15 minutes at 180°C/350°F/gas 4. It’s very important not to bake the cake longer or it will become dry
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. The cake will be very moist, almost runny in the middle. Serve with whipped cream and even some berries

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