Mmm, vegan banana bread loaf

My favorite baking resource is Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Joy of Vegan Baking, which, of course, is legendary. I've adapted the banana loaf recipe to make it even more healthful by re

moving the chocolate chips (no, that is not a typo), using organic whole wheat pastry flour and using either SUCANAT or jaggery as the sweetener. I used to sweeten with agave nectar and adjust the rest of the liquid proportions but I no longer use agave after all the recent news about its processing. Coincidentally, I also subbed in unsweetened applesauce for half the canola oil today because I was low and that worked very nicely.

The modified recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 c. 100% whole wheat organic pastry flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. unrefined sea salt

1 c. SUCANAT or jaggery, if you have time to grate

1/3 c. canola oil (I split this evenly 1/6 c. each of canola oil and unsweetened applesauce. Next time I plan to use the full 1/3 c. of applesauce)

4 ripe organic bananas, mashed

1/4 c. water (filtered)

1 t. vanilla extract (with no alcohol or corn syrup added; I use Trader Joe's brand)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, mix the first three ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil (applesauce) together, then add the mashed bananas. I find it's easy to mash the bananas right in the bowl, using a fork. Stir in the water and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and stir to mix.

Fill the baking pan about 90% with the batter leaving a generous portion in the bowl. I will get to the leftover batter in a second.

Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (normally 40 minutes on the dot for my oven).

Ahh, as for that last 10% of batter (you won't find this in any cookbook)...The best part of vegan baking is my favorite past-time -- licking the bowl! A delicious treat for when the bread is baking. What, were you going to do the dishes??

Enjoy the baked bread once it cools, and try not to eat it all at once. I won't tell if you do, though...