Kristen's Cranana Bread

     Before we begin baking this delicious bread, a couple of thanks are in order.  First, thank you to my lovely husband who allows me to guest-post on his blog. Second, to The Baking Bird, the creator of the recipe on which this recipe is based; I have modified it a bit over time by adding craisins and walnuts, as well as experimenting with the ingredients in accordance with my preferred flavoring and consistency desires.

So, here it is.  Cranana bread in 10 easy steps.

3 overly ripe bananas. The grosser, the better. 

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup raw sugar

2 tbsp molasses

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice (This is its own thing, not just a mixture of spices. Not that I ever thought that.)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c craisins

Some walnuts

Step 1: Go bananas!  

     Usually I freeze the bananas in their peels in order to ripen them more quickly and to keep any household pests out of them as they do so.  The day I make the banana bread, I take them out and allow them to thaw so I can peel them.  Running hot water over them can help.  Don't worry, these bananas really can't get much slimier, so water won't hurt. 

     Step 2: Smmmmoooosh the bananas! 

This is the fun part. 

I like to leave them a little chunky.

Step 3: Make sure to give each ingredient their close-up. 

Some people say they can't bake. 

I say some people can't pay attention to their ingredients.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients

Step 5: Sift the dry ingredients together and stir them slowly into the wet mixture.

Step 6: Check the consistency

     I love whole wheat flour, but sometimes it can make baked goods too thick and dry.  The batter should be thicker than cake batter but more runny than a dough intended to roll into a ball (like pizza dough).  If the batter is too thick, I find adding a tablespoon of water thins it without changing the flavor.  If it is too thin, add (slowly) more flour.  If the batter seems way too thick or way too thin, double-check your recipe and make sure you didn't miss Step 3.  Think real hard. 

Step 7: Stir in cranberries and walnuts to taste. 

     Cranberries add a nice texture and complimentary flavor to the bananas.  Be careful, though! They are very tart and too many cranberries can overpower the bread.  Don't be afraid to dip your finger in and take a taste when no one's looking.  Here's how Matthew and my conversation went:

Matthew: You know, the good thing about vegan baking is that you can eat as much batter as you want and not care about the raw eggs making you sick.  *Licks the now emptied bowl*

Me: As opposed to normal baking...where I eat as much batter as I want and don't care about the raw eggs making me sick.

After years of eating raw cookie dough and licking cake battered whisks, I'm still alive. Just sayin'. 

Step 8:  Fill a lightly greased bread pan approximately 3/4 full and bake for 45-60 minutes at 375 degrees. 

     Depending on your oven and the size of your bread pan, the length of time to cook may vary.  Just use the clean fork test.  Going by the "golden brown edges" test doesn't work when the bread is already golden brown.  

Step 9: Make more puns.

Voila! The Grand Crananyon!

Step 10: Enjoy!

Strawberry Pancakes

On this Ascension Sunday, I'm going to rise early to make a rather uplifting dish.  Ok, it was the best segue I could come up with.  As it was on last day when the liturgical calendar was green (Shrove Tuesday), and now just before it goes back to being green, this is an apropos occasion for doing Pancakes.

I've always had a love/hate relationship with pancakes.  When I was younger, I didn't care for them at all.  My mom would make them into Mickey Mouse shapes, just so I would eat them.  My taste for them has now changed, and I think I have found a better way to make them instead of just making fun shapes out of them. 

One of the many commonalities that Americans have in our diet is that we tend to get things out of a box or can that really don't need to come from a pre-made source.  A few years back, my wife Kristen was in the mood for pancakes.  They were never my favorite thing, but I figured what the heck, I'll go get a box.  As I was waiting for our pancakes to cook, I started reading the ingredients, and I realized that aside from all the preservatives, there was really nothing in this box that I didn't already have in my kitchen.

Thus, began my journey to learn to make pancakes.  I found a number of recipes online and in old cookbooks.  After experimenting, I found things that they tasted a lot heartier when one used whole wheat flour.  I also found that they were even better when I threw nuts and fruit into them.  (As an aside, if you ever get a box of Blueberry Pancake Mix, it doesn't actually have Blueberries in it.)

Today, I'm doing my favorite fruit in the Pancakes: Strawberries.  Just a note: the additions, like berries and nuts are completely optional, and can easily be left out.

Ingredients:

1 c. Whole Wheat Flour

1 T. White Sugar

1 t. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Baking Soda

1/4 t. Salt (Optional)

1 c. Milk

1 Egg

2 T. Canola Oil

1 c. Sliced Strawberries (Optional)

Directions:

1.  If you have a griddle, preheat the griddle on Medium-High Heat.  If you are using a pan, you can heat the pan after mixing the ingredients.  The cooking surface will be hot enough if a drop of water evaporates immediately.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt.  After they are mixed, make a well in the middle of the mixture.

3.  Slowly pour Milk, Egg and Canola Oil into the well, mixing them into the dry ingredients as they go in.  After they are mixed, let the batter sit for a minute.

4.  Oil the griddle or pan, spreading the oil evenly with a paper towel.

5.  Stir the Strawberries, or whatever addition you'd like, into the batter.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Buterbaugh

6.  For each Pancake, scoop out 1/2 c. of batter and pour it onto the griddle.

7.  When the batter rises to the desired thickness and is bubbly on top, flip them.  Make sure they are cooked on the bottom, before flipping them.
*For whatever reason, the last pancakes always come out better than the first, even on a preheated surface.
 *You may have to re-oil the cooking surface once during the pancake-making process.

Complete with butter and maple syrup!  Nom nom nom!