banana bread with toasted millet

My freezer needs some serious organizational help. It's full of half bags of frozen fruit, chocolate disks for melting or chopping and peas and corn for my little weirdo who likes to eat them frozen. I've got about 20 pounds of alternative whole grain flours to aid in my obsession for all things Kim Boyce and add to that mix ins and toppings like toasted millet, flax seeds and cocoa nibs and that equals one packed freezer. There's a lot of great stuff in there, but it's all such a mess, I can hardly tell what's in there at all. 

A few weeks ago, with the help of my much more fashionable friends, I created a capsule wardrobe (find out more here). The basic explanation is you whittle down your wardrobe to only 37 pieces for a particular season (just 3 months), including pants, tops, outerwear and shoes and you don't buy anything in that time. It sounds really restrictive, which is why I waited so long to do one, but as it turns out, it's incredibly freeing. Admittedly, fashion is something I'm interested in, but it's not the highest priority in my life. My closet is full of basics, most of which can be worn while chasing a toddler or cooking up a big batch of bolognese. It did get me thinking though about what I really need and how much of my house is full of just space fillers, particularly my kitchen (ahem... my freezer). I think the concept of the capsule wardrobe could apply to many parts of our lives. The bulk of the hoarding in my life is centered in the kitchen. Fancy vinegar, five different types of lentils, a spice cabinet that now has to be double stacked. I like the idea of having a few quality ingredients that I use often, with the infrequent exception of something fancy and less utilitarian. 

So, in an effort to start the process of narrowing down what I actually need, I decided I needed to start using what was actually in there. I had three ziplock bags full of perfectly black bananas, so I figured I'd just bake a whole bunch of stuff. I made a batch of banana cereal muffins (from Kim Boyce's book of course) and then a pair of banana breads with the addition of toasted millet, which I absolutely loved. It was nice to have a little more room in the freezer, although, the next day I made peach + yogurt popsicles which pretty much filled the vacant space. 

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This recipe is from The Grand Central Baking Book. I can't say enough good things about this book. It's great for someone who is a proficient baker and it's great for someone just starting out. This recipe for banana bread is pretty straight forward and it produces exactly what you want in a banana bread. It's moist, tastes like banana and it has some crunch to it with the addition of the millet and course sugar. I do realize this is the second banana bread recipe I've shared with you, but I feel like I'm always looking for the best one. I'm pretty sure this one is it. 

banana bread with toasted millet // makes 2 loaves // adapted from this book

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (5 fluid ounces) canola oil
• 2 1/2 cups (1 pound 4 ounces) banana puree (about 4 small bananas)
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk
• 2 heaping tablespoons toasted millet
• course sugar

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. 
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 
3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil and banana puree on medium-high speed until the mixture is lighter in color, about 3 minutes. 
4. Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup, add the vanilla and whisk together. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. Continue to mix until the eggs are fully incorporated. 
5. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix briefly on low speed, then add half of the buttermilk. Mix well and repeat, using half of the remaining dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 
6. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold in the toasted millet, then divide the batter between the two pans. Top with a sprinkle of coarse sugar. 
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for 30 minutes more. Lower the temperature to 325, rotate again and bake for 30 minutes more. The loaves should be golden brown with cracked tops, and a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. 

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house guests: whole grain banana hazelnut muffins

If you're at all like me (and let's hope for the sake of human kind, you aren't), you go a little nuts before you have house guests. I clean the house top to bottom, even the places I don't think anyone else looks besides me. All the cleaning would be quite enough work in and of itself, but I also like to have the house stocked with some quick snacks and a few meal components to make life easier on myself when mealtime rolls round. In the next week, I'll share a few of my favorite ways to prepare for house guests with some recipes and tips on making your guests feel right at home. 

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It's not often that we have house guests, but when we do, I like to pretend I run a bed and breakfast. Complete with guest baskets in the bathroom and fresh linens for a cozy nights sleep, it's all the fun of running an actual B&B minus the 'stranger danger' factor. The thought of having complete strangers sleeping in our house has always freaked me out, so this is sort of like playing house without actually having to pay the rent. We stock the pantry with homemade granola and the fridge with yogurt and fruit and rich hazelnut milk. I like to make the bulk of our meals ahead of time, that way, I keep my time in the kitchen short so I can spend time at the table, eating and drinking and catching up with our friends.

Breakfast is my favorite meal with house guests. There is something so inclusive about sharing a meal in your pajamas. Everyone begins the day on the same plane. No one is wearing makeup and we all have smelly breath and disheveled hair. We all need the exact same thing: a good bite to eat and a hot cup of coffee. Making breakfast for a group can be daunting since many items are made to order which can keep the cook in the kitchen until the last waffle is pressed or the last omelette is flipped. By that time, the bacon is gone, the coffee is cold and everyone is starting to think about hitting the shower. Instead, I like to set out a platter of baked goods, yogurt, fruit, granola and complimentary condiments. I find a big bowl of yogurt covered with granola, fruit, and a dollop jam to be just about the best. Add in a banana nut muffin with butter and a sprinkle of salt and I'm done. Just send me back to bed to dream sweetly of hazelnuts dancing on bananas in a sea of yogurt and honey. 

This week I made hazelnut milk, just in time for our friends to fly in from Norway. It's just as good as it sounds and I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to buying nut milk in a grocery store. Not only was it incredibly easy, it was so darn delicious that I just don't think it can be topped. All that to say, I used the left over hazelnut pulp (what you're left with after you strain the milk out) in these muffins. It adds a nice texture and a subtle hazelnut flavor, a bit more than you would get by just using the chopped hazelnuts. If you happen to make hazelnut milk (do it!), go ahead and throw the pulp in when you whip the bananas and sugar together. If you don't have hazelnut pulp, just follow the recipe as-is and go make yourself some hazelnut milk to enjoy with your freshly baked muffins. 

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whole grain banana hazelnut muffins

makes 12 large muffins 

(loosely adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whole grain pastry flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 overripe bananas, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup walnut oil (or any mild flavored vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (no need to toast them)

Preparation: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. 
3. Mash two of the bananas with a fork and set aside. Add the other two bananas to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed until light brown and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the dry ingredients until just moist (do not over mix) and fold in the mashed banana and chopped nuts with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. 
4. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 18-20 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They can be enjoyed warm from the oven, especially with a pat of butter. 

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