Banana & Coconut Bread

A friend of mine sent me the link to a Banana Cake Recipe which she said was so good that when she made it for a friend of hers, she ate the whole cake before the friend even had a chance to try it!  That was a good enough reason for me to gather together the ingredients and try a version of the recipe for myself.

I adapted the recipe, slightly, substituting the buttermilk with coconut milk and the sugar with Rapadura - a nourishing sweetener full of vitamins and minerals.The resulting Banana and Coconut Bread is moist and sweet and was adored by the whole family.

Breakfast usually consists of cereal in our house. For October Unprocessed I'm going to be trying out different breakfasts, with the goal being to be to permanently rid our house of cereal. So, over the past week I have made this recipe twice and experimented with serving it to the family for breakfast. Even though October Unprocessed hadn't started yet, I was motivated and started this little endeavor early!

The boys LOVED the Banana and Coconut Bread in a Muffin Tin Meal, along with strawberries and yoghurt. They dipped both the banana and coconut bread and strawberries into the yoghurt, which I also sampled and found it to be a delicious combination. They also enjoyed the Banana and Coconut Bread on it's own as a special treat.

Banana & Coconut Bread Recipe
Adapted from Exclusively Food - Banana Cake Recipe
100g Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Rapadura Sugar (where to find rapadura)
1 Cup Mashed Bananas (2 Medium Sized Bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (where to find vanilla extract)
2 Eggs
160ml Coconut Milk (where to find coconut milk)
2 Cups Unbleached Plain Flour (where to find unbleached plain flour)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder (where to find baking powder)
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb
Pinch of Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and grease a loaf tin.
2. In a food processor, combine together the butter, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla, eggs and coconut milk for a minute or two until well combined. You may need to turn the food processor off a couple of times to scrape down the sides.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt.
4. Pour the flour mixture over the banana mixture in the food processor and mix briefly, until a smooth batter forms.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and place in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until cooked through.

This is the best version of Banana Bread I've tasted - the coconut milk bring an incredible flavor to the bread that makes it irresistible! Share your favorite Banana Bread Memory!

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More Yummy Recipes:
Carob Banana Milkshake
Pumpkin Pie Bread
Zucchini and Banana Muffins



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Polenta Biscotti

I've had a bag of Polenta staring at me from the pantry for a little while, so I decided to look up what interesting dishes I can cook with the ingredient.

The first dish I cooked was Polenta Biscotti. This was my first attempt at making Biscotti of any description and I was incredibly happy with the results! They last really well - still crunchy and fresh days later and were a HUGE hit with the boys.

To make the Polenta Biscotti, first you mix the dry ingredients together. I love the yellow specks of Polenta mixed in with the flour.

Then you mix the wet ingredients into the dry and form the mixture into two logs. Pop the logs in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, then allow them to cool. They look like two little loaves of Polenta Bread... yum! They smelled so incredible that I wanted to sample some then and there, but I patiently waited until later.

The loaves are then cut into slices and popped back in the oven to become delectable Polenta Biscotti. I think they look like little clouds, crunchy clouds!

I followed this Polenta Biscotti Recipe - only altering the recipe by reducing the sugar to 1/3 of a cup and increasing the eggs to 4.

Making Polenta Biscotti has inspired me to both experiment further with different Biscotti flavors and Polenta.

Do you have any Biscotti or Polenta secrets you'd like to share? 

* Edited to add that I shared this recipe back in May 2012 and although my family now follow a more whole foods way of eating, it's a recipe I loved so much that I wanted to re-visit and experiment with so I thought I'd re-publish it for you to enjoy!

Popcorn and Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Warning!! These Popcorn and Peanut Butter Cupcakes are terribly addictive... they are salty and sweet, crunchy and gooey...  and you WILL find it a challenge to stop at just one. (but don't let that stop you from indulging in these heavenly treats...)

I've made the 'sauce' for this recipe a number of time and have poured it over plain popcorn, popcorn and nuts and some other combinations. This combination of Popcorn, Peanuts and Puffed Brown Rice Cereal is the winner in my book.

It is mouth watering just looking at the "caramel" coated bowl of sweet and gooey goodies. You could just enjoy the treat straight from the bowl. However, I've recommended the "healthy" option of portioning out the Popcorn and Peanut Butter in cupcake wrappers, so you can limit the kids to "one cupcake" each.

The Puffed Rice (pictured above) plays a tiny trick on your brain - becoming soft and gooey, giving the illusion of high calorie marshmallows, when you're really enjoying some nutritious puffed brown rice! Maybe that's a bit of a stretch... but it's my opinion on the taste sensation when you enjoy these Popcorn and Peanut Butter Cupcakes.

