carrot cake for a windy day

I can't say no to overripe bananas. So here's a carrot cake. With bananas. It's got no refined sugar - surprise! Just that fructose hiding in the dates and bananas. The recipe is from 101 cookbooks.

Carrot Cake

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup walnut pieces
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dried dates, very finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 oz. cream cheese (just over 1/2 a block)
3 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and walnuts in a bowl. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and dates. In a large bowl, mix together mashed bananas, carrots, yogurt and eggs. Stir in butter and dates. Add flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Spread batter into a loaf pan or 9x9 pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, beat together room temperature cream cheese and maple syrup. Spread over the cooled cake.

(My cat loves to photo-bomb, especially when there's cream cheese involved.)

sugar plums

Sugar plums (of Tchaikovsky fame) are not some sort of sugared plum dessert, but just an old fashioned name for dried fruit, chopped up, mixed with spices, and rolled in a ball. Here, I combine dates, nuts and cinnamon for a sweet dessert or snack.

almond, walnut and date bites
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dates (seeded, of course)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder, for rolling

Combine nuts, dates, cinnamon, honey and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a thick, chunky puree forms. With wet hands, scoop out 1 inch pieces, roll in a ball, and roll in cocoa powder to coat. Refrigerate until firm.

Try changing up the dried fruit, nuts or spices. The combinations are endless. Think of your favourite lara bar, and create your own for a fraction of the price!