Mia Bakes: Healthy Pumpkin Bread (with Greek Yogurt & Green Banana Flour!)

Pumpkins, anyone? 

I'm hardly a fan of pumpkin growing up. Somehow in our family, we're typically not a fan of sweet taste unless they're in the form of cakes and pastries. It was only very recently, when I changed my diet and got onto team #eatclean did I started eating pumpkins frequently. 
Yup, they're one of the most diet-friendly food, being low in calories (at only 50 kcals per cup!) and yet, nutrient-dense. However, taste wise, I'll still prefer sweet potatoes (or brown/multigrain rice) as my source of starchy carbs. I guess that's why many times my "impulse pumpkin buys" always ends up in nearly half of the unfinished pumpkin going bad in the fridge. T.T 

And so I decided, I'm not going to let anymore precious food go to waste! Left with a generous quarter cut of my pumpkin that's nearing the end of its shelf life, I decided to bake something out of it! Initially I thought of trying out the recipe for my healthy sweet potato brownies and substituting the sweet potatoes with pumpkins, but that'll leave me with too much brownies to eat alone (I'm the only person in the family who enjoys chocolatey bakes). And so I thought, why not some pumpkin quick bread instead? And similar to my previous recipe for the applesauce walnut & raisin quick bread, there's nothing "bready" about this quick bread, and they're way more like muffins. 

So much so that I even baked some in muffin form. HAHA!

So now let's get over with the ingredients, so we can get started!
To get 1 standard loaf serving (10 - 12 slices), you'll need:

150g raw pumpkin (or about 130g canned pumpkin puree)
2 eggs
55g plain greek yogurt
40g brown sugar
30g castor sugar
(or you can use 70g of either sugar)
110g plain flour
30g green banana flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground nutmeg
1/4 salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
60 - 70g semi-sweet chocolate chips
30 - 40g pumpkin seeds (plus a handful more as toppings, if desire)

First up, wash your pumpkin clean and remove the skin and seeds (you can roast the seeds and eat them too!). Cut them into thin slices and steam for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on how thin you slice them) until they're thoroughly cooked through and soft. Pour off the excess liquid that has drained out of the pumpkins and mash them up with a fork. Stir in the sugars until well combined and leave them aside to cool. 

When the mashed pumpkin has cooled down, add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Then, add in the greek yogurt and vanilla extract and mix well. Then, mix in the green banana flour, salt and spices until well combined. There's no gluten in green banana flour, so there's no risk of overmixing the batter at this point. 

Then, from your bowl of 110g plain flour, spoon a heaping tablespoon of it and toss it with your chocolate chips & pumpkin seeds. This trick will help them stay up in the middle of the loaf rather than sinking to the bottom during baking. Add the remaining plain flour, baking powder and baking soda into the mixture and fold lightly to combine, until there's just a few streaks of dry ingredients. At this point, add in the chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds and fold until just combined, with no more streaks of dry ingredients to be seen. 

Pour your batter into your prepared loaf pan (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and lined with parchment paper) and bake at 175 degree Celsius for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Do check on them at the 30 minute mark, and if you see that the surface has gotten too browned, you can cover the top with some aluminium foil to prevent over-browning. 

Although this is also a quick bread, its texture is totally different from the one I made with applesauce and butter (my applesauce walnut & raisin quick bread). While the applesauce-butter one is more moist and with a denser, cakier texture, this version made with greek yogurt and pumpkin puree turns out drier and a lot more chewy. 

To be honest, I think I will prefer the applesauce-butter version. HAHAHA! What's baked goods without butter, right?

Till then,

Mia Foo

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BestInSingapore's Organic Fruit Delivery [Sponsored]

Fruit is nature's candy, do you agree? Fellow fruit-maniacs, let's fall in!

With the current Covid19 pandemic going on, most of us are not only trying to stay home as much as possible (eg. less grocery shopping at the market), but the food (or perhaps, just certain fruits?) supplies at the market also seems to have taken a dip (or maybe it's just me... T.T). Many times, I've ventured out of home and to the market with the plans of buying some of my favourite fruits for my mid-day snacking, but had to return home either disappointingly empty-handed or with some other random fruits instead. 

And so it got me thinking, how nice would it be if I were able to know which fruits are available for sale before I head out to the market. And it turns out, I can!

