loaded vegan banana bread.

Speaking of coconut oil, I made this banana bread on Sunday evening after a craving washed over me and I had to have it Right. Now. There are few things more wonderful than warm banana bread with a generous swipe of butter (this is what we use and it's conveniently dairy-free). It reminds me of rainy summer nights at home, watching Northern Exposure episodes back to back to back and not having a care in the world. It reminds me of waking up in the mornings before school with only one thought: banana bread for breakfast! It was enough to get me right out of bed without so much as a groan. It reminds me of heading to youth group and as I walked out the door, my mom sweetly telling us that banana bread would be waiting for us when we got home (and it always made the house smell amazing). Perhaps that's why I like it so much. Folded into the ingredients are about a million memories of home and love and complete happiness. Maybe that's why I got the sudden craving. It's been a long time since I've gone home and it will have been one whole month before my next trip in a couple weeks. Definitely one of the longest stretches I've ever gone. I hope you enjoy this tasty bread and that it brings out only your sweetest, most treasured memories upon the first bite.


L O A D E D  V E G A N  B A N A N A  B R E A D
Adapted from here.

{I N G R E D I E N T S --}
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup plain almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups mashed banana (preferably overripe, about 4 bananas)
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Topping (optional):
• Small handful shredded coconut
• Small handful chopped pecans
• Small handful chocolate chips
• Small handful sesame seeds

{D I R E C T I O N S --}

1. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Lightly oil a 9" x 5" loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Let this mixture stand for 2 minutes. (In the mean time, mash your four bananas.) Add the banana, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. In four batches, add the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.

5. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If using the topping, spread over the top of the loaf 5 minutes before removing the loaf from the oven.

7. Cool the loaf on a wire cooling rack for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

peanut butter cookies.

On Sunday evening I was sitting in my apartment, craving something sweet. With peanut butter in it. Then I remembered that Joanna had posted this recipe a few weeks ago. As I looked through the ingredient list, I realized I had all of them. That's why these cookies should be called Dangerous Cookies instead of Peanut Butter Cookies because you can make them whenever you want if you have all the ingredients, and I'm assuming you probably do.

I did exhibit some self control by cutting the recipe in half*, although I mainly did it so I wouldn't completely deplete our peanut butter supply. Then I realized I actually did not have all the ingredients and I was missing brown sugar, so I used Demerara sugar instead, which lots of Internet people said would be fine. I trust Internet people about things like this.

I have never really been a big fan of milk, even when I was little, but these cookies called for a very small glass of milk to dip them in, obviously. What I'm trying to say is this: make these cookies.

Also, Jeffrey doesn't like peanut butter, so I get all of these cookies. This was not planned in advance, but fate does us all a favor sometimes.

*When I realized that I would need to use half an egg, things got a bit precarious. But! I did not give up. Instead, I cracked the egg, whisked it all together and put half of that in the mixture. It worked.

banana bread (with coconut oil).

If you're like me, then you like bananas, but have a hard time eating one just all by itself. And I think that's why I love banana bread so much — it's like eating a banana with a bunch of other really delicious flavors mixed in. If you're not like me, and you just really like bananas, you'll probably enjoy this bread, too! Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil*
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a loaf pan or a 9-inch square baking pan.

2.In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the honey and oil, then add the bananas. Add the water and vanilla and stir to combine.

3. Add the flour mixture, and stir together until just combined.

4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* I found this bread to be a bit dry, and I'm not exactly sure why. I'm inclined to add a smidgen more oil the next time to see if that does the trick.

apple crisp.

There are some desserts that are just cozy. The kind of dessert you want to make when it's rainy, a bit chilly, and there is a big, warm blanket in your future. That dessert comes in the form of a crisp, with Pink Lady apples and vanilla ice cream.

We have made this crisp many times. It is easy and most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry. You should know, though, that it takes 55 minutes to bake. That news could be a blow to your sweet tooth if you weren't expecting it, so you're welcome. We enjoyed ours while watching The Help, which I adored.

christmas baking.

