Banana Bread, the vegan way

I had a bunch of overripe bananas just sitting on my kitchen counter, getting browner and browner by the minute. Rather than toss them because they’d gotten too soft to enjoy with my lunches, I decided to turn them into banana bread. Of course, right?

This recipe comes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz on the vegan website Post Punk Kitchen. I’ve tried (and LOVED) some of their vegan cupcake recipes and had been wanting to try something new from their site. This seemed like the perfect time.

I veered from the recipe just a tiny bit — using almond milk instead of soy, and regular white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, because that’s what I had in the house — so all I could do was hope that I hadn’t messed anything up and that the banana bread wouldn’t suck.

Let me tell you… this banana bread recipe very much does NOT suck. In fact, it was delicious. Moist and flavorful. And if you enjoy a piece or two on the same day you baked it, maybe a couple hours after it’s come out of the oven, you also get to enjoy that yummy contrast of the awesome crunch of the crust with the soft sweetness of the bread inside. I love that crunchy crust. Nom nom nom!

Grandma’s Chicken-Broccoli Casserole

When I got laid off from my job several years ago and could no longer afford my apartment, my grandmother generously took me in and gave me a place to stay while I went back to school for a new career path. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her help, and I will always be grateful to her for that.

One of the fun things about living with her was that I could watch her cook. There are some recipes I regrettably did not get to write down before she died, but this is one I made sure to get. In fact, I think she used to cook it often because she knew I liked it so much. It’s not healthy, by any means, but it’s very much the definition of ‘comfort food.’ And if you really want to, you could probably find ways to make substitutions to make it healthier (or vegetarian/vegan). But for me this is one of those ‘have on occasion and enjoy it just as Grandma made it’ sort of recipes.

Every time I make it, I think of her.

Most Excellent Pumpkin Bread

I LOVE baking pumpkin bread.

It’s easy to make, it smells amazing as it’s baking, and tastes divine. (Unless, of course, you don’t like pumpkin.)

It also makes a great hostess gift. This recipe makes 2 loaves — you can bring one to a friend’s house, and save the other for yourself.

Or be extra awesome and bring both loaves as a gift; your friend or family member can dig into one right away and freeze the other for a rainy day.

Vegan cupcakes DO rule the world!

A few years ago, a friend of mine was going absolutely mad trying to finish sewing her own wedding dress in time, so a few of us got together for a fun “crafting day” to help. I have no crafting abilities so I was not any help with sewing, but I hope I helped her keep her sanity with some fun conversations and lots of laughing.

And I brought cupcakes. Nothing says “I love you” like baked goods.   😀

Homemade cupcakes.

And in a move that might’ve done Emily Deschanel proud, they were even vegan cupcakes and icings. From a really cool cookbook hilariously entitled Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Come on, how awesome is that title?

I chose two different recipes, and they were really fun to make:

Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake with Rich Chocolate Ganache Topping

1) The Basic Chocolate Cupcake, topped with Rich Chocolate Ganache Topping

and

2) The Crimson Velveteen Cupcake, topped with Old-Fashioned Velvet Icing

The red velvet cupcake came out a bit burgundy — I think the measurement for the red food coloring may have been a bit too much. Next time I may try it with less and see if it comes out more bright red instead of brick red. Still yummy, though.

And that chocolate ganache was fascinatingly vegan, wickedly fun to spread on each cupcake, and totally delicious.

I’m saying, you’d never guess these were vegan cupcakes. I can’t wait to try another recipe!