I allowed the boys to have one each a day as a special treat. I served it as part of a Bento Lunchbox, along with some bear shaped red peppers, pasta and beef & mushroom stew leftovers, served with little red auto food picks.

Popcorn and Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (where to find peanut butter)
1/2 Cup Honey
4 Cups Popped Popcorn
1 Cup Peanuts
1 Cup 100% Puffed Brown Rice Cereal

1. In a small saucepan on the stove, combine the Peanut Butter and Honey. Stir over a low heat and warm to loosen the mixture to a runny sauce.
2. Set the Peanut Butter/Honey Sauce aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the popcorn, peanuts and puffed rice cereal and mix to combine.
4. Pour the Peanut Butter/Honey Sauce over the popcorn mixture and stir quickly to evenly distribute the sauce through the popcorn mixture.
5. Place tablespoons of the "batter" into cupcake wrappers. They can be enjoyed immediately or left to set a little.

Makes 12 Popcorn and Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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Pumpkin Pie Bread

This Pumpkin Pie Bread is most and full of Pumpkin. It's quite a shallow bread, and not quite as "hard" as a bread would be, but then not quite as "soft" as a pie would be - which is why it's sort of a cross between a pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and a recipe which is sure to impress.

The recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cook books - "Naturally Healthy Cookbook", which I found at a charity shop a few years back. It's from around the late 80's/early 90's (there's no date in the book, I've searched for it to share with you!) and has so many interesting recipes healthy and vegetarian recipes that I regularly cook and most of which I have yet to share with you. (like Spinach and Bean Lasagna... My Husband often asks for it but I haven't gotten around to sharing it... maybe in the next few weeks!)

The original recipe called for half a cup each of dates and walnuts. I omitted them because I wanted a smooth texture, but feel free to add a cup of your favorite dried fruit and/or nuts to taste.

The first attempt at this Pumpkin Pie Bread instantly became a big hit with the family! Even my fussy Mr 3, who is not a Pumpkin fan, loved the sweetness of this recipe. I served the Pumpkin Pie Bread, cut into little stars, in a Bento Lunchbox for the boys, along with some skinless sausage pieces and grapes.

Pumpkin Pie Bread Recipe
Adapted from Select Kitchen - Naturally Healthy Cookbook 
1 and 1/2 Cups Mashed or Pureed Pumpkin
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Oil
1 and 1/2 Cups Wholemeal Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and lightly grease a loaf tin. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, egg and oil and stir until well combined and smooth.
3. Mix through the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt stir through until you have a rich pumpkin batter. 
4. Pour the Pumpkin Pie Bread batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

To recreate the Bento Lunchbox, you'll need:

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You'll also like these yummy recipes:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Bento Lunchbox made by Mr 3
Bento Lunchbox - Egg Mold Tutorial

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Double Chocolate Mini Muffins

My Mom asked me if I'd like to make a sweet treat to contribute to her work's Biggest Morning Tea Event, which raises funds for the Cancer Council. I always jump at the chance to bake, and when baking for a food cause - even better. I wanted to make something delicious that would be easy for my Mom to transport and just pop on a plate for serving. Enter Double Chocolate Mini Muffins, the recipe is simple, there were easy to transport and the muffins were so super chocolatey that there was not a single mini muffin left over!

These Double Chocolate Mini Muffins contain no oil or butter, but get their moisture from the goodness of apples. There may be a lack of butter/oil but there is a greedy volume of chocolate which means you enjoy a chocolate hit with every bite. So really, these double chocolate muffins are both naughty and nice!


Double Chocolate Mini Muffins
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
1/3 Cup Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Applesauce
3/4 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Cocoa, dissolved in 2 Tablespoons of Boiling Water
1 and 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line two 12 hole mini muffin trays with muffin liners. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy then whisk in the applesauce, milk and cocoa. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Briefly fold the chocolate chips through the muffin mixture - careful not to overmix or you'll end up with tough muffins. 
6. Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin trays and place in the preheated oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until firm.


Make 24 to 30 Double Chocolate Mini Muffins

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Pomegranate Muffins

 

Yesterday I shared the recipe for Pomegranate Breakfast in a Jar and I promised to share the details of what I did the with the rest of the Pomegranate seeds from the 2 Pomegranates I bought. Well, I used the bulk of the Pomegranate Seeds for these yummy Pomegranate Muffins and the rest I just enjoyed mixed through a bowl of yoghurt after being inspired by how yummy the Breakfast in a Jar was.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've never cooked with Pomegranates before and found the tutorial I found on Pinterest to be of great help. So, having not cooked with them, also meant the boys had never eaten Pomegranate before. I was a tiny bit worried because Mr 3 is fussy so I didn't know how he'd react to the new food and I wasn't sure how Mr (almost) 2 would handle the tiny seeds.