A few weeks ago my good friends Emily and Caroline made these delicious cookies. I asked for the recipe and have made them twice since then. They are full of chocolate-y goodness, if that's your thing (it's mine), and every chocolate lover I've come across has loved them so far.

My aunt came down to our house to bake some cookies yesterday. It's the first year we've done it, but maybe it will become a new tradition. While we were sitting in the kitchen -- my mom washing dishes, my sister researching recipes, me mixing some batter, and my aunt sitting and enjoying a cup of tea -- I realized that my life is pretty perfect.

The holidays are such a special time to remind myself of all the blessings in my life and the people who have filled my life with happiness and joy. It is a good time for reflection and thanks.

the weekend.

This weekend was full of sunshine, homemade granola + banana bread, school work, and sleeping in. I can hardly believe that March is already here tomorrow. It seems like February flew by. I'm so excited to finally have the time to bask in this sunshine in just a few days. Spring Break, I already love you.

If I have the time, I'll post a few lists of quirks this week. Kind of fell off the bandwagon on that one. Whoops! xo, R.

baking together by blog.

Some updates and new posts. Go quick!

xo, R.

full of fun things.

Almond Biscotti. Let me be clear: I have never liked biscotti. I always think it tastes like a stale cookie, and not a good one at that. So, I thought I'd try making it myself. It. was. so. delicious. Please go make this right now. Oh, and I used orange juice in place of orange liqueur and I thought it tasted fabulous.

And then Jeffrey and I made whole wheat apple muffins for Teacher's Appreciation Week, which I think is probably one of the most wonderful weeks out of the year. I mean, a week dedicated entirely to honoring teachers? So brilliant. And since I'm going to be a teacher, I might be a little partial.

On a particularly balmy night, Jeffrey and I got takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant and had a picnic. It's one of our favorite places to picnic and we actually carve the date into a nearby bamboo shoot every time we visit. It was perfect picnic weather.

I also made brownies from scratch for the first time ever. I can't believe I hadn't done this sooner. They were so spectacular!

I have some really exciting projects in the works. I can't share them yet because they all have to do with Jeffrey's birthday, but I promise I will as soon as I can. What have you been doing lately? I hope you're spending plenty of time outside — can't believe the beautiful weather we are currently being blessed with.

xo,
R.

chocolate cake with a splash of ovaltine.

Like I mentioned here, I like to bake in the midst of chaos. So, when I went home this weekend I made a cake. It was relaxing — like it always is — and the results were wonderful. I used Olivia's recipe. If you've never checked out her blog, everyday musings, I suggest you do immediately. There's a good chance a feeling of relaxation and warmth will come over you as you scroll through her archives. That's how all good blogs should make you feel, right? Anyway. I wouldn't change a thing about this recipe, except that I would add more Ovaltine. Malt reminds me of my childhood and I'm always feeling nostalgic, so I would definitely take the Ovaltine up a notch.

Here's Olivia's How-To post. Make sure you use an 8-inch round pan, and grease the sides and bottom with butter and coat the bottom with parchment. This cake is flourless, so it's meant to be extremely decadent. I served mine with strawberries. Olivia served hers with blueberries. I'm sure both are wonderful, and I bet a combination would be even better.

love,
R.

list.

I love to bake.
There's something so relaxing and peaceful and fulfilling about following a step-by-step process.
I like to bake at anytime.
I actually prefer baking when there isn't any special occasion to bake for — just baking to bake.
I guess you could say that baking is my "thing."
Some people run when they get stressed, or read, or sleep, or take a walk, but I like to bake.
It just feels therapeutic.
These last few weeks of the semester are going to be absolutely crazy.
I have about one million things to do and even to look ahead one day freaks me out.
I know I won't really have any time to bake anything.
So instead I'm making a list of all the things I'll bake when school is over and summer is here.

1. This cheesecake.
2. These brownies.
3. These cupcakes.
4. These cookies and these cookies and these cookies.
5. These cupcakes.
6. This cake.
7. This banana bread.
8. These cupcakes.

xo, R.

