The road leading to the nearby bird reserve can be busy during rush hour, but that does not stop me on my bike. P. insists that I wear a helmet, but I am still being a bad sports about it. The afternoon feels windy and warm when I leave the house, and I am looking forward to biking on the rugged lanes of this favorite place of mine. Every time I come here, I feel I am in the middle of the country side, and that is plenty to allow me to refill with good energy. The community gardens part of the area are in full bloom at this time of year, and when I catch a glimpse of large tomatoes turning red in one of the first gardens, I refrain myself from not stealing a few. They are so temptingly good! Nobody would notice, would they?
I like to bike in this part of my neighborhood. I rarely see anyone when I go, beside a few gardeners during the summer. In winter, the entire place is quiet and cool, and in the summer, the place fills up with the many noises that make summer so noticeable. Have you noticed how loud crickets and birds can be? They seem so unaware of how much noise volume they produce. Still, I do not mind since it reminds me of a lot of good times. Even if summer is not necessarily my favorite season, I’ll be honest: there are also really nice sides to it that I really enjoy. Cycling in the warm wind and eating filled-with-sun local fruit and vegetables from the market is one.
Observing the beauty of nature, the bees at work in the open fields full of multicolored flowers, is another one.
A few stops along the way are a must, to enjoy every detail of the life going on there. There is much to see and observe indeed. It feels hotter now that I’ve cycled up and down the path, and I am battling with the mosquitoes that are pretty greedy and alive too. In a funny selfish way, I feel sorry P. is not with me since I know he would attract them more than I do. We keep joking that they prefer Irish to French blood.
There are no fruit to pick here, unfortunately, but I’ve packed a few delicious apricots, roasted almonds and a drink to keep me company if I feel hungry. P. used to tease me about the many snacks I always pack when I leave to the beach or for a walk, but I always tell him : On ne sait jamais ! (You never know!) In fact, he’s learned to need them as much as I do.
When it is time for me to head back, the sun is still quite high and I sense that being in the shade will be a nice welcoming change for me. In fact, I am convinced of it, especially with the prospect of the lovely treat waiting for me upon my return: a chocolate, nuts and banana bread baked earlier in the day.
I don’t think I knew what a banana bread was before moving to the United States. First, I was surprised people called it bread since I would rather have called it cake. But be it. I’ve quickly learned that there is a real banana bread culture, with many various recipes that abound. I am actually secretly convinced that every single American home cook has a favorite recipe. Non ? So it will be no surprise for you to hear that, over the years, I’ve become as infatuated with this cake as any American, and for good reasons. A banana bread is moist and delightfully nutritious: the perfect food to provide many good times.
In my recipe, I use rice and quinoa flours, along with tapioca starch. There is not butter, but olive oil (or canola) and almond butter which add a lovely touch to the baked goods. And because I am such a sucker for dark chocolate, I could not resist but add coarsely chopped pieces of my favorite dark chocolate, along with dry roasted nuts, pumpkins and walnuts.
This cake is delicious on the day it is baked, but also keeps well for a few days when well wrapped, and placed in the fridge. If the bread is a few days old, I like to heat it for a few minutes in a non-stick frying pan, so that it comes back to room temperature — yes, I am not a fan of fridge-cold foods. Then, I also love to pack it whenever I go out for a long walk or cycle, or when I am lucky to be hiking somewhere inspirational.
Well, what can I say? I just hope you will like it as much as I do. I am already planning to make another one for our upcoming weekend getaway.
You need:
- 3/4 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 2 eggs
- 2 bananas, ripe and mashed
- 2/3 cup blond cane sugar
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 1/3 cup olive oil (or canola oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate 64 % cocoa, chopped coarsely
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Steps:
- Preheat your oven at 350 F.
- Butter (or use an olive or canola oil spray) and flour an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan.
- In a bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
- In another bowl (or using your stand mixer equipped with the paddle), beat the sugar with the eggs.
- Add the oil and almond butter, then add the vanilla extract.
- Add the bananas until the texture is homogeneous.
- Then fold in the flour mixture.
- Finish with the chocolate and nuts.
- Pour this batter in the loaf and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the blade of a knife inserted in the middle comes out dry. Let cool a few minutes before unmolding.
Ingrédients :
- 100 g de farine de quinoa
- 80 g de farine de riz blanc
- 80 g de fécule de tapioca
- 2 oeufs
- 2 bananes, mûres et écrasées
- 150 g de sucre de canne blond
- 2 càs de beurre d’amande
- 80 ml d’huile d’olive (ou de colza)
- 1/2 càc de sel
- 80 g de noix, grillées à sec
- 3 càs de graines de citrouille, grillées à sec
- 50 g de chocolat noir à 64 % de cacao haché grossièrement
- 1/2 càc de bicarbonate de soude
- 1/2 càc de poudre à lever
- 1 càc d’extrait de vanille pur
Étapes :
- Préchauffez votre four à 180 C.