I shouldn't have worried - Mr 3 LOVED these muffins and enjoyed the taste and texture of the seeds and since the seeds were cooked in the muffins, they were soft enough for Mr (almost) 2 to handle.

The Pomegranate Muffins are really easy to prepare, you simply mix the wet ingredients together, and in a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Then you just mix the two together and fold through the pomegranate seeds. I love the contrasting colors of the bright pomegranate seeds sitting on the muffin batter.

Pomegranate Muffins
1 and 1/2 Cups Unbleached Plain Flour
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar (Or Rapadura/Sucanat)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup Apple Sauce
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with Muffin Liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce and milk.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Briefly fold through the pomegranate seeds.
5. Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm and golden.

Makes 12 Pomegranate Muffins

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Having enjoyed both this recipe and the yummy Breakfast in a Jar has inspired me to pick up some more Pomegranates next time I see them. 

I'd love you to share how you enjoy this nutritious fruit, to give me (and the other yummy readers) some more Pomegranate Recipe Ideas!   

Disclosure - This Post Contains Affiliate Links.

 

 

Pomegranate Breakfast In a Jar & Breakfast Ideas Mondays #5

Yes the "in a jar" theme is a bit of a trend right now, but it just so happens that this trendy little treat is just so much fun to make. In fact, a while back I shared a "Breakfast in a Jar" that I made for the boys and mentioned that my Husband asked for a version just for him. So, that's what this yummy breakfast is - an "adult" breakfast in a jar. (but don't let that stop you from offering it to the kids!)

Last week I got myself a couple of Pomegranates. I've never actually cooked with pomegranates before, so I went looking for some "how to" tutorials on what to do with the anti-oxidant rich fruit. Luckily I found an excellent tutorial through Pinterest which has a video and detailed explanation on how to get all the yummy seeds(arils) out.

To make the Pomegranate Breakfast In a Jar, simply place a layer of yoghurt at the bottom and top with your favorite muesli and then a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds in each jar. Repeat with a second layer of yoghurt then muesli and finally top with pomegranate seeds to complete the jar.


I used about half a Pomegranate worth of seeds across the 2 jars. I made Pomegranate Muffins with the remainder of the Pomegranate seeds.

Now, onto Breakfast Ideas Mondays. Thanks to all who took part in last week's Brekfast Ideas Monday! There was such a diverse range of yummy breakfast ideas, here are the favorites:

 

These Gluten Free Banana Pancakes from Real Food, Real Deals looks so sweet and yummy. I love how the bananas are cooked into the pancakes. I imagine it would almost taste like banana bread!

This Slow Cooker Vegetable and Egg Casserole from Practical Stewardship makes a healthy start to the day. Packed full of nutritious vegetables and eggs, it's a great way to increase your daily veg intake!

 

Since I love ANYTHING with coconut, the Coconut Mocha Frappe from Peanut Butter and Peppers had me intrigued. What a yummy way to have your morning caffeine hit, while enjoying a chocolatey coconut drink. I'm looking forward to giving this a try soon.  

Each week I'll feature my favorite Breakfast Ideas from the previous week. Make sure you link back to this page.

Here's the Button for you to grab. Thanks in advance!

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Breakfast Ideas Mondays Rules
1. Post a link to your latest Breakfast Creation.
2. Include a link back to Breakfast Ideas Mondays.
3. Visit other participants for some Breakfast Inspiration. I look forward to seeing your Breakfast Ideas this week. 

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You'll also like:

Pomegranate Muffins

Breakfast in a Jar

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Mothers Day Chocolate Feast

Mothers Day Chocolate Feast - Menu

 Mini Pineapple & Chocolate Doughnuts

Nutella Brownie Bites

Chocolate & Popcorn Cupcakes 

Fruit Kebabs 

Mini Cheese Toasties 

Firstly, (a belated) Happy Mothers Day to all you hard working Mummy's - hope you all had an indulgent day.  We had a big family (and extended family) afternoon tea at our house - we've done it the past few years and I tend to go a little overboard in the making of yummy treats. You see, my family has a MASSIVE sweet tooth and, knowing my audience like I do, I know that only super-rich and decadent chocolate treats will do.