Not-So-Red Velvet Cake

My mom had never tasted Red Velvet Cake before and as a classic/iconic/American cake, I think it's a crime, so we decided to make one. It's true that Red Velvet Cake is nothing more than a glorified chocolate cake — if it's possible to even taste the chocolate (I've had some red velvet that didn't really taste like much of anything, to be honest) — but there's something sort of whimsical about a cake that looks average from the outside and upon cutting into it, a fluffy, rich red filling is exposed. It just feels kind of special. My mom was a little skeptical about adding red food coloring because, let's be honest, there's nothing real natural — or necessary — about adding random drops to food to make it change color. It's a little weird and I'll be the first to admit it. But every now and then, it's kind of awesome to eat a cake that would otherwise be brown and that's where Red Velvet comes in. So, we decided to cut down the amount of food color originally called for and crossed our fingers that it would still turn out red.

Wishful thinking.

What we were left with was a delicious, brown cake that had no right to call itself Red Velvet, so we'll go ahead and call it Not-So-Red Velvet Cake. I would absolutely recommend this recipe — it's Smitten Kitchen, when have I not recommended her? — but if you are set on a red filling, then it would probably be wise to follow her directions rather than ours, which were to add a measly three drops of red food coloring. And if you don't really care either way, then skip the food coloring altogether, because it's still a really delicious cake. I think it would work well as a classic chocolate cake and it uses canola oil instead of butter, which I can totally get into.Enjoy! xo, R.

The Raspberry Story

Two summers ago, Jeffrey and I went on a trip to Minnesota to stay with his grandma for a week. While we were there we explored a lot of different places — things Jeffrey's been doing in Minnesota since he was a kid and wanted to share with me. We went to the general store, spent a couple hours in a never ending antique store, found a neat basement thrift shop, and posed with, quite possibly, the biggest Viking statue America has to offer. It was an excellent trip — a trip I will never forget. One of my favorite memories of the trip is raspberry picking. Driving back from a state park that is home to the start of the Mississippi River (Yeah! Believe it or not, the Mississippi River actually starts in Minnesota) we saw a sign for raspberry picking. Being the berry lovers that we are, we had to stop and give fresh raspberries a shot. Before this, I'd never really been that into raspberries. They just never made it onto my radar.

But. There is something about standing in a field of fruit as the sun is setting. I mean, any kind of fruit would be extra special in such a setting — moments like that don't come around everyday (although I'm sure they could if we really searched for them) — but thank goodness they were raspberries. The thing about raspberries is that they are really fun to pick. If you've eaten a raspberry, you know that they're hollow in the center. That's because on the vine, they're attached to this little cone, and when you pick raspberries, if they're really ripe and really ready to be picked, they slip off that little cone seamlessly. And there's something really wonderful about a raspberry that slips right off it's little cone. It's like finding a $20 bill, or something. And then there's the raspberries that hang on to their cones and those tend to be sour and pucker-y. Those are also delicious, especially when you can pair them with a very ripe raspberry.

Anyway, since that day in the field, Jeffrey and I have been in love with raspberries. And I think it's safe to say that raspberries are our fruit. They just are. And so whenever a special occasion comes around, it's almost like a rule that we have to have something with raspberries in it. Because honestly, it's like, we need those little guys to come to all our celebrations — that's how much we love them.
Valentine's Day was no exception. I knew I wanted to make a treat with raspberries in it. And so as I was reading Smitten Kitchen I came across a recipe for cupcakes. Cupcakes that originally were topped with a cream infused with Peppermint Extract, but I lovingly switched it out for Raspberry Extract, and then, these little gems were born.

As mentioned, I got this lovely recipe from Smitten Kitchen. She's such a reliable source and her recipes have yet to fail me. I highly recommend her site. Anyway.

*Adaptations: I used Raspberry Extract. I omitted the espresso powder/coffee nonsense completely. The only other change was accidental. I didn't really have enough chocolate for the cupcake portion, so I combined 4 ounces of a bittersweet bar with 2 ounces of a white chocolate bar and I would not change a thing about any of my adaptations, accidental or not.

