banana bread with coffee + coconut oil

By porktopurslane • April 12, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This bread happens to be vegan, low-fat, high in fiber, and full of potassium-packed bananas. But that’s not why I like it. I like it because it makes the house smell like cinnamon-spiked nostalgia and because it’s difficult for anyone to eat a single slice (I love to feed people). The fact that maple syrup stands in for sugar, a little coconut oil replaces the usual butter, and flax seed acts as a binder in lieu of eggs is simply a bonus for those who prefer these alternative ingredients, which, in my opinion, shouldn’t be so alternative.
- porktopurslane

Makes 10-12 slices

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cups Grade B maple syrup, at room temperature
4 large overripe bananas
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/2 cup hot coffee
1/4 cup melted organic unrefined coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil an 8 x 4 ½ x 2 ½ -inch loaf pan, preferably glass or enameled cast iron.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flax powder with the hot coffee or water, stir, and set aside; it should become gelationous.
In a large bowl, whisk the flours with the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
To the bowl containing the flax mixture, add the bananas and mash well. Whisk in the maple syrup, coconut oil, and reserved flax mixture.
Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the banana bread cool on a rack for 20 minutes before turning it out. Let cool completely before slicing.