Mother’s Day Treats and Crafts

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 10th. Here are some ideas for how to spoil mom.

Flour Bakery’s Famous Banana Bread

(source: Joanne Chang, flour)

This recipe comes from a famous bakery in Boston named flour. It’s moist and delicious and easy to make. Plus it allows children to weigh, pour, stir, peel, and mash, so it is an engaging practical life activity.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (210 grams) unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 grams) sugar
2 eggs
½ cup (100 grams) canola oil
3 ½ very ripe, medium bananas, peeled and mashed (1 ⅓ cups mashed/ about 340 grams)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche, sour cream, or joghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cups walnut halves, toasted and chopped (optional, I usually substitute chocolate chips!)

1) Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

2) In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3) Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. (If you use a handheld mixer, this step will take about 8 minutes).

4) On low speed, slowly drizzle the oil. Don’t pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute. Add the bananas, creme fraiche (or sour cream, or joghurt), and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed just until combined.

5) Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and the nuts (if using, again, I use chocolate chips) just until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible, and the nuts (if using) should be evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

6) Bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, or until golden brown on top and the center springs back when you press it. If your finger sinks when you poke the bread, it needs to bake a little longer. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, and then pop it out of the pan to finish cooling.

7) The banana bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, it can be well wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw overnight at room temperature for serving.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

(source: New York Times cooking, Chloe Coscarelli)

Here is a vegan version of the above, which you might recognize from one of the February parents’ evenings during which we the children prepared and served it.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup mashed bananas (approximately 2 very ripe bananas, mashed on a plate using the back of a fork)
1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
½ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (dairy free)
Powdered sugar for garnish

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a Bundt pan or a 5- by 10-inch loaf pan.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. In a separate bowl, whisk together bananas, coconut milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips; do not over-mix.

3) Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes in a Bundt pan or 50 to 60 minutes in a loaf pan until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Check the cake often and if it gets too brown on top, cover with foil and continue to bake. Rotate the pan halfway through baking time. Let cool, then sift powdered sugar over top.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes or Basic Pancakes: