RECIPE

BANANA JAVA DATE BREAD

From Sweet, Savory, and Free by Debbie Adler (BenBella Books, 2017)

INGREDIENTS

 ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, cut  1 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix  ¼ cup cacao powder  ¼ cup hemp seeds  1 ½ teaspoons sodium-free baking powder  1 teaspoon baking soda  ½ teaspoon guar gum  ¼ teaspoon sea salt  ½ cup coconut sugar  ¼ cup applesauce  1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract  2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed  5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ¼-inch pieces  ½ cup black coffee, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

 Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.  Add the pumpkin seeds to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast until they start to snap, crackle, and pop and turn a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. After the pumpkin seeds cool, give them a rough chop. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cacao powder, hemp seeds, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, salt, and roasted pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.  Add the coconut sugar, applesauce, vanilla, mashed bananas, and dates, and stir to combine. Add the coee and stir to incorporate.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Rotate the loaf pan from front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf pan from the oven to a wire rack, and let it sit for 20 minutes before removing the loaf to cool completely.  Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 1 loafs, 9 slices