Banana Cake-Bars with Dark Chocolate Chips (Still Lovin' that Spelt Flour!)

Given that I've been cozying up to the delicate sweetness of spelt flour lately, I thought it was high time to post another recipe that makes use of it. (My maiden voyage with spelt can be found here, in case you're interested.) Though spelt flour is made from the whole grain, it bears only slight resemblance, in my opinion, to whole wheat flour in terms of flavor and texture. I think it may be the golden ticket for home bakers who aren't completely thrilled at the idea of sweets containing any whole grain flour, yet who want to begin incorporating healthier flours into at least a few of their baked goods. It works really well mixed in with unbleached white flour, and I figure that's the best jumping off point. Give it a whirl on a small scale before you fully commit.

Bite into one of these treats and, from the texture angle, you won't even be able to tell that they're not made entirely with white flour. In fact, these banana cake-bars are so cakey I really couldn't get away with calling them just banana bars. These guys are more like soft little cake slices. With fragile golden crumbs that tumble off here and there when you pick them up, they cry out for clean white napkins and big tumblers of ice cold milk. They'll do those ripe bananas proud.

About this recipe . . .

I adapted this from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains. This was the first whole grain baking book I ever really liked. I've baked from it many times, and most of the results have been surprisingly good. I've noticed that many of the older whole-grain baking cookbooks out there, from past decades, often include formulas for almost concrete-like breads, cookies, and cakes. I'm relieved we're finally seeing a lighter approach in volumes like this one, and in Good to the Grain, which has a whole chapter devoted to baking with spelt.

The original recipe called for semi-sweet chips but, honestly, I think that would have made them too sweet. Plus, I'm a maniac for dark chocolate so I used that instead. I also substituted canola oil for butter, I drastically reduced the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg and, as noted above, I used a mixture of white and spelt flour instead of using spelt alone.

My kids really liked these, which I must admit kind of surprised me. Nathan (the now-15-year old), who is always my willing guinea pig whenever I bake something new, adored them. I thought the boys would become uninterested the second they heard the word spelt come from my mouth, but it didn't phase them. In my house, that's a meaningful seal of approval.

Banana Cake-Bars 
with Dark Chocolate Chips (and Spelt Flour!)
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Yield: Makes one 9" x 13" pan; 24 - 2" squares.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
(Just fyi: I mixed this recipe entirely by hand. Gave my mixer the day off!) 


3/4 cup canola oil
1 and 1/4 cups light or dark brown sugar, packed (I used light.)
3 medium size bananas, very ripe, well mashed
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
1 large pinch ground cinnamon
1 large pinch ground nutmeg
1 egg, large
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate, small chips or chopped bar chocolate (I used a combo of both.)


Stir the oil and the sugar together well in a large bowl. Beat in the bananas, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Add in the egg, stirring vigorously. Stop to scrape the bowl with a spatula now and then.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add to the liquid mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes (this direction allows the flour to absorb some of the moisture a thicken a bit). Sprinkle your chocolate evenly over the top. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Cool the finished bars in their pan on a rack. They're best when allowed to rest overnight, in the pan, covered. (They stay fresh for at least two days and I actually thought the flavor had improved the second day.)

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below!)

Gloomy Days

Quote of the Day:  Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. by The Carpenters

We have had lots and lots of rain. I woke up Saturday morning to a big thunderstorm. 

It was a dark and gloomy morning....

That could be a story starter, but it doesn't have the same ring as dark and stormy night.  Gloomy mornings just make me want to lie around in my jammies, drink coffee, read blogs, and put in another dvd of Castle. I'm late discovering that great show about a mystery writer and a female detective.  What a great character he is - a bit egotistical, yet a caring and concerned father, and a guy who loves a good story. His crime solving skill is to ask the question: What would make a better story? It's fun. I have to rewatch episodes sometimes because I miss the subtle clues.   

After about three episodes on Saturday morning, I felt like a big slug, so I played piano to my creative juices flowing, then packed up my laptop and headed to a nearby restaurant/coffee shop.  They have a great summer chicken salad wrap, wifi, and a fairly quiet room.  The lunch was great and I worked on an article for Her Voice on Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Sometimes, you need a change of scenery to get creative and concentrate.

Journaling Prompt:  Where do you like to go to get creative or take a break from the same old, same old, and beat the gloomy days?

Pasta con Le Vongole (Pasta with white clam sauce)

                           

This is my favorite Italian recipe.  I don't know why its always the first thing I order upon my arrival in Italy.   I normally do not make this dish here in Mississippi as fresh clams are not available.    Recently, frozen clams from Goose Point, WA, showed up in the freezer section of our local supermarket.   I must admit, I was temporarily intrigued.  The skeptic that I am walked on by.   While I was standing in the check out line,  I realized that I just had to give them a try.   To my surpirse,  they were delicious.  Fresh and fragrant, I couldn't believe something so delicious came out of a freezer.   They are flash frozen when caught.   The incredible flavor reminded me of sitting at one of my favorite Trattoria's in Rome, Italy enjoying this dish.   Hard to believe here in Tupelo, MS,  this comes in a close second!

