Banana Tahini Breakfast Cake

Happy banana bread season to all! Baked in those miniature, aluminum loaf pans and wrapped in cellophane, banana bread is the most traditional (and cheerful) way to say “Merry Christmas” to all your neighbors and co-workers. I remember when my sister and I were younger, we eagerly awaited these coveted banana bread gifts and since my mom was a teacher, we usually had multiple banana-y parcels gifted to us throughout the holiday season. It seemed like we waited all year for a cake that disappeared in under 5 minutes.

In high school, I decided I was tired of waiting until people gifted me banana bread for Christmas and taught myself how to make my own. I asked for my aunt’s recipe, changed a couple of things, and it became one of the first recipes that I perfected and put my own stamp on. I continued to make banana bread religiously throughout college, bringing it to friends and study groups, and I’m pretty sure that my banana bread played a factor when my husband decided to propose. But all through my banana bread making years, I had one qualm. I really hated the loaf thing. I don’t really like the way it looks, I don’t really like the way it slices into those little rectangles, and I really don’t like how little surface area there is to get that gooey top coat (you know what I’m talking about and it’s hands-down the best part of any banana bread). So I changed it. I took my famous “Anna Banana Bread” swirled it with tahini, and baked it in a cake pan because I like eating cake for breakfast.

This is a really simple recipe that requires one bowl and minimal ingredients. It can be still be baked in a loaf pan (if you really feel like you have to), but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and change things up a little. Swirl some tahini in your banana bread, you only live once.

Banana Tahini Breakfast Cake

Yield: 1 9” cake

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, separated 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 stick of butter, at room temperature 

3 T tahini paste

Procedure: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9” cake pan with butter, or spray with cooking spray. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer), beat butter for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and granulated sugar and cream until light and fluffy. 

3. Add egg yolks, bananas, flour, baking soda, and mix on medium speed until combined. 

4. In a clean bowl*, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until combined, taking care not to deflate the air bubbles. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Dollop tahini across the top of the cake and swirl using a knife or a toothpick. 

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. 

7. Let cool slightly and serve warm with coffee or milk. :) 

*Three little notes about whipping egg whites:

1- I did state that this is a one-bowl recipe, however it does require you cleaning that one bowl halfway through. You can use two bowls. When I make this with a hand mixer, I use a large glass measuring cup to whip the egg whites in. When whipping egg whites, it is really important there there is NO FAT in your whites (oil, butter residue, egg yolk). Fat inhibits the whites from creating air bubbles so you can whip all day and they will never stiffen if there is fat present. Make sure your bowl is CLEAN!

2- In this recipe, you are whipping the whites until stiff peaks form. This means that when you lift the whip or the beater out of the bowl, the whites on the end should create a little mountain that doesn’t fold back down over itself. You’re looking for a mountain, not a wave.

3- Lastly, when you add the egg whites to the batter, you should fold them in gently with a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate all of those air bubbles you worked so hard to create. In this recipe, the baking soda is used to counteract the acid in the bananas so the bulk of your leavening is coming from the whipped egg whites. You want as many of those air bubbles as possible present in your final batter so you don’t end up with a banana pancake.

Lemon Bars with Rosemary Shortbread

This week there were 25 naked lemons in my refrigerator. This is part of the problem when you bake for a living. Remnants of lemons, deli containers of egg whites, and multiple tupperwares filled with caramel find their way into your fridge and suddenly you have to figure out what to do with them. This week’s surplus resulted in these delicious little lemon squares that are perfect to give as holiday treats!

Now, I know that lemon bars feel very “springy”. They are supposed to be made when it’s warm outside and our Instagram feeds are filled with fruity cocktails and ice cream sandwiches. But I think that winter is the perfect time for a good lemon bar. From November to April, citrus fruits are at their peak and are often overflowing from our fruit bowls, which can be otherwise barren for lack of spring and summer produce. These bars are also easy to put together, only require two components, and can be cut into little bite-sized squares, perfect for stuffing into Christmas cookie tins and giving out to co-workers. People will thank you as the tangy-ness brings a welcome respite in a season filled with sugar and chocolate and nuts.

