GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD DOUGHNUTS (V+, ChF, NF, GF, V) + A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!
Today it's all about cookbooks, but if you just want the fun and delicious Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Doughnuts recipe please don't be shy and make your way to the end of this blog post where you'll find it.
Before I started writing my blog, I read blogs. Loads of them. All the time. And what I noticed as I did so, was that many of the food bloggers I followed got cookbooks send to them. For free!!!! Sometimes even before they were released in the shops!!!! I mean if getting free cookbooks isn't the best thing EVER about food blogging, I don't know what is. And (confession time!) though the hope of receiving free cookbooks wasn't the main reason I started The Little Plantation ;), it sure did play a teeny tiny role (*blush*).
So when insanely talented food photographer, stylist and blogger Aimee, from Twigg Studios, asked me if I wanted a copy of her brand new cookbook, Love Aimee x, to review on the blog, I don't think I actually even let her finished her sentence before shouting a loud, resounding YES!!! In fact when Aimee asked me, I may or may not have nearly choked on the toast I was munching on as we sat in a quaint little cafe in the heart of East London's Spitalfields. And, in case you're wondering, yes, she is just as sweet in real life as she comes across on her blog ;).
That very day Aimee had a copy of the book to hand and I felt super priviledged to browse through it. Pictures of gorgeous Eton Mess Cupcakes, stunning Edible Rose Cake Popsicles, luscious Strawberry Milkshake French Toast (WHAT!) and naughty Nanaimo Bars were just some of the delicious treats jumping out of the pages, begging me to bake (and eat!) them. But the truth is, I knew right then and there what I was going to make – the Baked Banana Chocolate Chip Doughnuts. And I am soooo glad I did because they completely hit the spot and were a particularly big hit with hubby. Sure I needed to adapt and adjust the recipe to make it vegan and gluten-free and I went a bit overboard with the addition of the chocolate glazing, but that's the fun part of working with a wonderful cookbook: it provides a solid starting point from which you can let your imagination run riot.
COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED! You'll be glad to hear that you too can get a free copy of Aimee's book, Love Aimee X, even if you're not a food blogger ;). You see, Murdoch Books were super generous and gifted me two copies of Love Aimee, X - one for me to keep and one to give away to YOU! All you need to do is comment below, telling me what your favourite baked good is. But be quick with your answers, entry to this giveaway closes at midnight (Greenwich Time) on Monday, February 29th. The winner will be picked and notified within a week of the closing date. This competition is open to UK and EU residents only. I can't wait to read your answers. Good luck! THE LUCKY WINNER IS SUS DAVY!
GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD DOUGHNUTS (V+, ChF, NF, GF, V)
These doughuts are oven baked rather than fried; they are as Aimee wrote the recipe and the way I prefer my doughnuts. See, I'm not really that into fried foods, sorry. What it does mean is that the doughnuts have a slightly different textured than their fried counterparts which you can buy in the shop. Still utterly yummy though; you'll be in for a treat if you make these ;)
Finally, the original recipe was designed for an 8-doughnut tin. I noticed that most full sized doughnut tins on the market are for 6 doughnuts, which is why I adjusted the recipe to fit into a 6-doughnut tin. Enjoy :)
Preparation Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Baking Time: 13 - 15 minutes
Makes: 6 donuts
For the doughnuts:
185g gluten-free flour
3.75ml baking powder (so a little bit more than 1/2 teaspoon, but less than a full teaspoon :))
75g brown sugar
35g vegan chocolate chips
45g coconut oil, melted + extra for greasing the doughnut tin
1.5 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 4.5 tablespoons water
1.5 very ripe bananas, mashed
95 ml vegan yoghurt (I used this one)
For the topping (optional):
chocolate glaze - made by melting 50g of vegan chocolate (like this one) and adding a splash of almond milk
a handful of chopped pecans
a handful of cacao nibs
Instructions:
Get all your ingredients out onto your work surface, weighed and ready to go.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/160F. Grease the circles of our doughnut tin with coconut oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients - the flour, baking powder and sugar until nicely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix in well. Set aside.
Over a very low heat, melt the coconut oil. As this is melting, combine the ground flax seeds with the water in a small bowl and let rest for 2-3 minutes.
Then mix together the melted coconut oil, the mashed bananas, the yoghurt and the water/flax seed mixture, until nicely combined.
Next pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. If the mixture looks too dry, please add another spoon full of yoghurt.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe circles of dough into the prepared doughnut tin. Spread evenly. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
As the doughut are cooling prepare the glaze, if you are using this, by melting the chocolate in a bowl placed over a pan with water that's been gently brought to the boil. When the chocolate has melted, add a splash of almond milk and stir in until dissolved. You may wish to add a splash of maple syrup too depending on how dark/bitter the chocolate is you are using.
Once the doughnuts have cooled down, dip them in the chocolate glaze, sprinkle with nuts, cacao nibs or more chocolate chips and enjoy
Tip 1: You can use regular, plain flour if you are not sensitive to gluten, if you prefer.
Tip 2: I am aware that not everyone has vegan chocolate chips to hand. You can also use dark chocolate and grate it, instead of the chocolate chips. Please still use 35g.
Tip 3: If you are not vegan, you can replace the ground flax seeds and water with 1 egg, making this a vegetarian, rather than vegan recipe.
Tip 4: It's really important to use ripe bananas. I didn't actually use the one shown in the picture above and only photographed it cuz it looked cute ;). Make sure your bananas are brown and ripe. It will make the doughnuts!
Tip 5: I used coconut yoghurt, you can use soya yoghurt or plain Greek yoghurt. The latter will of course turn the recipe vegetarian rather than vegan.
Tip 6: These doughnuts are perfect for freezing giving you a midweek treat if need be.
Tip 7: Want to use the glaze but are allergic to nuts? Use rice milk or seed milk, like the one I made here, instead of the almond milk. Simple.
Want to see more of Aimee's recipes? Then follow her blog. You won't regret it :)
Want to find more vegan sweet treat? Just press here and your wish will come true.
Thanks for reading everyone. See you in 2 weeks :)
