Chocolate Chip Cookie Toast with Ricotta and Raspberries

I’m THIRTY! I know a lot of people have meltdowns or get freaked out by turning the big three-oh, but I’m stoked! 

Coconut & Ground Hazelnut Banana Bread

This banana bread is a little different. It’s not that super banana-y bread you’re used to. It doesn’t have chocolate chips in it. But, it could. I mean. It should, right? Note to self.

I don’t trust banana bread that comes out of other people’s kitchens. I know this is weird, but it’s my life. Same thing with deviled eggs and tuna sandwiches. Until about a year ago, I never ate a tuna sandwich that was made by someone other than my mom, my sister, or myself. And then I gathered up my courage and ordered a tuna sandwich from a little store/café a few blocks from my apartment, and I loved it, and I ordered it like it was going out of style…which it was, because now that store/café has closed.

I also hate it when people say “tuna-fish sandwich.” That’s like saying you’re eating a chicken-bird sandwich, or a beef-cow burger. Sorry, I digress. We’re not here to talk about tuna. Or chicken or beef.

We’re here to talk about banana bread. This one is heartier than most, with earthy whole wheat and hints of nutty-coconutty goodness throughout. It’s not overly sweet—less of a snack bread, and more of a breakfast bread. In fact, I think its best sliced thick, toasted, and slathered with a bit of butter and sea salt, served with a cup of coffee or tea. Evan likes it because it’s nutty without having distinguishable nut pieces (I’m a big fan of nuts in baked goods, but I know I’m in the minority here), and because, as he put it, it’s not as mushy as some.

I like it because quick breads are my jam, and I typically have everything on hand to make it. And it tastes real real good. And, it came out of my own kitchen. So… there’s that.

Coconut & Ground Hazelnut Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts/ hazelnut meal

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened, dried, and shredded)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard loaf pan.

Stir together bananas, eggs, and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients, and stir until combined. Scoop batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Serve warm, room temperature, or sliced and toasted.