Biscoff Banana Bread … eggless, wholewheat, one bowl, fuss free and just so delicious, you must bake this soon! It might not look very pretty and banana breads generally don’t, but the taste, OH MY! This is the most addictive one I’ve baked yet, and I’ve baked many!
Dare I also say dessert? Yes, that too! I love to reheat thick slices, 15-30 seconds in the microwave, and serve them with a drizzle of melted Biscoff or a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!
Eggless, wholewheat, one bowl, fuss free and just so delicious, you must bake this soon. It might not look very pretty but OH MY! This is the most addictive one I've baked yet.Makes 1 loaf (750g approx)
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 8″x4″ loaf tin with baking parchment.
Add the ingredients to a large bowl and stir lightly to combine until just mixed.
Transfer to the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes/until the tester comes out clean, tenting the top after 14 minutes to stop it from overbrowning.
Eggless Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Loaf , simple, so delicious and wholegrain too. Did I tell you it’s hand whisked and takes about 10 minutes to get into the oven? Yes, that too. Above all, the coconut sugar and clarified butter add deep, earthy flavours making the loaf a winner.
Have you ever used coconut sugar?
And do you use walnuts often? I just think they make everything taste better!
3 ripe bananas, a mix of flours, sugar and ghee/clarified butter yield this delicious moist and above all, VERY SIMPLE Eggless Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Bread/Loaf. The basic recipe works with everyday ingredients.
Walnuts and chocolate chips are add ons, but they do add deliciousness. You could also add a dash of cinnamon powder if you like.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to get into the kitchen and begin mashing bananas! I’ve had like a million requests over on Instagram for an eggless version of a Wholegrain Banana Bread video I shared a while ago. I tried a couple of times to make it eggless, but I wasn’t convinced.
Then one day, I saw a comment from someone on Instagram who said she was really grateful for an eggless recipe I had shared since her daughter was allergic to eggs. I’ve now begun trying to share both sort of recipes, with eggs and without. I’ve made a few videos as well.
I had a really nice time making the videos. As you can see, the recipe is really really simple, fuss free and quick. So easy that I’ve begun making this Eggless Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Loaf {and the recipe version with eggs too} quite often.
Do let me know if you make this loaf cake, or you have requests for any others. I often try and bake on request since it makes more sense. I’m here because of you after all! And of course, do hit the subscribe and turn on the notifications while on YouTube. I’d love to hear from you!
3 ripe bananas, a mix of flours, sugar and ghee/clarified butter yield this delicious moist and above all, VERY SIMPLE Eggless Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Bread/Loaf. The basic recipe works with everyday ingredients and walnuts and chocolate chips are add ons.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 1loaf
Ingredients
1/2cupclarified butter/ghee melted
1/4cupgranulated sugar
1/2cupcoconut sugar {or brown sugar}
3large bananaswell mashed
1cupwhole wheat flour
1/2cupall purpose flour {maida}
1tspbaking soda
1tspbaking powder
Pinch salt
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1/2cupchopped walnuts
1/2cupchocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180º.
Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk the flours, baking soda, baking soda and salt. Reserve.
In a large bowl, whisk together the clarified butter and sugars, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla extract.
Add sifted flours, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips into the wet mix.
Mix gently just until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Top with walnut halves and chocolate chips.
Bake at 180Cº for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until the tester comes out clean.
Cool in tin for 30 minutes at least, then cool on rack.
Serve sliced warm or at room temperature.
Note: Loosely tent the top with a sheet of aluminium foil in the last 10-15 minutes if the top is over browning.
“I have more healthy cravings than my normal eating habits, like I crave fruit and cold things like smoothies.”
Kourtney Kardashian
Smoothies … you gotta love them. As the years pass by, the head wins over the heart. You know that it’s easier to gulp down a smoothie than chew through a buncha green leaves! And you also know that however good or bad it tastes, a well balanced, seasonal smoothie is going to do you a load of good. It’s pointless waiting for the new year to come and make resolutions, so I just got the ball rolling and made them before! Post the Jaipur trip, what with all the over the top indulgence and pampering, I had but one thing on my mind, get FIT!I have begun taking tiny steps. I’m eating healthier, I’m not eating out a lot, fewer food reviews, some form of exercise … and of course smoothies. I’ve also been invited to join the Fit Foodie panel on Saffola, which just gives me more reason to work towards my goal! I’ve put together a small graphic to make things easier. Play around with these three groups {not an exhaustive list} , add some yogurt, milk, buttermilk, almond milk, fruit juice or maybe water as required. I also throw in spoon or two of oats at times.Do you smoothie? Here’s a bunch of recipes to set you off if you want to join in. You can find some here too. I basically go through the fridge to find what I can use and pair. I made three versions yesterday, and surprisingly enough the persimmon one was the best. The spinach, cuke and tender coconut water was nice too. The banana smoothie we have everyday, so that was quite normal, but normal good. Such fun. The processor is such a magic machine!
