Bourbon Banana Bread

I saw this recipe online and thought I absolutely had to try making it! So after figuring out how to find bourbon at the store (I’d never had to purchase bourbon before) I got right down to making it. I’ve made several small changes to the original recipe to make it more like the normal banana bread I make.This is a recipe in preparation for St Patrick’s day. Come back on Thursday for one of the most amazing (actually Irish) recipes I’ve ever had! I’ve realized that I actually enjoy baking with spirits, it lends the baked goods extra moisture and flavor. The bourbon in this recipe really pairs well with the banana. The chocolate I’ve added also give an additional touch of sweetness that I personally love in banana bread.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:180]Source: Adapted from Baking Bites

Easy Chocolate, Banana, Nut Butter Cookies

My sister found this recipe and sent it to me. I was very surprised with the deliciousness and the easy of everything. With only five ingredients it is a very quick and easy thing to make. Everyone I served these to simply loved them! Since they are gluten free it is a wonderful way to get a dessert without a huge time commitment.I found the key to making this recipe extra delicious is using a VERY ripe banana. I found this enhanced the flavor and sweetness of the cookies. Since there is no added sugar in the recipe you need to rely on the banana to really make it taste great. If you find the recipe isn’t sweet enough for your taste you can add sugar or sugar substitute into the recipe. However I found it was quite sweet enough on its own with the banana and chocolate chips.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:102]Source:  Adapted from Spoon University

Paleo Zucchini, Banana, Flax Muffins

 I thought it was about time for another Paleo, grain free recipe here on the blog. These muffins are perfect for a light breakfast or snack since they are chock full of wonderful ingredients. These muffins are light and fluffy and completely grain free. They are also free of refined sugar since it is sweetened with honey. I highly suggest using local organic honey for this recipe since you will get the very best taste.I’ve used fresh zucchini (pretty much straight out of the garden) for this recipe. It really gives it a better flavor if you do this. However, if you only have frozen zucchini on hand make sure to use the water in the container too. This will keep the muffins from getting too dry in the end.This recipe includes almond milk rather than coconut or soy milk. I find that if I use coconut milk in addition to coconut flour and/or coconut oil the flavor is just mostly coconut and I’m not actually a huge fan of that. You can of course substitute whatever type of milk you prefer although just make sure it is unsweetened so as not to add additional refined sugar. If you do use almond milk it is best to make your own since commercial varieties can include non-paleo ingredients. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:92]

Hummingbird Cupcakes

These cupcakes are not the “normal” type of cupcakes I make. They are a combination of pineapple, banana, coconut and pecans. However, when I was looking for a unique type of cupcake to make for some friends who watched Pond for a day, I decided on these.Hummingbird cake is a southern staple. It was created in Jamaica in the late 1960’s. It is named after the hummingbirds that grace the island. The cake was brought to US popularity when a woman submitted the recipe to Southern Living in the late 1970’s. Ever since then it has been a staple cake among southern bakers. If you don’t live in the south, it is likely you’ve never heard of this cake or ever enjoyed a slice. I know I certainly hadn’t ever heard of it before a few years ago.I received so many compliments on these cupcakes. This cake is not overly sweet. It really relies on the tropical flavors to carry the cake rather than your typical sugary cake flavor. Since this was the first time our friends had ever had this cake they were very surprised by its tropical flavor combinations. However, they absolutely loved it and I’m certain you will too!For this recipe I used a SUPER ripe banana that my mother had given me a couple months prior. The longer you leave bananas out the more pronounced the flavor will be. You really want to make certain the flavor shows through in these. If you don’t have a several months old banana to use just make sure that your banana is very, very brown. If you don’t like pecans you can simply leave them out of the recipe. They provide a fantastic crunch, but I know not everyone is a fan.I topped these cupcakes with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. I wanted something simple that would really showcase the flavor of the cupcakes. I then put a dried banana slice, candied pineapple and chopped pecans on top. I thought about adding some toasted coconut around the sides but decided against it for the sake of time. You can certainly add it if you prefer. Annie-Eats also has a tutorial on making pineapple flowers that look absolutely beautiful on these type of cupcakes.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:74]

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Source: Cake adapted from Annies-Eats

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Paleo Banana Muffins

I’ve been wanting to experiment with Coconut Flour baking recently and I finally found the flour on sale a couple weeks ago. These muffins are grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and Paleo. For this recipe I’ve used Enjoy Life Mini-Chocolate Chips, they are optional for the recipe, but make the muffins better in my opinion.These muffins are light and fluffy. They have a fantastic banana, cinnamon, coconut flavor to them.  If you don’t like coconut flavor, you can try substituting Olive Oil for the coconut oil. This still keeps them Paleo, but without as much coconut flavor. The batter may seem dry but I find that the finished product is pretty much perfect. If you add any more liquid the muffins will be a little on the soggy side.

You need to make sure to use a very dead banana. Make sure its completely black before making these muffins. Since there is honey in the recipe you need to watch these carefully towards the end of the baking time. Baked goods made with honey are more apt to burn if not watched carefully. I found that it took approximately 20 minutes for my muffins to be done.

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Paleo Banana Muffins:½ Cup Honey5 Eggs¼ Cup Coconut Oil (melted)1 Dead Banana1 Teaspoon Vanilla3 Tablespoons Coconut Milk½ Teaspoon Baking Soda1 Cup Coconut FlourCinnamon to tasteChocolate Chips (optional)Preheat the oven to 325 and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or lining it with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the honey and eggs.

Add the coconut oil, banana, vanilla, coconut milk and baking soda. Stir on low until combined.Stir in the coconut flour and cinnamon.With a spatula stir in the chocolate chips if using.

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup spoon the batter into the muffin tin.

 

Cook for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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