Banana Bread

I made this bread this morning and it was quite good. Very comforting. I got the recipe from epicurious, and here it is....

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups coarsely mashed very ripe bananas (6 large)
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups walnuts (4 ounces), toasted and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 5- by 3-inch) metal loaf pans, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together 3 1/4 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

Beat together eggs and sugar in bowl of electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beater is lifted, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a slow stream, mixing, then mix in bananas, crème fraîche, and vanilla. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture and walnuts gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter between loaf pans, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cool loaves in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Turn loaves right side up and cool completely.

enjoy!

Hippy's Delight muffins

I have a special place for muffins in my heart because it's instant breakfast and I like to wake up as late as possible. So I threw together several different recipes and did a little bit of guessing and this is what I came up with! A Lacey original.

Healthy Muffins

2 bricks of wheetabix
2 T wheat germ
1 cup almond germ (ground almonds)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup flax seed (I used ground, but actual seeds would be fine)
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/3 c agave syrup (or white sugar)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (low fat!)
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 T canola oil
1 banana (mashed)
1 plum (diced)
1/4 c pecans (chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl until well mixed (do not add fruit/nuts yet)
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Add fruit/nuts.
5. Fill muffin tin to about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.