Buckwheat Coffee Banana Bread

Buckwheat banana bread for breakfast almost everyday this week and I recommend it to everyone. I love the idea of cake for breakfast. The beauty of this buckwheat banana bread is that it sings of vanilla-scented, ripe bananas and the earthy wholesomeness of buckwheat and yet, has a touch of sophistication lent by the addition of coffee.

Buckwheat flour is obtained from grinding buckwheat berries which are in fact not grains that grow on grasses but rather seeds that masquerade as cereal. It is dubbed as ‘pseudocereal’, because it is cooked and eaten as any grain would be. Common buckwheat also called Japanese or silver-hulled buckwheat is eaten here in India on religious or fasting days. The flour is known locally as kuttu ka atta. Buckwheat is gluten-free, fibre-rich, has a low glycemic index and is one of the most nutrient packed ‘grains’ you can eat. So, if I have to eat cake everyday, let it be a buckwheat banana bread.

Sometimes I bake banana bread only because it makes my home smell heavenly. The aroma of ripe banana cooking is intensely vanilla and when the banana bread is in the oven, it’s as if I left a bottle of vanilla extract open and forgot about it. It wafts into my brain through my nose and makes me smile. For me it is the very smell of home baking. I’m sure like me, you always end up with 2 or 3 bananas that are too ripe and squishy to make for pleasant eating; it’s the perfect excuse to bake banana bread.

A slice of buckwheat banana bread and a cup of coffee is pure joy, so why not give the bread a hint of coffee? Something slightly rich, dark and bitter to complement the sweet appeal of banana bread just makes it a little more interesting – a banana bread for grown ups.

It’s a buckwheat banana bread recipe that you can do in a jiffy; from mixing the batter to baking done in an hour and fifteen. I woke up and baked it for breakfast on a Sunday morning and then settled down to enjoy (couldn’t be bothered waiting for it to cool) it with my weekend newspapers. If you have a soft, squishy spot for banana bread, try this version, and I’m sure you’ll experience the deep sense of satisfaction that only comes from eating something deliciously homemade.

Buckwheat Coffee Banana Bread

Quiche 'n' Tell

A deliciously dark but healthy banana bread with the goodness of buckwheat and a hint of coffee

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

200 g buckwheat flour
70 g AP or all-purpose flour
113 g butter softened
70 g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas mashed
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 30 ml water
2 tsp brown sugar
70 g walnuts chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C and lightly grease and line a 9”x 5” loaf tin with baking parchment. Make sure to leave enough overhanging parchment to help lift the bread out of the tin.
In a bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder and soda bicarb.
In a larger bowl cream the sugar and butter for 2-3 minutes and then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the bananas, honey and coffee and combine well.
Now gently fold in the flour mixture followed by the walnuts, taking care not to overmix as it will deactivate the soda bicarb.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
Mix the coffee powder with 2 tsp brown sugar and sprinkle on the surface of the batter.
Bake for 35-40 min or until you get a clean toothpick inserted to test the bread.
Cool the banana bread in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.