Cookbook Review – Vegan Baking (Banana Nut Bread Recipe)

I came home from hiking yesterday to a copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking waiting for me. The book came out recently, in April, and is what i would call a good intro to vegan baking – containing a large chapter on the how-to’s and basic ingredients needed. If one is getting into vegan baking this is a good starting book before say you start using some of the other, more complicated cookbooks ( see here for more examples of Vegan Baking Cookbooks ). It is a mix of mostly sweet treats but also sections on yeast breads, rolls and crackers – so lots of options.

I tried out their recipe for banana bread – always a good way to get a feel for the style of baking in a book. It turned out nicely dense and with a light flavor. I might say I felt it needed more vanilla – I would double that and the cinnamon.

Banana Nut Bread (Pages 78-79)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick Earth Balance buttery stick
• ½ cup organic granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water
• 1 cup mashed bananas (depending on size, 2-4)
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup finely chopped raw walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.

Sift the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt into a small mixing bowl. Mix the flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the Earth Balance and sugar to a stand mixer bowl, beat till light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, with the paddle attachment. (Kirk got me this New Metro Design Beater Blade awhile back, love it for batters.)

Add the flaxseed, mashed bananas and vanilla, beating in for a minute.

Turn down to low and slowly add in the flour and mix in well.Take the bowl off the mixer.

In a small bowl add the vinegar and then the baking soda (it will foam a lot). Pour into the batter and mix in by hand (do not use the mixer, it can back splash you!) and then add in the nuts.

Pour/scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. Check at 50 and then every 10 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool a couple of minutes and then pop out and let cool on a wire rack.

~Sarah

FTC Disclaimer: We received this book for consideration of review.