Snack Time

Homemade Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

I often wonder if people knew what was in instant hot chocolate, would they still drink it? I took this from the Nestle site. I know that this will not be going into my body and I won't give it to my children.

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, VEGETABLE OIL (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COCONUT OR PALM KERNEL AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN), DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, AND LESS THAN 2% OF CELLULOSE GUM, NONFAT MILK, SALT, SODIUM CASEINATE, SODIUM CITRATE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, GUAR GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.


It's so easy to make hot chocolate from scratch and it's so much better for you than the store bought instant. You can use any type of milk you want; Ava has goat milk, Aidan has whole organic cow milk or almond milk and I sometimes make mine with coconut milk. Either way it's delicious and quick to prepare.

The chocolate chip banana cake I made this afternoon was for the kids after-school snack.  It's one of their favorites.


HOT CHOCOLATE

2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp maple syrup

Mix this together to make a paste.

2 cups milk -  (coconut, organic goat or cow's milk, almond milk, your choice)
1 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Add milk slowly to the cacao paste and heat in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. Serve in small bowls or mugs.


BANANA CAKE

I made two 8 x 8 inch square pans because I gave one to a friend. It is after all the season for giving. You can cut the recipe in half to make just one pan.....but you may regret it.

5-6 ripe bananas
6 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp vanilla
5 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips (I use the Enjoy Life brand)

Place the bananas in the bowl of a mixer and blend until mashed. Add the eggs, honey, oil and vanilla.

In a large bowl combine almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and coconut. Mix all this with the wet ingredients and stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Grease a 8 x 8 pan with coconut oil and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper. Pour the cake batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until lightly browned and done in the center.