I usually spend all weekend making delicious treats. This year though, I am spending the bulk of each weekend studying for my upcoming Chemistry exam coming up. So, rather than having the luxury of a whole weekend of preparing, I knew I needed to make dishes that could be done QUICK on Sunday morning, in the space of a few spare hours I had.

I am in my element while I'm baking. I love spending a few hours in the kitchen moving enjoyably from dish to dish. So for me, spending Mothers Day morning in the kitchen creating sweet treats was pure bliss. Thankfully, my Darling Husband helped by keeping the boys out of my hair! Don't get me wrong, I love to have them in the kitchen with me, but on occasions when I have a strict time frame, I need to work quickly, strategically and without the "help" of little hands!

I started my morning's activities by making 2 batches of 12 Mini Pineapple & Chocolate Doughnuts. It was the only recipe of the day I needed any machinery for and so I thought it would be best to start with the most "complicated" (which it isn't really, but it just has more steps when compared with the other dishes!). I followed my recipe for Mini Pineapple Doughnuts, only adding the step of dipping the finished doughnuts in melted chocolate and then topping them with Hopper's 100's and 1000's, which have no artificial colors or flavors! (yay!)

These chocolate covered doughnuts were deliciously messy and should have come with a warning because you ended up with a chocolate covered face - no matter your age. I ended up with chocolate on my nose... difficult to hide sneaking one without anyone noticing!

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My next delicious dish was Nutella Brownie Bites, adapted from a recipe for 4 Ingredient Nutella Brownie Bites from Savory Sweet Life. I this incredibly recipe while oggling Nutella Recipes on Pinterest. The only alteration I made was to top the Nutella Brownie Bites with a sprinkling of slivered almonds (rather than hazelnuts), giving the brownies a delicious crunch.

To make the Nutella Brownie Bites, you simple mix together eggs, nutella and flour to form a deep chocolatey batter. The Nutella Brownie Batter is then divided into mini cupcake liners, topped with nuts and baked. I doubled the recipe to produce 24 Amazing Mini Nutella Brownie Bites.

I thought they would be the perfect, simple, no machinery necessary recipe to make a dessert to impress. And did they ever! It was my personal favorite treat of the day, so deep and rich and chocolatey. The unmistakable taste of Nutella shines through and they are so light, yet fulfilling, that you don't feel like you are being too naughty by having more than 1...

   

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On Pinterest I've seen so many inspiring Popcorn Recipes, that I thought I'd do a simple Chocolate & Popcorn "Cupcake" of plain popped popcorn mixed with melted chocolate.

I simply melted about 200g of chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave and then added popcorn until I had the right popcorn to chocolate ratio that I wanted. You may want yours with more or with less chocolate or popcorn, so it's not an exact science.

Then, simply fill cupcake wrappers with a tablespoon or so of chocolatey popcorn and give it about half an hour to set. The remainder of the plain popcorn was greedily eaten by the boys while I got on with making my next dish.

The Chocolate & Popcorn "Cupcakes" faced a little doubt from some skeptical family members who had to be nudged, well convinced, to try just one. Each who tried the simple treat went back for more (and more!).

Knowing my sister was making cake pops, (which were incredible!) I left the sweets there and went onto a simple plate of fruit. We're between seasons here in Australia, with the fruit moving away from summer fruits into the winter staples. So, I made Fruit Kebabs with the yummy between season fruit I could find - pineapple and grapes. I threaded them in alternating layers onto skewers. Simple, effective and the plate was empty in no time!

I saved my final dish to prepare just before the guests arrive. At the last minute I sliced a baguette into little rounds, topped each with a small amount of grated cheese and stuck them under a hot grill until they were crisp and browned. My Mom used to make this yummy treat for my Sister and I almost every Sunday evening. I thought it fitting to include this special dish from my childhood, to share with my Mom and Sister.

My Sister went completely NUTS for them, indulging in piece after piece (shhh... don't tell!). I have to be honest, as much as I adored all the sweet treats these little Mini Cheese Toasties were so homey and reminded me so much of my childhood that they will hold special place in my Mothers Day Chocolate Feast Memory too.

I allowed the boys little taste of a few sweet treats, which they don't normally have, but they mostly enjoyed the fruit and popcorn. So, thankfully they didn't end up suffering from a severe sugar rush by the end of the afternoon.

The Mothers Day Chocolate Feast was easy to prepare and was definitely a Yummy Day to Remember! The menu is one which will be great to follow again for future birthdays and special occasions, where sweet treats are the order of the day and preparation time is limited.

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How did you spend your Mothers Day? Do you have any annual traditions you follow?