MAPLE BANANA BREAD WITH HEMPSEEDS

I was raised in California, and the closest it gets to cold, wintry weather is dropping below 75 degrees in December.  It's not the most festive place in the world for the holiday months, but we had other ways of making it special.  I always associate banana bread with the changing of seasons, as a seasonal (but not too wintry) way to celebrate Fall.  We always had it in the house during this time & it's the most nourishing snack to have on hand (especially for busy days).  This one is healthier than my family recipe, but you won't notice.   It's the perfect breakfast for the colder months when you need something a little heartier.  

Maple Banana Bread with Hempseeds (gluten-free, dairy-free)

• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted & cooled
• 2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons hempseeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first nine ingredients until well mixed.  In a separate bowl, add mashed banana, coconut oil, maple, vanilla, almond milk & large eggs.  Beat mixture until well-combined, then mix wet ingredients into the dry.  Using a spatula, mix ingredients until batter resembles heavy cream.

Grease a 8 or 9 inch loaf pan lined with parchment (for easy removal).  Pour batter into loaf pan evenly, then sprinkle hempseeds evenly over top.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Tip: I highly suggest serving warm with a drizzle of warm coconut oil or maple syrup. Game changer!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB YOGURT CAKE

I don't have a lot of "food memories" from my childhood.   I didn't have a grandmother who taught me her famous pie crust, or a mother who made fresh pasta every week.  There wasn't that kind of connection to food, or as far as I can remember.  We were average, like most - just trying to feed ourselves well enough.  

I do remember Summers though.   As I kid, the warmer months could be memorialized by my constant stomach aches from too many plums (we had a tree - ugh, California..) or too many strawberries.  My mom would buy huge crates of fruit from some farmstand & I would eat most of it before my sisters even saw it.  I'm not sure I ate much else between the months of May-August.

Fruit desserts are my actual favorite to this day.  There's something so refreshing & lovely about them in the warmer months, especially when you can't (physically) eat any more fresh fruit.  I can still put down almost half a moderately-sized watermelon if I wanted, but for the most part - I bake.  Curbs the Summer aches & is much better for sharing with others.

Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Cake  - Adapted from Cannelle et Vanille (gluten-free)

| This cake can be made with any seasonal fruit - It would be great with Sour Cherries or red currants! |

• 1 cup almond meal or flour
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 3/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 4oz. rhubarb stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 oz. strawberries, chopped
• 2 oz. raspberries
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup ghee or butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all flours, baking powder, and salt until well combined.  In another mixing bowl, mix together lemon zest & 1/2 cup sugar with your fingers until mixed well & fragrant.  Add rhubarb stalks & berries to stir & gently macerate.  In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice & yogurt and set aside.

Add eggs, butter and yogurt to whisked flour mixture.  Stir until mixed well.  At the last minute, mix in berries & rhubarb until well combined.

Grease an 8-inch springform cake pan well.  Pour cake batter and spread top evenly with a spatula.  Sprinkle remaining sugar over top.  Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean & the edges are golden brown.  Let cool for 25 minutes before removing from pan.  

This post was originally shot for H&M!

MINI ALMOND CLEMENTINE BUNDT CAKES WITH CREME FRAICHE GLAZE

I'm a big fan of cakes – specifically tea and breakfast cakes that are easy to make and don't involve tiers or frosting.  They feel like the perfect everyday treat & something you could throw together on a slow afternoon with almost no planning.   That's my favorite way to bake - on a whim when I miraculously have all the ingredients I need.

It's been a long Winter, and as much as I've had a complete love affair with citrus, I'm so looking forward to the Spring/Summer produce ahead.  (I mean, remember red currants?) The weather is finally starting to reflect that it's straight-up Springtime and I'm ready for some real fruit.  Rhubarb, I'm comin for you...

Mini Almond Clementine Bundt Cakes (Makes 6 mini bundts) Gluten-free

• 1 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (melted and cooled)
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• Zest of 3 clementines/mandarins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking soda and salt.

In another small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, zest and coconut oil or butter.  Slowly combine wet with dry, folding batter to combine well.

Add batter to well-greased bundt pan, making sure each is three-quarters full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned around the edges.  Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove cakes from the pan.  Cool on a wire rack before glazing.

Creme Fraiche Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons clementine juice

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, creme fruit and mandarin juice.

NOTES: I used a mini bundt pan, but you can use any cake pan or even a muffin tin to make “mini cakes”.  Also, feel free to use any citrus here - any mandarin, navel orange or meyer lemon would be great.  Creme Fraiche can also be subbed for mascarpone or cream cheese.

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SHOT FOR H&M !