Thanks to Best In Singapore, I realised that we do have fruits delivery (my apologies for being like a frog in the well) and managed to try out Fruit Delivery Singapore, which is rated as one of the 10 best fruits delivery in Singapore. 

With over 80 types of fruits available, Fruits Delivery Singapore sources their organically farmed fruits from all over the world and parts of Southeast Asia, including regions of Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan. As all their fruit supplies are grown by organic farming, there's no worries of ingesting traces of pesticides and other pesticides containing chemicals along with the fruits. 

At Fruit Delivery Singapore, overnight storage is not allowed, so any leftover unsold stock are disposed off by the end of the day. Their experienced packers are also trained to filter out fruits that don't qualify their strict quality protocol, so we can be assured that we will be getting the best quality fruits every time we make an order. And with 8 locations islandwide, we can easily enjoy our fresh fruits delivered right to our doorsteps in matters of only 2 hours (with free delivery for over $60 purchase)! 

And here's a selection of fruits I've decided to get for the family! Other than the entire family's usual favourite (that is not apples and oranges) guava, I've also carted mum's favourite pomelo, dad's favourite jackfruit, Dinosaur Grenade and Custard Apple. The two type of fruits I've heard of, and always wanted to try! 

Custard Apple - $12.90 for 2 pcs

Well, this was rather disappointing. But it's not you, custard apple, it's me. 

Just looking at how it looks, I'm totally expecting it to taste similar to soursop (they look so similar, don't they?). But instead of a refreshing tangy taste with a smooth and silky texture, I was greeted with an overwhelming sweetness and a slightly grainy and crisp texture. 

I'm kinda weird, but I do not like sweet fruits. So, sorry custard apple, you're not my cuppa tea. 

USA Dinosaur Grenade - $11 for 3 pcs

I've long heard my grandma mentioning about these dinosaur grenade (or dinosaur egg) and I so wished to try, but never seem to be able to find them anywhere. 

And now finally, I found you!

And then I realised, they're actually pluots, and probably got the impressive name due to their enormous size compared to other pluots. Extremely juicy and fleshy, with a refreshing sweet and tangy taste that's typical to pluots, these are so good! It's super satisfying to be able to take a huge bite out of the pluot without biting onto the pit (because they're so small in comparison). 

It seems like Fruits Delivery has also launched some fruit basket gift sets so be sure to check them out!

For more information on Fruits Delivery Singapore (AKA The Fruit Hut), do check out their website or FB. 

Also, do check out BestInSingapore for many more lists of the best of what Singapore has to offier! 

All food styling photographs credits to Fruit Delivery Singapore & Owari Photography 

Till then,

Mia Foo

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Sending my heartfelt wishes with Fav Florist [Sponsored]

 Amidst the gloominess of the recent Covid19 pandemic, there's a piece of great news to light up our (my #tkgirls clique) days. Our dearest A has recently gotten engaged and will be holding her wedding (albeit, just a private family function due to Covid19 restrictions) in a few months' time! 

So I thought, when's a better time than now to send a flower delivery over to convey my most heartfelt wishes to her? And so comes Fav Florist!

Fav Florist strives to be the stepping stone to create that special experience for their customers, to receive their flowers feeling loved and special. A bouquet (or other form of floral arrangement) is definitely a sentiment for any special occasion, and every recipient should receive nothing be the best. Hence, at Fav Florist, all their flowers are ethically sourced, of the top premium quality and freshness, and each intricately designed flower bouquets are all handcrafted by talented florists with at least a decade of experience. Their flowers are a proud assertion of what they hope to achieve in ensuring a 100% customer satisfaction, and their promise is for the recipient to receive a timely delivered and beautifully crafted flower bouquet. 

-picture credits to Fav Florist-

Initially, I was torn between their All Smiles ($49.90, as pictured) and their Surprise Weekly Bloom (prices starting from as low as $24.90!), the former being a bouquet arrangement with Baby Breath and Daisy, while the latter being a bouquet arrangement that's specially designed by their talented florists using either red/pink roses, carnations, gerberas or lilies as the main flowers. 

-picture credits to Fav Florist-

And then You & Me (prices starting from $43.90) started to grow on the ever so indecisive me. Somehow the arrangement of these red Kenya roses along with black wrapping just looks so classy and elegant, a good match to my dear friend A.  

But in the end, I decided to go with their newly launched Flower Domes. 

