Cinnamon Chocolate Chips Banana Bread- a BabycakeNYC recipe

Sometimes you just want to do something nice for someone for no other reason than they crossed your mind and for whatever reason, for wherever they are in their life, good or bad, you felt it warranted to do something nice for that person. Today, I wanted to bake something. And I wanted to bake it for my friend Leah Jurek. Leah is just one of those genuine, sweet, good people that I have had the pleasure to get to know since moving back to Seattle. She is also a talented massage therapist, runner and artist. So I decided to bake her something. Having tried out BabycakesNYC first hand, I was motivated to try out one of their recipes even though I haven't managed to get my hands on the cookbook yet (it is shipping soon from Amazon). Luckily, Food and Wine featured one of Babycakes Recipes and I decided to adapt it by adding gluten free/vegan chocolate chips to the mix. I also changed a few other small things which I illustrate in the recipe below (no canola oil or soy milk). Result: Absolute bliss. I doubled the recipe as well, so that there would be two loaves. One for me, one for her.

I enjoyed two slices after lunch. Being a runner has its rewards and as I reflect on in my running blog (in this post), we need to refuel our bodies with enough fuel to sustain it and keep us running healthy and strong. That said, this bread is healthy enough for anyone even if you have never run a step in your life!

Adapted from Food & Wine:

Cinnamon-Banana Bread

• Recipe by Erin McKenna

The Good News This recipe is full of potassium-packed bananas. Instead of processed sugar, it calls for agave nectar, a natural sweetener; a little canola oil replaces the usual butter. The bread is an improvement on the one Erin McKenna often made with her mother when she was growing up: "I thought it was so healthy, because of the bananas. I didn't factor in all the sugar and butter."

• SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free, all-purpose baking flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking soda
3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. 3 overripe bananas, mashed
8. 1/4 cup canola oi olive oil
9. 1/3 cup agave nectar
10. 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk almond milk
11. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil an 81/2-by-41/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides of the loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the baking flour with the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt. In another bowl, whisk the bananas with the oil, agave nectar, soy milk and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 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.

Notes

One Slice 198 cal, 8 gm fat, 0.6 gm sat fat, 33 gm carb, 3 gm fiber.