Moist, dense banana-date bread (no sugar, butter or white carbs and a hidden ingredient)

There is no denying that I am super excited about this recipe: a totally delicious dessert/breakfast loaf that is made without white carbs, sugar and butter but is full of hidden antioxidants and vitamins.

Plus, I did not have to buy one. single. ingredient. to bake this, I used up a ton of odds and ends I had lying around and the result was loved by all. How satisfying is that?

That bunch of shrivelled up, utterly dried-out medjoul dates that I just didn't have the heart to throw away (but that nobody had been eating anymore for a couple of months)?
In!

The expensive bag of goji berries I bought out of the sheer excitement of coming across them in a store a few years ago, after reading about them for months? The ones I never really know what to do with (except for mixing them into granola and yogurt) and that, to be truthful, none of us even like?
In (but hidden)! And just 10 days before their expiry date!

That almost empty bottle of coconut oil that I've had for months and never used until I overused it in a made-up cookie recipe in an attempt to feel less guilty about buying yet another ingredient that would collect dust on a shelf? A recipe that turned out so bad, that I never felt a twinge of guilt again upon seeing the bottle?
In!

Finally made a dent in my spelt flour stash, you would think I was a spelt hoarder.
In!

Luckily whisky ages well, because I don't even remember where that bottle of whisky we have came from...
In!

And let us not forget the bags and bags of chocolate chips I keep buying whenever I go to the States because I-just-can't-get-that-flavor-dash-size-dash-quality-dash-brand-here that takes up way too much fridge space (yup, that is how long they hang around) but that I never use in an attempt to make my kids reasonably healthy snacks.
In!

The result: a whopping banana bread that was dark, dense and incredibly moist. That was so good it was hard to believe there was no sugar (minus the choc chips - that are totally optional), white flour or butter in it. Also, there was no trace of the goji berries, which you already know is a good thing in my book, except for their presumable health benefits (but who knows at this point?). What unfortunately also got lost in the mix were the chocolate chips (except the ones you see on top), so definitely not worth the hidden calories/fat/sugar if you ask me. The dates and bananas totally did their magic without any extra help needed, and I can see myself pairing them over and over again in the future.

So in the same week, another cake you can bake and eat too... without the guilt!

Ingredients
8-9 oz. pitted dates
water as needed
whisky as needed
2 cups spelt/farro flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup goji berries
3 ripe bananas (frozen or fresh)
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
(3/4 cup white chocolate chips)

Pit the dates and put them in a small bowl. Heat a mix of water and whisky (or pure whisky if you like) until just simmering and pour over the dates so that they are covered. Set aside and let soak for at least 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F and grease a loaf pan.

When the dates have softened up, blend them in a food processor with as much of the liquid as you need to obtain a smooth, loose (but not too loose) paste (I ended up using all of it). Then add the goji berries, if using, and blend some more. The paste will turn a beautiful shade of reddish brown. Add the coconut oil and then blend in the bananas until just smooth.

Beat the eggs into this mixture one by one, then add in the vanilla extract.

Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, then mix in the chips (if using) until just combined. Pour into the pan. Bake for about 60 minutes, possibly a little longer. Insert a toothpick or a strand of raw spaghetti into the middle: remove from oven when it comes out clean.

Let cool before removing from pan.

Whole wheat, oat and banana muffins (and an award)

They say you really notice the passing of time through your children. This morning, reading the paper, I felt the same way about Paul McCartney. So, it seems he got married again yesterday. Again? But wait, didn't he just get divorced? And then I read he has been in a relationship with his now bride for four years. Where was I when you were all keeping up on Sir Paul's love life? Probably reading the food column instead of the gossip column.

Looking up the perfect breakfast muffin recipe. For you.

After all those chocolate cakes I have been baking, it was time to show my new Kitchen Aid we do some healthy baking in our house too.

WHAT? I didn't tell you I am the proud owner of a brand new, shiny Kitchen Aid? How could I forget?

Forgive me, I will immediately introduce you. Kitchen Aid, please meet my many friends who read about the lovely things you help me make every week.

Aww, don't blush.

OK, back to the muffins. Having a hard time focusing this morning.

This is the perfect breakfast muffin because it is not too cloying. The first bite might leave you thinking you could've used a little more sugar or honey but then the natural sweetness from the bananas grows on you and ends up being just right to accompany a nice warm cup of coffee, especially if there is already a spoonful of sugar in it.

They, however, were not sweet enough for the boys, but the husband enjoyed them with a trickle of honey and my son was more than happy to eat them with a thin spread of Nutella. All pretty delicious options, so nobody was complaining. Me? I enjoyed them just as they were and did not feel guilty when I helped myself to a second.

Recipe from Honesty Rain.

Ingredients (for 12 muffins)

dry ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

wet ingredients:

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil (or you could use apple sauce)

1/4 cup milk

2 large ripe bananas

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until combined. Grease muffin tin and fill up to about 3/4. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400° F/200°C in a preheated oven.

The other day I received an award from An Italian Cooking in the Midwest. Thank you Pola, it is a real honor, as a non Italian (although I did grow up in Italy, married an Italian and have half Italian kids), to receive this award for cooking and spreading authentic Italian cuisine throughout the world! Grazie mille!

Sour cream & olive oil banana muffins and my promise to you

This is a healthier version of the banana bread muffin I posted about a while ago. But wait!!! Don't go just because I said the word healthy! I hereby promise I will never post a "healthy" recipe unless it tastes really good and somewhat sinful. I am the kinda girl who believes that to call something dessert, it needs its fair share of butter, sugar and - more often than not - chocolate. If I'm gonna have dessert, it has to be worth the calories.

Now, I am by no means against using the occasional whole grains, dried fruits, apple sauce, honey or yogurt, as substitutes, but it is more for depth of flavor and interesting textures. Sure, your young ones will not be able to tell the difference and if you are feeding them cake, muffins or cookies on a daily basis, by all means make it a healthy snack. But in my world treats are called treats because they are supposed to be special (and not something you indulge in all the time) and a little butter and sugar will not hurt anybody. If you want healthy, give your kid an apple! Because the truth is, no matter how good a healthy cookies is and no matter how hard you try to convince me, it will never have the buttery sweetness of the real thing. And a gooey, rich homemade brownie is still a million times better for your children than the candy, soda and tons of other junk food kids are consuming daily all over the world. Especially if you bake it together as a family.

In these muffins, out go the chocolate chips and almonds of my other post, in come sour cream (yes, I am still buying tons of it to make sure my local supermarket keeps stocking up in the belief that all customers are loving this new and quite exotic product) and olive oil.

Believe me when I say you will not miss the butter in the least and the sour cream makes these the moistest muffins I have baked so far.

Last but not least, after a few requests and in an attempt to facilitate readers, I created a page with links to several conversion tables for any doubts you may have while trying out these recipes from all continents!

Chocolate-chip banana bread muffins

I had 2 ripe bananas. Two very ripe bananas. No more and no less.

I wanted to make banana bread but you can't make a great banana bread with two average sized bananas and I certainly couldn't go out and buy more overripe bananas. Still, I had to get rid of those two and quick, before they stood up and jumped into the trash can without my help.

Also, I needed something healthy and filling to eat in the car on Saturday morning on our long drive up to Piedmont to visit our dear friends Y&A. Something that wouldn't get little hands too sticky or the car too dirty. Muffins!

And that is how the banana bread muffins were born (I actually thought I was being creative until I googled those words and came up with about a million recipes). I added a little chopped up 72% chocolate I had left over from the chocolate brownies I made last week and some chopped, pealed almonds too.

They were fast (man were they fast!) to make and they were good.