- Beurrez (ou huilez) et farinez un moule à cake mesurant 22 par 11 cm.
- Dans une jatte, combinez les farines, le sel, la poudre à lever, la bicarbonate de soude; metytez de côté.
- Dans une autre jatte (ou un mixeur à pied équippé de la spatule), travaillez le sucre et les oeufgs en pommade.
- Ajoutez l’huile et le beurre d’amandes , puis l’extrait de vanille.
- Ajoutez les bananes et mixez à peine, pour que tout soit homogène.
- Ajoutez le mélange de farines.
- Finissez par le chocolat et les noix.
- Versez cette pâte dans le moule et cuisez pendant environ 50 à 60 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que la lame d’un couteau insérée au milieu du gâteau en ressorte sèche. Laissez refroidir pendant quelques minutes avant de démouler.
That Banana Bread looks wonderful! What a pretty place! I’d love to bike there…
Cheers,
Rosa
Beautiful!!! I’ve also haven’t known what banana bread is until coming to Canada for the first time…and the same as you, I’d rather call it a cake than a bread.
I love banana bread Béa! Thanks for a gluten-free version. I don’t have a wheat allergy, but you’ve really opened my eyes to this healthier way of baking. I’ve made many of your gluten-free recipes for family and friends and not one of them could tell the difference. Now if we could do something about sugar, eh? Also, thanks for your thoughts on summer, not my favorite season either. I will make it a point to see the beauty of this season in my day today.
It is an interesting question. I tried a “Cake gingembre au gingembre” from another food blog not too long ago, and I remember thinking “this is more of a bread! I should bake it in a loaf pan!” But it was still sweet like a cake. I think it’s just the density. We think of denser cakes as bread, and think that they should be baked in a loaf pan.
Beautiful!!! I also haven’t known what banana bread is until coming to Canada for the first time…and the same as you, I’d rather call it a cake than a bread.
absolutely stunning bea!
Tres jolie photo comme d’habitude 🙂
Magnifique photos!! Elles sont toutes sublimes, dignes d’une carte postale! Bonne journée.
wahou! les photos sont magnifiques! la recette me tente énormément!
tes photos sont sublimnes….
what a great place to bike and I love the looks of this bread!
I did some mental maths on bike helmets:
Wearing a helmet decreases your chances of having a head injury if you have an accident (though only if you wear it properly, which most people don’t).
However, wearing a helmet in fact increases your chances of having an accident overall (cars drive much closer if you’re wearing one – actually been shown in a scientific study).
So, if you’re having more accidents, then the lower percentage of head injuries still equates to the same actual number of head injuries – at least that’s the way see it.
So overall I decided I preferred going for the option that means fewer accidents – I don’t wear a bike helmet most of the time 🙂
j’ai découvert le banana bread à Saint-martin dans les french west indies, je l’ai adoré aux maldives et depuis je n’ai jamais réussi à en faire d’aussi bons. je te pique la recette pour un de ces jours. Bon été à toi
Superbe recette, j’aime beaucoup le fait de mettre des farines alternatives ainsi que plusieurs types de graines différentes.
Le coin où tu vas te ressourcer est délicieusement bucolique, tout à fait le genre de lieu que j’affectionne.
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I’d have some of your banana, choc’late and nuts bread! … and what pretty flowers…
Il a l’air délicieux ce gâteau, le rêve intégral!
Fantastic photos…I love cycling, but it is not that easy here in the UK…
Thank you for sharing with us such a beauty !
This banana cake looks yummy ! Banana also inspired me these last days.
Your beautiful vibrant photos just make me want to be OUT THERE, somewhere else and get some FRESH AIR.
And the bread looks so good, I’m beginning to experiment with that kind of breads as well…going after zucchini.:)
this banana bread looks out of this world. However I live on an island and it may be a problem finding the flours and almond butter…is there a catalog or a website where I can purchase these items? Of course I am in a hurry to try this recipe…
Thanks
Yeah, I think every American has a banana nut bread recipe. The one I have I grew up on. As much as I try other recipes, I still like the one I was raised on. But your’s looks really tasty. I always put chocolate in mine.
You make me soooo hungry whenever i come to visit!! Not only that, it really makes me want to jump into your photos and be a part of that beautiful world!!
O quelle chance!! I needed a banana bread recipe and in looking found your website!