The processor is a blessing in disguise for soups too, though the immersion blender works really well in most cases. A while ago however someone asked me what the difference was between a food processor and blender. I have both in the kitchen, and it set me thinking. Thought I’d try and answer the query here just in case you had similar questions. Hope it helps…
Food processors and blenders, what are the differences between them?
If you only have a small kitchen then you may be wondering if you really need both a blender and a food processor. The fact is that although both gadgets have blades, and a reputation for dicing and slicing, they actually have quite different uses. If you are going to be able to do all of the jobs you need to in a kitchen the chances are you are going to want to use a blender and a food processor at some point; especially if you regularly make smoothies or soups. When does a blender come into its own? The shape and blades of a blender are designed to cater for soft fruit and liquids. The name really says it all; these gadgets are excellent for blending ingredients into such delights as tasty smoothies. Depending on what fittings your blender has it may be able to cope with slicing ice for use in the smoothies; this can make them into an extra special treat on a hot summer day. These tasty additions to any menu are a great way of getting fruit into a child’s diet. You can use the pulp produced when you are juicing to create imaginative and colorful smoothies that most children will love. The shape of a blender is slender and designed to accommodate soft and liquid products, and not usually more solid produce. What about a food processor? If you are using liquids then it’s a good idea to stick to using your blender, but for anything more solid you should switch to a food processor. Food processors have blades that are designed for chopping and slicing. They also have a bowl that is larger and can accommodate more solid produce. If you have vegetables that you want to reduce in to small pieces to use in a soup then a food processor is the perfect gadget to use. It can cope with all sorts of vegetables and nuts, and in no time you will have all of the ingredients you need to make as much delicious soup as you want. Which is the best to have, a blender or a food processor? The answer to this question is really going to depend on what you need to do most. Is it more important to you to be able to blend together liquids, making drinks and smoothies; or is it more important to you to be able to slice vegetables for soups or stews? It may be that you need to do both. There are blenders that have blades which provide a certain amount of chopping capacity, and food processors can deal with a very small amount of liquid, but generally if you want to be able to blend and chop you are going to have to make room in your kitchen for both a blender and a food processor.
So I guess it’s time to SMOOTHIE! Come join me. Grab a bunch of fresh seasonal produce, pair it with a medium you like, throw in some nuts, seeds, herbs and get going. Once you’re done, what’s next? Soup maybe?
[print_this]Recipe: Fruit & Vegetable Smoothies
Summary: Time for SMOOTHIES! Come join me. Grab a bunch of fresh seasonal produce, pair it with a medium you like, throw in some nuts, seeds, herbs and get going. 3 recipes to get you going …
Persimmon Orange Strawberry Smoothie Flesh of 2 fully ripe persimmons 5 strawberries {approx 50g} Juice of 1 orange 1/2 cup water Pinch rock salt Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add extra juice or water if desired.
Cucumber Spinach tender Coconut Water Smoothie 1 small English cucumber, with skin {approx 100g} Small bunch fresh spinach leaves{approx 35g} 200ml tender coconut water Pinch rock salt Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth
Banana Chocolate Oats Smoothie 2 bananas {chopped, frozen in summer, normal in winter} 300ml low fat milk, soy milk, almond milk 1 tsp brown sugar{optional} 1 tbsp oats {or almonds} 2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
“At home I serve the kind of food I know the story behind.”
Michael Pollan
Banoffee Pie … it was the first ever banoffee I truly loved. Indulgent. Addictive. Impressive. More impressive as the recipe comes from 16 year old Oraya, the youngest baker in the Sood family. She’s firmly booked her spot in the ‘The Sood Family Cookbook‘ and her dessert sang out loud.
It was a winner at the lunch I will talk about in a bit. I had a slice. Then, guilt ridden after a virtual food marathon, I reached out for a second helping. I am not a banana person, but this was different. I got home and HAD to put one together for the family. Unfortunately, things got delayed. A lot.
Went to Mumbai for a cookshow shoot {it’s under wraps at the moment} for 2 days, stayed on for 4. It was a memorable experience. Met up with food blogger friends. Ate every bit of Mumbai street food we could find. Was part of a fantastic team. We eventually shot all night long, a’night duty‘ after a long 19 years as Mr PAB messaged. My years in the airlines came alive again…
Back home and I hit the ground running. The Sood Family Cookbook on my list of things to do {read cook from}. As I flew in, the husband flew out on work emergency. He somewhat managed to fly back just in time to take junior to Hongkong for a short vacation. This was dessert to celebrate!!
