HEALTHY BANANA BREAD (TOTALLY GUILT-FREE)

If your looking for an oil-free,sugar-free and scrumptious banana bread , don't look any further. Just preheat your oven, prepare your pan and bake away!

INGREDIENTS (Recipe Source : Foodloveeat)

2 cups Whole-wheat flour/Atta

2 cups mashed Banana (preferably overripe)

1/4 cup roughly chopped Dates

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

A pinch of salt

2 Eggs (or 2 tbsp flax seed powder + 6 tbsp water)

Sesame seeds (enough to sprinkle on top)

METHOD

1.Grease and flour a loaf tin and pre-heat your oven at 150 degree C/300 degree F

2.Mash bananas with a fork, its okay if you've got tiny lumps here and there. They actually enhance the loaf's taste because you'll have tiny pieces of caramelized banana here and there to bite into.

3.Add eggs to the mashed banana and whisk well with a balloon whisk or a fork. (If your using flax seed powder,mix it with water and leave it aside for a while until it turns gooey. Then add it to the mashed banana.)

4.Mix whole-wheat flour with salt, baking soda and baking powder with a balloon whisk/fork. Add chopped up dates and mix well.

5.Add the mashed banana+ egg  (or flax seed) mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. You may find the batter too dry and hard  to mix,but it's fine. Just be careful not to over do the mixing part.

6.Fill the greased loaf pan with the batter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the batter.

7.Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the loaf and   enjoy slices of your healthy ,scrumptious banana bread.

still warm,just out of the oven

VERDICT: Naturally sweet, right banana flavour, somewhere between dense and light because we used eggs instead of flax seeds - - - you'll probably get a denser loaf if you opt for flax seeds,but still yummy!

MOIST BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup All purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 cup oil (any vegetable oil)
1 ripe banana (preferably an over ripe one)
4 tbsp sour cream(Can be substituted with thick yoghurt or buttermilk)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD


1. Preheat oven to 180 degree C/350 degree F. Grease and flour a 9" cake pan.

2.Whisk together flour,baking soda,baking powder and salt in a small bowl and keep it aside.

3.Mash the bananas in a bowl using a fork . Add egg and sugar to the banana pulp and mix with hand beater for a minute.

4.Add oil and beat on low speed for 3-4 min. Add vanilla essence and sour cream,fold it in using a wooden spoon or spatula.

6. Fold in the dry ingredients kept apart in step 2. Be careful not to mix too much. Mix only until well combined.

7.Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and pop it into the oven. Bake for 35 - 40 min or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8.Place a paper doily (or a paper cut-out in your favourite pattern) on the cake and sprinkle powdered sugar on top,lift the doily off carefully  to decorate, or hop onto Edible Garden for cream cheese frosting.

SOURCE: Nag's Edible Garden
NOTES
1. Using an over ripe banana makes it easier to mash into a pulp,but sometimes it tastes too sweet so adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of your banana.

Verdict: Gorgeously moist and has just the right amount of banana flavour!