It’s quite wonderful! I had to read your profile tho’ to make sure you are a professional photographer – it was such a reassurance to see it’s not just a hobby ;o)
I am looking forward to visiting the rest of your beautiful website!
I am always in awe with your photos!
me encanta la receta del pan de platano¡¡¡me la copio a ver que tal me sale.
tienes un blog precioso,me pasaré por aqui mas veces.
un saludo
Mmm~ i like it~
yummy!
Whoa! What a beautiful scenery. And after biking and taking a rest while watching the scene you could eat that chocolate bread.
http://www.foodista.com
I would love to bike there and have picnic with my loved ones! blissful summer…
Your gorgeous photos are so atmospheric — they really give a feeling of summer in the countryside that I miss so much in the city
Beautiful photos as always, Bea. I think my favorite is the bicycle lying in the tall grass. So evocative! And the banana bread is equally beautiful [and delicious sounding].
Looks delish! And your flower shots are beautiful.
Adepte de longue date du Banana Bread, j’y adjoindrai volontiers chocolat et noix. Je suis sûre que le mélange est détonnant!
Because nuts and chocolate make any banana bread better.:)
Mmmmmm, thanks for that wonderful recipe! My wee daughters and I baked a couple of loaves this aft and are devouring it at the moment. I just happened to have some ground up quinoa left over from making baby cereal, and it gives a nice crunchy texture to the loaf. I also had a big chunk of callebaut chocolate just waiting for such a yummy recipe. Thanks!
PS, my daughters and I also quite enjoyed your photos.
your photos are always so beautiful, the colors are especially vibrant. i was wondering if the vibrant color is due to the quality of the lens or enhancement using photoshop or maybe it’s both. thanks.
Eh on dirait l’Angleterre!! Super photos comme d’hab…
Hi, nice to meet you 🙂 What a beatiful place and recipe!!! I have to do it and I am sure I will love it 😉
I fell in love with banana bread when I moved in the South. My friend Jessica’s mom makes the best one! and btw those pics are gorgeous!
Ton pain a la banane a l’air super bon. I have bookmarked it! Et aussi quel beau paysage. Tes photos font rever…
Au Québec aussi le pain aux bananes fait courir les foules. On l’adore avec des noix et du chocolat…
Une fois de plus tes photos sont magnifiques, et ta recette plus que tentante !
Lovely pictures and lovely recipe, as usual!
miam! je voudrais bien y goûter
Thank you. thank you, merci everyone for your comments, as always !
Salut Bea! Je voulais juste te demander tes patisseries preferees ici a Boston.
Maybe a silly question but can I replace the tapioca starch with regular Maizena (potato starch)?
Hi Lientje,
I should think this will be just as fine. Cornstarch like maizena works great too. Good luck. I hope you like it.
Ariana, patisseries preferees ? J’aime bien Cafe Cake a Watertown, et High Rise a Cambridge.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe Béa!!! I’ve baked your bread today, it was absolutely delicious!!! I made a few minor changes (like hazelnuts in place of walnuts). I posted about that on my blogs (in English and in Polish), hope you don’t mind?
Karolina,
I am delighted, thank you for letting me know!
hi
You are so lucky to be able to go out on a bike and enjoy the beauty of nature which is difficult for us in India , we have to live with lots of polutions and traffic jams
Thank-you for the gorgeous recipe!! I avoid wheat and dairy, and I also prefer to make food from scratch when I can. I made a loaf this weekend and my tastebuds were thrilled, I loved the little melting nuggets of chocolate and the walnut crunch! I plan on making and giving some at Christmas, do you think that this recipe can be doubled?
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I can’t wait to try baking your banana bread! It looks and sounds wonderful.
Your loaf pan is beautiful. Where did you find it? I have never seen a decorative one before and would love to won one.
al no saber su idioma, casi no puedo traducir los ingredientes, me gustaria mucho si la pudieran poner en español, para poder realizar las recetas correctamente, de todas formas sus fotografias y presentación son delicias.
I received some banana nut bread for christmas this year from a neighbor. It was done in a little dish that had a pretty bow on it. I never thought of sending banana nut bread for Christmas, but she did and I loved it! I will try this next year!
-Sylvia
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This was and amazing treat which happened to be gluten free. My mother, who has celliac disease really enjoyed the loaf I gave her. Kid approved too. Thank you.
Mike
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Always looking for different variations of my favorite comfort food! Beautiful pictures with the story. Thanks for sharing!
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Made the banana bread to celebrate my bachelor’s degree. Such a treat! Have been snacking on it the last few days. This recipe is a keeper. As so many others from you.
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