Kinda Sorta Fit

Ok, folks, here’s what happens when I’m bored: I cook, bake, or otherwise get creative in some way. I’ve done this for as long as I can remember. My parents love telling (and re-telling, and re-telling…) the story of the 9-year-old me who put a wall of chairs at the entrance of our kitchen so my parents couldn’t disturb me while I cured my boredom. What would a fifth-grader do when bored? Bake a quiche, of course!

So, the adult me didn’t feel like sitting around while on my 9pm conference call for work, so I listened and talked… but baked at the same time. Unlike my 9 year old self, I didn’t use a Betty Crocker cookbook (or any recipe for that matter). I saw bananas and I had just gotten my shipment of the best almond flour ever. In this case, one plus one equals BANANA BREAD!

BANANA BREAD WITH MAPLE-CINNAMON FROSTING

Primal. Paleo. Gluten-free. Grain-free.

Makes one mini-loaf.

For the bread…

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• some coconut oil or butter to grease your loaf pan

Lightly grease your mini-loaf pan (5”x10”) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all of your wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the dry to the wet and mix until combined. Let sit for about a minute so the coconut flour can get moist. You want it to be about the consistency of mashed potatoes. If too thick, add more coconut milk or some water; if too thin, add a very small amount of coconut flour.

Put the batter into your greased loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a drying rack, then remove and put the loaf itself on the rack to finish cooling.

While baking, get the frosting mixed up!

• 1/4 cup soft (NOT melted) coconut oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• up to 2 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (Yes, that’s a lot! I love cinnamon!)

Whisk all ingredients except coconut flour together until combined. If it is too thin, add coconut flour 1/2 tsp at a time until it is the consistency of whipped frosting. Put it in the fridge to get a bit stiffer while your bread cools. (Note: if you leave the frosting in the fridge for too long, it will turn hard as a rock. If this happens, let it sit at room temperature and whisk until it is spreadable again.)

Slather the frosting all over the top of the loaf, slice, and share… or just eat it yourself… I won’t tell…