Rich, indulgent, addictive and made with simple pantry ingredients, Banoffee Pie comes together easily. I baked the biscuit crust as a matter of habit {read I bake everything; well almost!}, but it’s great sans baking. This is one of the many recipes that makes Aparna’s ‘from the heart‘ cookbook a star.
Condensed milk is the main {read finger licking good} ingredient here. You can make the toffee as in the recipe below. There is an alternative if you have a pressure cooker {which is pretty much standard in Indian kitchens}, and aren’t terrified of the thing exploding as I used to be at one time. It works well.
Place the tin {I do 2-3 together to save time and energy} in a pressure cooker, cover with water and place on heat until the steam comes out. Put the weight on once the steam builds up. After whistle number 1, reduce heat to minimum and allow to cook for 30 minutes. {or 40 like me if you want it really thick}. Turn off heat, allow tin to cool. Use as required.
About the book now. A family cookbook is a celebration in itself, a concept as comforting as it is interesting. The value a community adds to a cookbook is huge; a family adds even more! The Sood Family Cookbook offers an absorbing mix {of recipes and food memories}, a potpourri as varied as the mind can envisage. I LOVE the design and layout.
Aparna writes it well, a connect runs through the book. Stories come alive as you read through it. It’s interesting how her life criss crosses with that of the audience in different situations. We’ve all been through the nostalgia, the missing ‘taste of home’, the calling family at odd hours for a recipe, the childhood taste that lingers forever …
With a post grad degree in hospitality, Aparna has literally had a finger in every pie. From Silicon Valley, to Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping, to the now somewhat clouded Tehelka, she has an intriguing background. Vibrant, warm and passionate, she played the perfect host!
It was a delicious experience to be part of the launch that beautiful Sunday morning. The warmth and connect embraced you as you entered. With the whole family rallying behind the cookbook, it was difficult not to notice how food excites them.
Everyone had a food story to share, each one brimming with nostalgia about the journey of the book, proud to be part of the book. Recipes were discussed, ingredients shared, pahaadi khaana accorded its deserved status …
Lunch offered dishes straight out of the book cooked by the Sood family. The food was finger licking good food. Each recipe as different and special as the book promises is testimony to how good a cookbook it is. Some of my favourites … crispy bhindi, ghee roast, pahadi mutton {a winner}, pahaadi madra, pahaadi mani, pahaadi hara namak, shrimp biryani. And of course Oraya’s Banoffee Pie!
[print_this]Recipe:Banoffee Pie
Summary: Rich, indulgent, addictive, this simple Banoffee Pie {banana + toffee} will win your heart over.
Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes {plus toffee making time} Ingredients:
1 tin condensed milk {sweetened} 400g
15 digestive biscuits {or Marie}
6 tbsp butter, soft
2 bananas, chopped
1/2 tbsp salt
1 cup cream {for whipping} or canned whipping cream
Method:
In a large pan that has a tight lid, place the tin of condensed milk, and cover it with water. Ensure that the water covers it. Heat for 1 1/2 hours. {Refer David Lebovitz’s post}
In the interim, crush the biscuits with the butter. Mix well.
In an 8″ non stick pie pan, push the butter and digestive mixture down to the base of the pan to form a crust.
Now cut the bananas into slices and layer the base completely with them.
Once the condensed milk is ready, open the tin carefully after cooling. It should have turned into a beautiful caramelized toffee-coloured semi-solid mix called Dulce de Leche.
Mix the salt in and spread over the bananas to form the topmost layer.
This is a recipe I have been using for ages…not sure where I got it from, but the kids seem to love these. You can omit the walnuts or chocolate chips if you like, or increase or decrease the quantity as desired.
Preheat oven to 190degC/375degF. Line a 12 muffin regular tray or grease well.
Ingredients: Flour – 1 cup Wholewheat Flour – 1/2 cup Baking powder – 1 tsp Baking soda – 1/2 tsp Salt – 1/4 tsp utter – 1/4 cup + 1 tbs(60gms) Bananas – 3 / mashed Sugar – 1/2 cup Egg yolks – 2 (Reserve the whites for some other use. Whites freeze well!) Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp Walnuts – 1/4 cup Chocolate chips – 1/4 cup
Method :
Sift the flours + baking soda + baking powder + salt together 3 times. Keep aside.
Beat together the butter + mashed bananas + sugar + egg yolks + vanilla essence.
Fold in the sifted ingredients and walnuts and chocolate chips until just mixed in. DO NOT OVERMIX.
Bake at 190deg C for 20-25mins in a lined or well greased muffin tin.
Remove and cool on racks immediately to avoid the bottoms getting soggy.
