Tahini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
In my opinion, banana bread is the ultimate comfort food. and given the current state of the world, I think we all could use a little more comfort in our lives. Don’t you agree?
It’s been… a week, you guys. A long, exhausting, emotional week (or two, if I’m being honest).
We spent some time with family this past weekend, which was more necessary than I realized. As a result of this damn pandemic, this is probably the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing my family and/or celebrating a birthday or holiday together.
Speaking of the ‘rona, we TRIED to implement some safety measures with everyone being together. But as expected, that proved to be near impossible with all the loonies I’m related to… that, and my grandmother finally convinced my cousin to take her to BJ’s last week, so it’s pretty much game over now.
This impromptu family gathering happened because my mom’s birthday was on Saturday. She would have been sixty-five years old. Isn’t that nuts?
Peter & I were actually supposed to be in the Dominican last weekend, celebrating the marriage of two goods friends. If I’m being honest, I was somewhat relieved that we’d be in another country for my mom’s birthday. I haven’t the foggiest idea how to best commemorate this milestone birthday, and it was a relief to have that pressure lifted. But alas, the wedding got postponed and then, boom! Suddenly it was June 6.
Needless to say, ALL THE FEELINGS. I felt ’em.
On top of it all, there’s a tiny little movement happening across the globe… Black Lives Matter, ya heard of it?
(don’t worry, that was sarcasm)
The past couple of weeks have been heartbreaking — and eye-opening. The reality of Black oppression in this country (and in our world) is appalling. White privilege is real; so is white supremacy. Systemic racism is a deep-seated issue within our society, and people (beyond just the BIPOC community) are finally taking a stand against it. Myself included.
Growing up, I was taught that “color doesn’t matter” and “everyone is human”. I thought this was the right (“right”) stance to take, and it meant I was a good (“good”) person. But I now recognize how that mindset ignored the realities and complexities of racism in our culture, and supported the evolution of my own unconscious biases.
Well… shit.
Shame. Guilt. Anger. Sadness. Just a few of the emotions I’ve experienced continuously over the past week or two. I can’t believe I’ve been so blind to my own privilege, and to the blatant oppression of Black people. But I realize that this movement isn’t about ME. The Black community has been fighting for years to have their voices heard. These emotions I’m feeling barely the scrape the surface in terms of what the Black community has stomached regularly for centuries.
All that said, I have a lot of work to do. We all do, if we expect to make some tangible, necessary change in this world. But what does that look like? Well, for me it means: continue to unpack my privilege. Dismantle my own prejudices. Unlearn & relearn. Educate myself on black history (the REAL black history). Sit with some uncomfortable feelings. Notice the micro-aggressions. Speak up & speak out. Donate. Attend (peaceful) protests. Support black-owned businesses. Engage in difficult conversations. Diversify my social media feeds and bookshelves. Continuously strive towards allyship. Commit to anti-racism.
For a comprehensive list of anti-racism resources, check out this page. and this blog post. I highly encourage you to educate yourself, and to join the fight against racism in this country.
Like I said, it’s been a damn WEEK. Lots of emotions, and not a lot of control over the outcome of any of these events. So I did what I do best in uncertain times — bake.
I took advantage of a randomly chilly 60-degree day early this week, and whipped up a loaf of my favorite tahini chocolate chip banana bread. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds — did you know that? It has the consistency of peanut butter, but is less sweet and more nutty. It’s a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, and a key ingredient in your favorite hummus. I’ve noticed more and more bloggers incorporating tahini into their baked goods, and I must admit — I’m a fan. If you aren’t sure how you feel about it, I’d suggest giving this recipe a shot. After all, banana bread is always a safe option.
I found this recipe a couple of years ago on Tessa’s blog, Salted Plains. Her recipes are gluten-free and delicious! Many are also dairy-free and vegan, which means they are keepers in the Bartash household.
In true Talia fashion, I made a few slight tweaks to the original recipe. Nothing major, but just enough to satisfy my taste buds and solidify it as a staple on my repertoire. I also realized a few months ago that I didn’t have nearly enough banana baked goods on the blog, and thought it would be prudent to change that immediately.
My ultimate goal is to modify my mom’s basic (gluten-full) banana bread recipe to share with you, but it’s not quite there yet. So in the meantime, grab some tahini on your next trip to the grocery store and bake yourself a loaf of this tahini chocolate chip banana bread.
- 2 ripe bananas
- 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
- pinch of nutmeg
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Mash bananas in a large bowl; add wet ingredients and mix well.
- Whisk dry ingredients in separate, smaller bowl. Add to wet ingredients, and mix until combined.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan; top with sesame seeds and more chocolate chips.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Mix in walnuts if you prefer a chocolate-less banana bread -- or add in walnuts alongside the chocolate chips.
Recipe From: Salted Plains | Gluten-Free Tahini Banana Bread
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go nurse my emotional hangover with another piece of banana bread.
You never stop amazing me, Talia. Love you so much! Auntie Mary
love you, Auntie 😘