i've gotten better in the kitchen as of late.
(and if you've been following this blog for any period of time you know this is no small thing).
so when i went home a few weeks ago i was determined to prove my culuinary prowess to my parents, a way of saying, remember that cuisinardt you got me? well look at me now!
so i decided to make my vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free banana bread (it may also be noted, i wanted them to know how good a vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free something could be).
so i packed my xanthan gum for the trip home. (funny--in a plastic zip-lock, in a suit case, it looks remarkably like a number of other things {none of them good}).
and once in texas i headed to the local HEB for the remaining products. agave proved most difficult to find (in part because i forgot about it at the first store) and when the manager at the randall's just up the street had the gall to suggest stevia or truvia instead you can imagine my dismay--i may have responded with something resembling an indignant--even dirty--look.
(there are few things in this world i find as offensive as fake sugar--and yes, i'm calling stevia a fake sugar as well).
but when i eventually had all the necessaries i set to work. and things went swimmingly. until of course they didn't. and the bread wouldn't cook through. and the bread wouldn't rise. and it was suggested that the humidity played a part but i knew--i knew!--it was because i had put to much batter in the pan. a silly mistake. one silly mistake and my culinary prowess was not proved--my culinary powers, flat.
but because it usually works and when it does there's nothing like it, i thought i'd finally share. so without further ado...
NYC BABYCAKES BANANA BREAD RECIPE (by Erin McKenna)
ingredients:
2 cups bob's red mill gluten-free all purpose baking flour (this brand, no other)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (plus more for the plan)
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup rice milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (high quality)
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. lightly grease a 7 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan with oil.
in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon. add 1/2 cup oil and the agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. stir until the batter is smooth. using a plastic spatula, gently fold in the bananas until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
fill the prepared pan halfway with batter (this means you're likely to have leftover batter). bake the banana bread on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 20 minutes. the finished loaf will bounce back slightly when pressed , and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
let the banana bread stand in the pan for 20 minutes. gently run a knife around the edge of the cake, cover the top of the pan with a cutting board, and invert the loaf onto the board. carefully lift the pan away and re-invert the bread onto another cutting board. either cut and serve warm, or wait until completely cool before storing. cover the uncut banana bread with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
(do not attempt to eat before the bread has completely cooled. take it from me, it doesn't taste to terribly good when it's warm. when it's cool...there's nothing like it).
also, according to tom colicchio's forward to the book, know this: follow the recipe exactly.
and for banana bread with chocolate chips (my personal favorite) simply add in some chips to the batter before cooing.
and a very happy weekend baking to you...