Friday, September 26, 2014

Caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filing

Caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filing

If there’s any indication of a recipe’s quality, it’s that the food is gone before the strapping food blogger can take pictures of it.

The first time I made this recipe, I whipped up a loaf’s worth of caramelized banana bread and found that, at around seven o’clock, it was too late to take any kind of naturally-lit pictures. So I decided to push off that task until the morrow. However, being a procrastinator through and through, I never actually took those pictures—for about three days, when the final piece was gulped down and only a crumb remained. A tragedy, really.

But no matter: Baby June had the opportunity to try a different iteration, perhaps...a cream-filled muffin? Ah yes. And that is the story behind today’s creation.

caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filling
Soldiers, march!

As is the trend these days, I shunned the idea that I would make the plebeian specialty that is traditional banana bread—no, these bananas are caramelized, all fancy-like. If they weren’t vegan, I would’ve browned the butter. Or maybe I would have infused the coconut oil with some herb or another—basil? Rosemary? No matter which. Or I might have added a bit of candied orange peel, a splash of glaze, or—even better—a shot of booze. That’s how we roll these days, you know?

caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filling
Whatever you say, June.

But today, it’s just caramelized banana and coconut. Real basic bitch stuff. Nothing not to love, nothing too adventurous. And I can give you my certificate of deliciousness for that caramelized banana bread, because daaaaaamn it is fluffy like, like, like a pillow, like something you could burrow your face in and not have a care.

With cashew cream cheese filling, it is glorious.

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Caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filling

Makes twelve muffins

Ingredients

Banana bread (adapted from Cooking Light)

40 grams ● coconut oil ● 3 tablespoons

165 grams ● dark brown sugar ● ¾ cup, packed

330 grams ● ripe banana, sliced ● 3 medium

122 grams ● nondairy milk ● ½ cup

2 grams ● apple cider vinegar ● ½ teaspoon

40 grams ● canola oil ● 3 tablespoons

13 grams ● vanilla extract ● 1 tablespoon

124 grams ● silken tofu, blended until smooth ● ½ cup

250 grams ● all-purpose flour ● 2 cups

3 grams ● baking soda ● ¾ teaspoon

3 grams ● salt ● ½ teaspoon

Cashew cream (adapted from these pumpkin muffins)

85 grams ● cashews, soaked in water overnight and drained ● ½ cup

20 grams ● maple syrup ● 1 tablespoon

4 grams ● vanilla extract ● 1 teaspoon

8 grams ● lemon juice ● ½ tablespoon

45 grams ● nondairy milk ● 3 tablespoons

15 grams ● shredded sweetened coconut ● 3 tablespoons

1 gram ● coconut extract (optional) ● ¼ teaspoon

Instructions

To make muffins, start by preheating oven to 350 degrees F and greasing twelve muffin tins.

Melt coconut oil in a medium saucepan, then add brown sugar and banana. Sauté for about four minutes, or until the sugar has melted. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Place mixture in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk together nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, vanilla extract, and tofu. In another bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly drizzle liquid mixture into banana mixture on medium speed until incorporated, then spoon in flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Divide batter evenly between muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Let cool for five minutes before removing from tins. Let cool completely before filling.

To make filling, place cashews in a food processor and blend until as smooth as possible. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. With a serrated knife, cut small holes out of muffins (ideally, they should be deeper than they are wide). Fill holes with cashew cream mixture. The muffins are now ready to roll (into your mouth, that is).

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caramelized banana bread muffins with coconut cashew cream filling
See that? That is the world's greatest muffin cross-section right there.

If you’re not too fond of coconut, feel free to leave the coconut-y ingredients out of the filling. They aren’t desperately necessary, I would think. Now...if you’re fond of day-drinking, you might want to add a bit of rum. Or rum extract. That’s a bit tamer.

Shit. Now I want rum filling.

Doesn’t matter; had muffins. There’s always a next time. 

15 comments:

  1. OMG! CASHEW CREAM FILLING. These muffins have my heart.
    And hahaha! I totally agree! With winter/autumn setting in I'm getting so worried about when I'll be able to take photographs - nobody wants to cook dinner at 13:00pm or get up at 5am to bake something + photograph it in some kind of sunshine before leaving for a whole day at work/uni...
    Obviously this wouldn't be an issue if we had any self control around here...But we don't. So the dark day winter fear sucks.

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    1. Haha yes, self control is definitely a factor in this equation and it is definitely making it harder to get those photos in :) Glad you like the muffins!

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  2. Whoa!! This looks so good! I need to try caramelized bananas, that sounds amazing!

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  3. Oh right, *just* caramelized banana and coconut. So ho-hum. :) I love that you added a cream filling, and I'd definitely want to try these with brown butter sometime!

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    1. Haha yes, I suppose it is a *little* bit fancy.... I don't know if it is possible to "brown" coconut oil though, wasn't quite willing to try it at the expense of all that oil. But they are amazing just the way they are! :D

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  4. Ah yes, the "I'm going to wait until I get just the right natural light to take the pict- oh...it's all gone?" Definitely know that one.

    You had me at cashew cream but I'll stay for the caramelized bananas :)

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  5. Dayum, these look delicious :D May I also complimenting you on the detail of putting the ingredients for the different things in specific colours? I know you have been doing it for some time, but I thought I would point it out :D Thanks for the recipe :D x

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    1. Aw thanks! I do it partly for myself, since it makes it easier to distinguish the different ingredients...especially when you have a long list, like in this one.

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  6. Woo. **dusts self off** I have been all over the internet looking for your blog. For some reason, I thought you were called Philosophy and Pancakes and I do not even want to get INTO the internet rabbit hole that led me down. Nevermind why I didnt just look you up by your previous comments (something that only now occurred to me... GAH!). Well, I am here now and these things look fantastic. I saw a recipe the other day for chicken stuffed with cashew cream, so it seems that even non-vegans are jumping on the cashew cream train. I have to give it a try! :-)

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    1. Haha that is so funny. Philosophy and pancakes actually sounds like a very apt blog name :) Glad you finally found it! :D

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  7. Oh I love banana muffins! One of my favs. Love the addition of coconut cashew cream filling - that's taking it to a whole nother level! Wow!

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  8. I freaking LOVE cashew cream so much! These look so yummy, June! ^_^

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