I suggest you make these as soon as possible.
Then, Enjoy!

xo, R.

Valentine's Day Picnic

I really should be doing work right now, but I'm protesting it in the name of Love.

I had a lovely Valentine's Day and although I spent most of the day apart from my Valentine and although a cold was creeping into my system, I'll will forever file this day away as one of my favorites with my love.
I should probably stop saying that, though, because I file most days with Jeffrey as 'one of my favorites.'
Homemade, heart-shaped Pizza. We have an undying love for pizza. It's actually kind of disgusting. Our grocery store bakery makes special orders so we requested that they convert our favorite bread into pizza dough and they willingly obliged! It was a nice twist on the old classic. The heart-shape was his mom's idea. :)
This salad was kind of thrown together because we didn't have our favorite components on hand. It had strawberries, Parmesan cheese, and sunflower seeds and we used our favorite, local dressing. Very delicious.
A good picture to capture our entire picnic and, of course, I can't deny that handsome smile.
And I insisted on wearing pink tights. It's a rule that you have to wear pink, red, or purple on Valentine's Day, right?
I begged Jeffrey to bring the tripod, but I honestly wasn't happy with the way any of our pictures turned out, except for this one and it's even a little blurry. Oh well, we'll have to try it again sometime!
And the picnic blanket I embroidered last Valentine's Day.
This year, we bought a tent for Valentine's Day, but I had to have some kind of surprise. After all, Valentine's is one of my very favorite holidays. I baked him cupcakes, and he baked me cookies! We also had Chocolate Covered Strawberries, so we were on some kind of sugar overload. I will post the recipe for these another time. They were probably the best thing I've ever made!


It was a lovely holiday.

xo, R.

Devil's Food Cake

I have a horrible habit of expecting every single thing I make to turn out perfectly.

This weekend, my dad celebrated his Birthday and my mom and I wanted to make something special. I'm not going to lie, my family is a huge supporter of the box cake. Cringe if you will, but the box cake is delicious. And easy. And, honestly, who doesn't love that? But because we're bakers at heart, we wanted to make something from scratch.
Enter Devil's Food Cupcakes. A recipe from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book, these cupcakes promised to be moist, tangy, and decadent. And with few difficult procedures, they seemed like a win-win.
Now, to be fair, these cupcakes weren't horrible. They weren't even bad. They were actually very, very tasty. Let's just say my mom and I were expecting something different. I would suggest filling each individual cupcake with more batter than recommended (this made them moister), and I would also suggest allowing ample time for the Ganache frosting to set. Ample meaning 1-2 hours. And, guess what? You don't actually need to stir every five minutes. The Ganache sets just fine all on its own.
Usually I would say that baked goods are at their best when they come right out of the oven, but I actually preferred these cupcakes the next day. I would certainly make these cupcakes again with my [new and improved] adaptations in mind.

xo

Decadence.

I'm not really sure how you would define a popover. I'm trying to decide if I want to call it bread, or if I want to call it a pastry. For now I think I'll call it a Brastry or maybe even Pead. I don't know, but it doesn't really matter what it's called, because when I made Popovers on Saturday morning, I'm pretty sure no one was thinking of what to categorize them as.

About 10 years ago, my family took a trip. It was a wonderful trip, like most trips are. But you wanna know what was extra special about this trip? Eating popovers on a grassy lawn. Yeah, I said it. We were so enchanted by those pastries (or that puff of bread) that we went and bought ourselves a Popover pan, because they actually require their own pan. That's how special they are.
10 years later, that Popover pan was still sitting in our cabinet, unused. That was, until I found an exquisite Popover recipe that my taste buds will never forget. I found the recipe at Cupcakes & Cashmere, who got it from Orangette, who adapted it from The Bread Bible. (I guess it is considered bread!)

Anyway, the popovers were incredible and extremely easy to make. The only pain is that you have to have a certain pan to make them, but I would suggest buying one — they're that good.
xo