Vegan Banana Bread

One of my friends suggested I try this vegan banana bread recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook. I found it online here: http://thebakingbird.blogspot.com/2009/02/best-vegan-banana-bread.html and made a few minor changes to the recipe so I could use ingredients I already had at home. This recipe is really amazing! You would never be able to tell that this is vegan and low fat :) Give it a try! You won't regret it!



You will need:

• 2 large very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add sugar, applesauce, oil, maple syrup, and whisk.


3. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are combined.


4. Pour batter into pan and bake 45 minutes. Toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.


:) Enjoy!

Low Fat Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since I had leftover applesauce from my experiment with breakfast cookies, I decided to try making another batch of low fat cookies...this time, chocolate chip! I found this recipe on http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/08/best-low-fat-chocolate-chip-cookies.html really delicious! If the dough looks a little too try, just add a little bit of water. The dough should be a little bit runny, but don't be alarmed, it will bake just fine! 

You will need:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp apple sauce (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. 

3. In another bowl, whisk sugars, butter, egg white, applesauce, and vanilla together until fluffy.

4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well blended.

5. Add chocolate chips to batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto baking sheet.

6. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! 

Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Cookie

I love cookies for breakfast, so I decided to make a low fat, whole wheat breakfast cookie! They are  a little more bread-like in consistency than a normal cookie, and not quite as sweet (think cookie meets muffin!). They go perfectly with coffee and are a great way to start the day!

You will need:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. 

3. Add all dry ingredients except white sugar and cinnamon. 

4. In a separate bowl, combine white sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into balls, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

5. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with the bottom of a glass (otherwise they get really puffy!). Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Black Bean Brownies

So, here I go with more bean-y baked goods! I was really impressed with how the chickpea blondies came out, so when I came across a black bean brownie recipe on the food network's website I just had to try it! You can see the original recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/black-bean-brownies-recipe/index.html. I would recommend using instant coffee instead of instant espresso (I used instant espresso and the coffee flavor was a bit strong for my taste)! These turned out really fudge-y and delicious and you can't taste the bean at all! Enjoy :)

 You will need:

• 3/4 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a blender, puree the beans and oil. Add eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee and vanilla. 

3. Melt half the chocolate chips then add to blender. Mix until smooth. 

4. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to blender. Stir in chocolate chips. 

5. Pour mix into a 9x9 pan. Bake 20 minutes. The brownies should still look a bit shiny in the middle. Let sit at least 15 minutes to cool.