Ingredients for 6 people
2 packages baby clams ( goose point, little necks etc.),   (Butter discarded from package), approx. 2 pounds, Rinsed with some fresh water.  Pat dry with some paper towels and leave to drain in sink
4-5 cloves of garlic minced (Fresh, please do not use the jar variety)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup minced parsley plus scant handful for garnish
salt and pepper to taste.
Additional 2 tablespoons salt for your pasta water
1 pound spaghetti or linguine cooked just before al dente ( About 7 minutes)

Into a skillet, large enough to fit your pasta, warm your olive oil.  It should be almost hot to touch.   Carefully saute your garlic until fragrant.   Add your clams, quick saute.   Add 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste.  Keep cooking for 5-7 minutes on medium-high.   At this point, lower your heat some, add your white wine.   Raise your heat back up to medium-high and let reduce by half.     Set aside. In the meantime put your water to boil.  Cook your spaghetti or linguine until just before al dente.   Drain  and place in your skillet and raise the heat again.  Your liquid remaining in your pan from your clams will help continue to cook your pasta along and  give it fantastic flavor.  Garnish with parsley  and serve.  Garnish your plates with additional Parsley and additional olive oil.

*Please note:  If you find these clams in your local freezer they are almost always pre-cooked.   Your clams will look partially opened.  They will continue to open while you are cooking this dish.   If you are using fresh,  which is ideal for this dish, place your lid on your pan immediately and let steam open your clams.  The clam shells will extract additional liquid while cooking.     After about 3-5 minutes, remove your lid,   Add your wine and continue to reduce.  Remove some of your empty  clam shells and  Add 2 teaspoons of salt, pepper to taste).   Keep reducing.  Follow directions above for serving.   Discard any un-opened clams~ Buon Appetito
                            

Strike a Chord

Favorite Photo Friday #2

Quote of the Day:  Seated one day at the organ, I was weary and ill at ease, And my fingers wander'd idly over the noisy keys;
I knew not what I was playing, or what I was dreaming then,
But I struck one chord of music like the sound of a great Amen.
- the first verse to The Lost Chord Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan;
words by Adelaide Anne Proctor

I loved playing that song when I was in high school. It has a haunting melody, filled with longing.  The rest of the song talks about the organist searching for that one glorious chord one more time, but maybe only hearing it again in Heaven.

(I had to use two photos to illustrate this.)

Hands on the keys.

The inner workings of the piano.

One of the first things I show a new student is the inside of a piano. It's fun to open the lid and show them how the hammers hit the strings and the pads come down to stop the sound, and what it looks like when you hold the pedal down.

Do you ever feel like that song, longing for the combination that feels like the sweet spot of life?  Harmony to compliment your melody?

Journaling Prompt:  What strikes a chord with you?  When have you felt that harmonious blend that makes you sigh and say, ah, that's what I want forever? Ever take something apart just to see how it works?

Checking In!

Hello everyone!  I am sorry that it appears I dropped off the face of blog world without a hint of my whereabouts and more importantly without any new recipes to share.  My family went on vacation for a week and I thought I had some wonderful posts scheduled to appear in my absence but I did something wrong.  Not only did nothing post, but they also aren't in my drafts.  Needless to say I am a bit frustrated at the moment!

But, back to the vacation stuff.  We went to a wonderful theme park called Silverwood, in Northern Idaho after attending a close friend's wedding.  If you have never been to the Northern part of the state it is a great place for a family vacation.  We were able to spend time in Sandpoint enjoying the beautiful town and Lake Pend Oreille and then time at Silverwood.  Silverwood has something for everyone but this year it was especially fun because our littlest guy who is five got to go on some of the big roller coasters  his favorite was Timber Terror and our oldest was tall enough to go on the granddaddy of all of them, The Aftershock.  I loved the Cork Screw and the Panic Plunge.  There is nothing like getting scared to death in order to have a little fun!



True Callling

Quote of the Day:  Music...accesses both sides of the brain - the analytical left side and the emotional right side - and forces a connection. (p. 139)

Music Therapy is music without the ego. (p. 146)

- Jodi Picoult from her novel Sing You Home

Have you ever wondered if you're doing what you were born to do?  Have you answered your true calling?  Do you ever look at someone else's life/career, and think, that's what I really want to do? Or, are you one of the lucky ones who is doing exactly what your heart and abilities are calling you to do?

I just finished reading Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult.  I loved it.  I'll have to admit that I'd given up on reading Picoult's books because they're too gloomy for me.  She a fantastic writer of realistic contemporary fiction, heavy on the realism.  In fact, it is so real and raw that reading her books can feel like you've been watching the evening news for five days straight.  I can't stay in a gloomy place that long.  She writes about real people experiencing real life, and the way she has her characters interact is spot on.

