Thursday, October 2, 2008

Banana and Chocolate Chip Bread

I haven't been blogging I know, but that doesn't mean I've been losing track of all the happenings going on! =) So I thought I'd make a comeback with a delicioso superdooper moist banana bread studded with chips of happiness, CHOCOLATE! =)

Melissa over at bakingasweetlife has come up with her second edition of Let It Grain and this edition's grain is millet. Understated and hardly used (by me) I thought it'd be timely to include millet flour in my banana bread. Also, the best part of this flour is that it's GLUTENFREE! whooopdeedoo.

Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates.

Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.

Sounds good to me. =)

I adapted a recipe from my latest darling, Carole Bloom's The Essential Baker. It's meant to be a Banana Loaf Cake with Walnuts and Dried Apricots but I'm sick so I couldn't bring myself to go to the store and getting apricots and walnuts. And I didn't feel like nuts. I just wanted chocolate. The funny thing though, because I've been sneezing and coughing my brains out, I forgot to put the starch into the glutenfree flour mix. But I didn't realize it until now...but it didn't seem to affect it much. Fred and I both agreed it tasted really good, moist, soft, sweet, chocolatey and prettydarnyummy

So here goes...

1/4 cup brown sugar + 2 tbsp white sugar
2tbsp canola oil
2tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1tbsp honey
1 large (x-Large) egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1) Whisk all together until creamy and thick

1 egg white

2) Whisk in a clean grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form

1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp almond meal
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda

3) Mix this flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

2 medium mashed bananas (VERYVERY ripe)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

4) Stir bananas, choc and cinnamon into flour mixture.

5) Fold whisked egg whites into cake mixture.

6) Bake in a loaf tin at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes (I didn't really keep track of the time)

7) Wait for it to cool completely before cutting and serving.

NOTES: I had the cake the day after and it was AMAZING. =) I had 3 slices... so I think you should give it a shot!