So look no further for your next holiday baking activity. I adapted this recipe from the newest issue of Bon Appetit and you could definitely substitute lemons with another citrus (orange or grapefruit would be delightful!). The rosemary in the shortbread gives an earthiness and floral quality that complements the sharpness of the lemon curd, leaving you with a perfect bite and successfully clearing my refrigerator of all of my zest-less lemons. Now to figure out what to do with all those egg whites…

Lemon Bars with Rosemary Shortbread

Ingredients: 
For the shortbread: 

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces 

2 egg yolks

For the lemon curd:

3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

Zest of 1 large lemon

1 cup fresh lemon juice 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

Procedure: 

To make the shortbread: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper so that there is at least 3 inches overhang on each side. Set aside. 

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, sugar, salt, and rosemary and pulse a few times to mix together. Add the cold butter and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are pea-sized. Add egg yolks and pulse until dough begins to come together in clumps. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use your fingers to press it into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown. 

To make the curd: 

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch to break up clumps. Then transfer the sugar/cornstarch mixture to a medium-large saucepan, add eggs and egg yolks and whisk until smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved. 

3. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. 

4. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the curd begins to bubble around the edges and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Simmer, still whisking, for about 1 more minute and remove from heat. Strain curd into a large bowl and add butter, piece by piece, whisking to incorporate after each piece. 

5. Pour curd into the pan and spread evenly over the shortbread. Bake for 20-25 minutes until curd is set (there will be a slight wobble in the middle) and then let cool. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight. 

6. Before serving, slice into squares and dust with powdered sugar and fresh rosemary. 

Lavender Hot Chocolate

Are you one of those people who starts sneaking Christmas music during the week of Thanksgiving or has their decorations waiting in the wings so that as soon as the turkey leaves the table, Christmas cheer spreads throughout the house? I am not one of those people. In fact, as I sit typing this, we are a full 4 days post-Thanksgiving and I have not even thought about Christmas decorations. I have, however, made this hot chocolate which I feel is a very wintry thing to do and therefore exempts me from thinking about Christmas decorations for at least another 3 days.

About a month ago, my husband went on a work trip to the Netherlands. Before he left, he asked if there was any specific thing I wanted him to bring back as a souvenir and I made a request for Dutched-process cocoa powder*. (I know that you can also buy that in the States, but I feel like it’s a little more exciting coming directly from Holland.) Two weeks later, he returned from his trip and began unloading his suitcase like it was Santa’s toy sack, pulling out treat after treat. Finally, he retrieves a large plastic bag full of a brown powder, knotted at the top. Apparently, in the small village that they were staying in, he wasn’t able to find Dutched-process cocoa powder in the store so he went into the local bakery and asked if they knew where he could find some. The sweet bakery workers sold some of their supply and I got 500 grams of cocoa powder for 2 euros! And I am pretty sure that it tastes better than all other cocoa powders. :)

For this hot chocolate recipe, I just added lavender to my favorite Bon Appetite hot chocolate, because if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I steeped the lavender in the milk before making the hot chocolate, giving the finished cocoa a slightly floral touch. If you don’t have lavender, try subbing it out for another aromatic- rose petals or an herb would work beautifully. It’s the perfect accompaniment to dropping temperatures and all of those Hallmark Christmas movies.

Lavender Hot Chocolate

Yield: 4 servings  

Ingredients: 

3 cups whole milk

1 tsp lavender

3/4 cup water

3 tbsp dutched process cocoa powder

6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

3 tbsp sugar

Sweetened whipped cream, lavender, shaved chocolate for serving

Process: 

1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk and lavender and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and allow to steep for 20-30 minutes. Strain milk to remove lavender and set aside. 

2. Bring 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder until there are no lumps, add strained milk, and return mixture to a simmer.  

3. Whisk in chocolate and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. 

4. Divide between mugs, top with whipped cream, lavender, and chocolate shavings and serve.

*A note on Dutched-process cocoa powder: Cocoa powder is traditionally an acidic ingredient and has a naturally sharp, almost citrusy taste (and it means that it needs to be paired with baking soda in order to counteract the acidity). Dutched-process cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been alkalized to a pH level of 7. It has a more rounded flavor and doesn’t need to be balanced with baking soda. What you are making will depend on the type of cocoa powder you use (sometimes it is a matter of chemical reactions and sometimes just personal taste preference). For this recipe, I chose Dutched-process cocoa powder to mellow out the flavor of the hot chocolate. You can choose any cocoa powder that you like, but since it is the star in the recipe, I recommend using a higher quality cocoa. If you are interested in reading more about the difference between natural cocoa powder and Dutched-process cocoa powder, Serious Eats has a great article on it here.