Chocolate Banana Bread

November 26, 2015
by Stephanie Pellett
2 min read
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Chocolate Banana Bread >> Life In Limbo

On my original 25 before 25 list, I’d challenged myself to bake 4 new types of bread. I love the idea of a bread challenge for so many reasons: because by the end, I’ll be more comfortable baking, because bread is so wonderful, and because it means that everyday life will be that much more delicious and cozy.

A few days ago, I decided to up my challenge, considering that I’d made 3 out of 4 breads in a span of only a couple weeks. In honour of the 25 list, the new challenge is to make 25! They can be anything from a naan to a cinnamon bun, the only qualifications being that it’s some kind of bread-like product, and that it’s a recipe I’ve never tried before. I’ll be trying to document all of them here on the blog, so stay tuned!

Bread #4: Adapted from Chocolate Banana Bread by Smitten Kitchen

Chocolate Banana Bread >> Life In Limbo

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium bananas (I used plantains accidentally but it still turned out great!)
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips (I tragically didn’t have any)

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a loaf pan with butter.

Chocolate Banana Bread >> Life In Limbo

Mash your bananas (or in my case, plantains!) in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla, and stir together. Put your dry ingredients into a fine sieve and sift it all into the bowl. If you have chocolate chips, add them and stir everything together until it’s blended well.

Put the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 55 minutes, then check that a cake tester comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the loaf from the pan (mine came out very easily) and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Banana Bread >> Life In Limbo

Notes: Next time, I’d definitely add the chocolate chips. Although the bread wasn’t too dry, it would have been improved with the extra chocolate. I’d also love to try this bread with bananas instead of plantains. We ate the majority of the loaf in a single afternoon. This one was easy, delicious and will definitely be made again. That crack in the top! Beautiful.

Chocolate Banana Bread >> Life In Limbo

Chocolate Chia Pudding

June 12, 2014
by Stephanie Pellett
3 min read
1 Comment

DSC_3350“I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say “nothing”, I mean nothing, you can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. It’s such a comfort.” – Julie & Julia

Just replace “day” with “week”, “egg yolks” with “chia seeds”, “sugar” with “maple syrup” and add a “soy” to “milk” and voila: you have a quote that represents exactly how I feel right now. Walking home on Monday after getting the news about my school, I actually heard this quote in my head and was struck with the urge to watch the movie for the hundredth time.

And this morning, after I woke up feeling kind of small and defeated and not at all abundant, I made this pudding. I let it set up in the fridge while I went to the park – intending to do yoga but, after realizing that the platforms I usually use for my practice had been taken over by dozens of small Korean children playing, I just sat on a bench thinking instead – and tried it when I got home.

The taste is amazing, just like chocolate pudding but actually healthy, so no guilt required. The texture however needs a little work, my first few bites were too slimy for my liking. Blending in some steel cut oats really helped to give it a more palatable texture, but it could have still been smoother. It probably doesn’t help that my blender isn’t very high-powered so the seeds weren’t broken down much.

Of course, none of that is stopping me from spooning it into my mouth non-stop as I write this. It really is tasty.

DSC_3347Chocolate Chia Pudding

Adapted from Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup soy or nut milk
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tbsp steel cut oats
  • pinch of salt

Blend all your ingredients together until smooth. Let the pudding set in the fridge for about an hour or until it’s the consistency you like. Having a high-powered blender will help make this pudding smoother so that you don’t taste the chia seeds.

And with that, I’m off to (probably) watch Julie and Julia clips until it’s time for me to go to work. If I’m not doing that, you’ll find me at the Korean diner, eating kimchi fried rice and trying my hardest not to worry/cry.

Happy Thursday, friends!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

May 13, 2014
by Stephanie Pellett
1 min read
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FM LIL

I’m over at Guinea Pigging Green today sharing the recipe for this absolutely delicious, healthy, sweet treat. How did it take me so long to try making banana ice cream? The texture is exactly like soft serve, and it doesn’t even taste that much like bananas! I’ve been craving ice cream so much lately, and eating this feels like I’m tricking myself. It’s an absolutely perfect, no-guilt-needed dessert. And the best part? It couldn’t be easier! It takes about two minutes to make (not counting the time needed to freeze the bananas, of course) and I can make it in my tiny little kitchen using my hard-working little immersion blender. Check plus.

It’s been kind of fun to try to make new recipes in a new space with less equipment than I’m used to having. I created a Pinterest board for things I want to try to cook this year without an oven, food processor or even a proper mixing bowl, and it’s really been inspiring me. I’ve been learning lately that having restrictions actually makes me more creative. It’s funny how that works.

You can find the “recipe” here!

Peanut Butter Balls

December 11, 2013
by Stephanie Pellett
2 min read
1 Comment

pbbThe holiday baking is officially in full swing! These little guys have always been a favourite, but for my first vegan holiday season, they’re looking even better since they are so easy to veganize.

Our family always makes big trays of assorted holiday sweets, full of our favourite recipes that we’ve accumulated over the years. There are always peanut butter balls, butter tart squares, shortbread cookies, raspberry-coconut bars, “secrets” bars and decorated sugar cookies. This year I plan to make a few switcharoos to some of our favourite sweet treats to make them vegan-friendly, and hopefully nobody will be able to tell the difference!

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Ingredients:

Makes 24 balls

  • 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons “buttery” spread (I used Becel’s Vegan margarine)
  • 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (I used plain almond milk)
  • 3-4 oz vegan chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate)

Mix together the peanut butter, buttery spread, icing sugar and non-dairy milk. You’re looking for it to be fully incorporated with no lumps, in a consistency that holds together if you squeeze it.

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Form the mix into small balls, about a teaspoon each, rolling them between your palms. Place on wax paper on a cookie sheet and put them in the refrigerator to harden for at least an hour.

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Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave. If you want the chocolate to be glossier, you can add about a teaspoon of vegetable shortening. I chose not to and am happy with my results.

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Roll the balls in the melted chocolate until fully coated. This works well with a fork. Shake off the excess a little and replace them on the cookie sheet. Let the chocolate harden, then enjoy!

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Stay tuned for more vegan adventures this holiday season. I’m already on the lookout for more sweet things I can make vegan-friendly!