#DenAmbassadors

So maybe this isn’t strictly homeschool related, but I felt like sharing. I’m in the process of reviewing an educational cooking website so I guess my brain is in baking mode. And I had a ton of over-ripe bananas so I just made banana bread. The smell is to die for…..

My family truly believes that banana bread is the breath of life. Over the years I have experimented with hundreds of recipes, some good and some not so good. Eventually, I put together bits and pieces of those attempts and came up with a delicious winner. Unfortunately, that deliciousness came with a hefty “bad for you” price tag. While we did indulge on occasion, my quest for the perfect, moderately healthy, option continued.

And then I discovered Kodiak Cakes. Actually rediscovered. From a new perspective; baking, not just breakfast. If you haven’t heard of or tried Kodiak Cakes, you’re in for a surprise. The company is based in Utah and started with flapjack/waffle mix. They have now expanded to cover everything from cornbread mix to fruit syrups. We haven’t made it through the whole lineup of products, be we’ve made a substantial dent; and we love them all.

So what does this have to do with banana bread? Let me tell you, banana bread made with Power Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix (buttermilk version). On first attempt, I tried the recipe as-is. Things didn’t go so well. The second try didn’t yield a better result. Now that’s not to say it was because the recipe is not good or I’m a horrible cook (we’d have to ask my family about that one!), but any one of a number of factors could be the cause of failure; weather conditions, elevation, oven temperature variations, you name it. So I started experimenting (this was definitely not the time to ask about that horrible cook thing…). The end product was a beautifully cooked, heavenly smelling slice of paradise that just emerged from my oven mere moments ago. Literally. And it is so delicious I had to share.

This is the recipe with my tweaks. The original can be found here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 (generous) cups Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Power Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup crushed pecans (a VERY heaping cup of whole pecans will yield a cup crushed; I crush mine in a food processor because I don’t like big chunks)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 1 loaf pan and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add bananas and mix to mash.
3. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add the Kodiak Cakes mix, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to a separate bowl. Mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients to stand mixer and mix with wet ingredients, until just combined.
6. Add pecans and mix on low, just until combined.
7. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out mostly clean.
8. Cool ten minutes and remove from pan.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! I have to run now; there’s something in the kitchen that needs to be, um, cleaned…..