So, I picked up the book with trepidation.  But, it came highly recommended by my cousin Angie.  In fact, she referred to it many times during our conversations about things we care about - aging, music, acceptance of all types of people, connections, relationships. And, I connected to the main character in the book right away.  She's a music therapist.  I kept thinking the whole time I was reading the book that I should have been a music therapist.  And, as I read further, I thought of how I already do music therapy, but without the degree and official title. 

I have kids come to my house every week to make music.  I talk to them about music, what they like about playing, and I also talk to them about what is important in their lives - their pets, their families, other interests, friendships.  I see them blossom as musicians and people.  I watch them gain confidence.

Spring Recital at the assisted living center

If you've been reading my blog lately, you know that I play at an assistend living center about once a month, and during the summer I've brought the handful of students who are taking summer lessons with me.  I see the sparkle of energy come out in both my students and their audience - especially in the memory care unit.  Yesterday, I interviewed a woman for an article I'm writing for Her Voice on Alzheimer's disease.  Her mom is in a facility, now, where she needs constant care for dementia.  While she was sharing her story with me, and talking about her mom, she was also talking to me about what I could so as a musician to help ease the pain of these patients and their families who love them.  What she emphasized is that you want your parent, or spouse or friends, to be taken care of by people who want to interact with them and show them love.

I have been talking with my sister Joy and dear friend JeMA about our vision of having an art center where we could teach, offer music and art therapy, and have original artwork and performances. We want a place that nurtures gifts and talents in ourselves and in others. 

Do you know that when people don't have the ability to communicate verbally, they can still connect with others through art and music?  They are another language, another way of expressing ourselves.  I have also heard of therapy in theatre. I can imagine movement and expression, both verbal and non-verbal, create stimulation and connection.

Oh, the possibilities...

Journaling Prompt:  What is your true calling?  Are you doing it right now, or do you feel pulled in another direction, or further in the direction you're heading?  What is it that gets your heart pumping and makes you want to try harder and be more?

PASTA WITH PORCINI, PISELLI E PANNA (Spaghetti with Porcini mushooms, peas and cream)

 For those of you who know me personally, it's no secret I could eat pasta 365 days a year.  This is a great and flavorful dish that doesn't take long to prepare at all.   I came home with a bag of Italian Porcinii mushrooms  from New York. Be sure and get the kind that cultivated in Italy.  These days there are many in the local markets and it does make a difference.    I just couldn't resist opening up and using a handful. of these for this dish.  Dried mushrooms  are soaked and reconstituted.  The intense flavor of the mushrooms adds an earthy texture to this dish.   Fresh green peas are added and cooked in  white wine and a dab of  salted whipped cream is added.  In Italy, Panna is available ready made.  I like to add just a little along with a sprinkling of Parmigiano to give this dish creaminess.  I used spaghetti  tonight but virtually any tubular shape will do. You want a pasta that will hold the sauce well.   What a great ending to a long day travelling.

Ingredients for 6 people:

4 tablespoons olive oil.

3 cloves of garlic/diced fine

1 shallot diced fne

2 handfuls Italian Porcini mushrooms

Water left from their soak (About 3 cups room temperature water)

1 cup of white wine

2 cups of fresh, green peas.  Frozen peas are fine for this dish.

1/2 pint whipping cream

one pinch of salt for whipping cream

one large pinch of salt for pasta water

one pound of Spaghetti or your favorite pasta

Soak your Porcini mushrooms in 3 cups of water for one hour.  You must do this to reconstitute them.  Drain the tiny bits of dirt and grains from your mushrooms  and reserve your water.  The water is an important part of this dish as it adds great flavor.   Your mushrooms with look and feel soft.  Cut into dime size pieces.  Heat your olive oil and add your garlic and shallot.  Saute until fragrant and your shallot looks transparent.   Add you cut mushrooms and saute.  Add you first cup of liquid.   Let reduce until your mushrooms seem to be sticking to the pan.  At this point I add several teaspoons  of salt to the mushrooms.  Add your white wine and another cup of the liquid your porcini have soaked in.  It will reduce in 5-7 minutes.  When the mushrooms are reduced, add your peas.  Add another cup of liquid.  Cook again for 5-7 minutes and let continue to reduce.  Your peas will cook and stay firm.  They will also add and interesting texture to this dish filled with flavor.   When you begin to see oil separating from the pan, remove from heat and set aside.  Into a chilled bowl, whip your cream with a pinch of salt.  Set aside in refrigerator to stay cold until ready to toss.  In the meantime cook your pasta in salted water until al dente.  Reserve about 3 tablespoons of cooking water and add to your porcini. mixture.  The starches in the water will help give this dish some added creaminess and help bind your ingredients when tossed.   Drain your pasta when al dente,  into your skillet over your mixture.  Add your whipping cream and toss.  Serve in bowls with Parmigiano cheese and  Several sprigs of parsley for garnish.

Who would not want to come home to that?  Buon Appetito!