Banana Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Here's an easy vegan quick bread, perfect for autumn. This bread combines two favorites - banana bread and pumpkin bread. The addition of oats and walnuts give the bread a nice texture.

Banana Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Makes one loaf

1/2 c. oats
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground gloves
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. soy milk (or other nondairy milk)
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8 in. by 5 in. bread pan.

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.

Mash bananas in a separate bowl. Whisk in maple syrup, soy milk and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Fold in walnuts. Transfer batter to your bread pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Scones, however you like

Believe it or not, I have had the most kitchen failures with scones. I blame it on the butter and my attempts to turn them vegan. Here is the one recipe that turns out consistently (no, it's not vegan). It's sweet and buttery, a bit biscuit-like, and so very easy to adapt. The beauties below are my latest: dried cranberry and almond.

The two tricky parts of this recipe are one, deciding on what goodies you will use to fill the scones, and two, how much buttermilk to use. Regarding the first issue, this a great issue to have. What will it be? Chocolate chips? Raisins? Blueberries? Nuts? You decide. As for the buttermilk, I've needed varying amounts depending on the day. You will need anywhere between 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup of milk, but you shouldn't need more than that. Even if the dough seems dry, you will find that it comes together as you knead it. A perfect dough will be a bit sticky and manageable.

Pat the dough into a 1 inch round and then decide how you want to cut it. A biscuit cutter works great if you have one, but the rim of a glass or mug works just as well (I usually end up with four large scones when I use a glass). A cookie cutter will also work, but ideally you want to use a cutter at least 1 inch high. Otherwise the dough spills over the side and makes it harder to finish your cut. Another option is to cut the dough into triangles with a knife or pizza cutter. Enjoy the scones fresh from the oven or store them in an airtight container for a few days.


Scones
Makes 4-6 scones

2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar, raw or granulated
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, cold
2/3-3/4 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. sliced almonds (optional)
1/2 c. fruit or chocolate (blueberries, dried raspberries, chocolate chips)

Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two forks.

Add vanilla and milk, mixing just until combined. Fold in fruit or chocolate.

On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough into a 1 in. round. Cut with a lightly-floured biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk.

Bake on center rack for 20 minutes.

Vegan Zucchini Walnut Bread

Zucchini is one of my favorite summer veggies. From snacking, to stir-fries, pizzas, and dessert, it's quite a versatile vegetable. I brought home a gorgeous Costata Romanesco from the farm and couldn't wait to try this quick zucchini bread recipe.

From Johnny's Selected Seeds

Costata Romanesco zucchinis are Italian and known for their ribbed, striped skin which is speckled with light green (check them out at Johnny's Selected Seeds). Whichever variety of zucchini you choose to use, be sure to have enough for two whole cups of shredded zucchini.

Vegan Mango Banana Bread

... or why I can never become a locavore.

I eat a banana with breakfast just about every day and snack on dried mango slices like they’re chocolate caramels. Naturally, I was thrilled when Joy the Baker posted this recipe for a vegan quick bread that combines two of my favorite flavors.

Do you know Joy the Baker? If you like to bake you must visit her blog. I have yet to try a recipe that wasn’t delicious, even if my product wasn’t as picture-perfect as Joy’s.

This one has become one of my favorite quick breads. The first loaf didn’t last but a day. The next two loaves sustained my friend Erin and I over three hot, stormy days of camping at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and I’ve even tried this bread as a muffin. It’s moist, sweet, and just as good cold as it is warm. The bread will last up to five days, but that’s a total joke. I’d like to see you keep your hands off of it for that long!

Be sure to use ripe bananas!