Indulgent Banana-Chocolate Crumbles

I don't think banana is used enough in desserts. Yes, cakes and breads, but not so much in the actual dessert category. Mixing the banana with dark chocolate makes a really smooth filling that sets well. I think it would be delicious used to sandwich layer cakes together.

The base crumble isn't overly sweet - you could add sugar if you like, but the banana contributes such a lovely sweetness (very important to use a really ripe one) that I really don't think sugar is necessary.

For how naughty these taste, they are actually rather healthy.

Ingredients:

75g wholemeal flour

75g rolled oats

40g dairy free margarine

1/4 c barley malt

1 large banana, mashed

60g dairy free dark chocolate, melted

To make:

1) Turn the oven to 180°c, gas mark 4 and prepare 5 silicone muffin moulds or small ramekins.

2) Combine the flour and oats in a bowl and rub the margarine in so it is evenly distributed. Spoon in the barley malt and mix initially with a spoon, but then with your hands to ensure it's well mixed in.

3) Use 2/3 of the mix to press into the bottom of each mould as the base.

4) Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave on medium low (keep an eye on it, but about 2-3 minutes) and while it's melting, mash the banana. When the chocolate is smooth, add the banana to it and mix well with a fork. Spoon an even amount of this mix over each base and level it gently with the spoon. Sprinkle some of the remaining oat mix over each one.

5) Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Serve with dairy free vanilla yoghurt or ice cream.

Note: Kept in the fridge, these make a delicious cereal bar substitute. Just make sure you keep them cool until eating or the chocolate and banana will melt everwhere...mmmm

Pear and Banana Breakfast Loaf

This makes a delicious, nutritious and satisfying weekend brunch. Lovely on its own, or served with jam or honey and some plain soy (or dairy) yogurt. It's best served warm and fresh out of the oven, but we discovered it's still really tasty cold - if you're lucky to have some left over for afternoon tea!

Adapted from a recipe in the trusty ol' NZ cooking bible, the Edmonds Cookery Book, it uses barley malt extract to sweeten which provides slow release energy.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

2 tsp egg replacer, mixed with water (or I used apple juice) according to the packet

1/4 c rice milk

70g vegetable margarine, melted

1/3c barley malt extract

1 large banana, mashed

1 medium pear, peeled and finely chopped

rice milk to brush

sunflower seeds to scatter

To make:

1) Turn the oven to 180°c and grease a loaf tin.

2) Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix.

3) In another bowl, whisk the egg replacer mix, milk, barley malt extract and melted marge until well combined. Mix in the mashed banana and pear.

4) Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold together until just combined.

5) Spoon the mix into the loaf tin (it'll be quite a sticky mix) and brush with rice milk. Scatter sunflower seeds over the top and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until it comes away from the edges and is slightly golden.

6) Let it sit in its tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Lil' Banana Cakes with Caramel Mocha Icing

I don't really know anyone who doesn't like banana cake. Yet to me, a banana cake should be dense and very banana-ey, not just a cake with a mere hint of banana. This cake definitely fits the bill. Could also be made as a large cake, cook it for 50 min-1 hour in that case.

This recipe is hand written in my recipe book and I confess that

I have no idea where it came from. However, I have tweaked ingredients and quantities from the original. The icing was born on request from the boy and gives the cake a banoffe pie feel. It's adapted from the caramel icing recipe in the Edmond's Cookery Book.

Let them eat cake...

Ingredients:

75g dairy free spread

1/2 c caster sugar

1 large egg, beaten

2 c plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 c walnuts, chopped

To make:

1) Grease a 6 hole Texan muffin pan (or 12 hole regular pan), turn the oven to 180 degrees, gas mark 4.

2) Cream the spread and sugar, then mix in the egg well.

3) Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well.

4) Add the mashed bananas and walnuts and mix until well combined.

5) Spoon mix into tins and bake until golden and well risen (about 30-40 min for the Texan pan, probably about 20 for the smaller muffin pans). When cooked, they should pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly pressed.

6) Turn out of tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Now the Caramel-Mocha icing...

Ingredients:

1/2 c soft brown sugar

1Tbs dairy free spread

1 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tsp hot water

2 tsp soy milk

1/2 c icing sugar

To make:

1) Put the brown sugar and butter in a small pan, and heat over a low

heat until spread has melted and butter has dissolved.

2) Add the milk and coffee, then take off the heat.

3) Mix in the sifted icing sugar until you achieve a smooth paste (add a little more milk/icing sugar if need be).

4) Smother over the cakes and enjoy.

Makes 6 Texan muffin sized cakes.