Everlasting Preserved Flower Dome (LED) - Usual Price $149.90 (Now $99.90)

Made with preserved flowers, this flower dome, aptly named as Everlasting, is the perfect gift to my dearest friend. which represents everlasting love and beauty. And as they're made with gorgeous preserved flowers, there's absolutely no need for maintenance; and yet they last forever. 

All of Fav Florist's preserved flower domes boast a very rustic and timeless aesthetic, perfect for the 'old souls' out there. 

The LED lights in the dome also brings out the essence and features of the preserved flowers, making them the perfect art piece to display at home. 

Not only do Fav Florist provide highly affordable bouquets of premium fresh flowers, they're also providing free same day delivery for all of their orders! Do check them out via their website or facebook for more information!

Till then,

Mia Foo

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Mia Makes: Whey Protein Pancakes (with 2-ingredients chocolate sauce)

 On a diet, but craving for pancakes? 
What if I tell you, you can get your pancake craving fixed (with chocolate chips!) at only 350 kcals and still get 27g of protein? Sounds too good to be true?

But it is! So let's get over with the ingredients, so we can get started!

25g whey protein powder (I'm using My Protein Impact Whey Isolate)
10g oat flour 
18g oat fibre (about 2 tbsps)
120g unsweeten applesauce
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Optional:
20g dark chocolate chips
a little sugar to taste, if your protein powder is unflavoured. 

First up, separate your egg whites from yolk. Nope, we're not going to whip the whites, but somehow adding the whites separately at the very end will give you thicker, fluffier pancakes. Try it!

In a clean bowl, add in the yolk and applesauce and whisk until fully mixed. Then, add in all the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix until there's no obvious pockets of dry flour. Then, add in the egg whites and chocolate chips and fold the mixture until there's no more obvious streaks of snotty egg whites floating around. You need not fully incorporate (and risk over-mixing your batter) the whites into the batter. 

Cook the batter over the hob on a non-stick pan, as you would with any other pancakes (eg. flipping when bubbles start to appear on the surface).
If you still don't know, the trick to get an evenly browned pancake is to NOT add oil/butter to your pan (hence it better be non-stick). Just give it a quick spray with some non-stick cooking spray and be sure to wipe off any excess oil (if you can SEE the droplets of oil, that's excess) with a kitchen towel before pouring in your pancake batter. 

Tadaa~
I've used milk tea flavoured whey protein powder, hence I've a stack of Milk Tea Chocolate Chip pancakes, YUM!

Protein pancakes made with whey protein powder will always turn out rather dry, so while this recipe will give you thick and "fluffy" pancakes, do not expect them to be moist and tender. But, comparing to a "traditional" whey protein pancake (especially those from protein pancake premix), this fare a lot better as the applesauce helps to make it a little more moist, while oat fibre tends to create this moist-mushy texture in baked goods.

I usually eat my pancakes with some maple flavoured syrup or peanut butter, but this time I thought of trying out a simple recipe for some chocolate sauce. 

You'll need:
3 tbsp cocoa powder 
1 tbsp honey
water (add enough to get the consistency you desire)

adapted from wholeheartedlylaura.com

While the consistency of the sauce was perfect (drippy, yet not too runny), the taste was pretty.... "healthy". Perhaps it will work better with more sweetener, or to use drinking cocoa powder instead of the unsweeten kind I've used. If you've tried this recipe using drinking cocoa powder and it turned out well for you, do let me know in the comments section below!

Till then,

Mia Foo

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Masons Home Decor: DIY Terrarium Kit [Sponsored]

Do you have friends with a talent for everything home decor related, and doing especially well in gardening? Have you ever visited their homes and got wowed by how they manage to create a whole new world of little animals and cute-as-a-button succulents in small (and some not so small) glass bowls? 

And when you lament out aloud at your lack of a green thumb and an aesthetic eye, you'll probably get an, "Oh, it's really easy to make one!" reply from them. 

And there's nothing else for you to do, other than to give them a awkward polite smile in return while inwardly going, "Sureeee..." 

And guess what? Now, regardless green thumb/aesthetic eye or not, you can make your own visually pleasing terrarium, with the help of these super easy to make DIY Terrarium Kits from Masons Home Decor! 

A-Grade Premium DIY Terrarium Kit - $111.30

Kit consists of:

- 1 glass bowl

- 1 set of gardening tools

- 1 bag mix soil

- 3 pots of succulents

- 3 bags of decorative pebbles

- 1 drip bottle

- 1 bag of figurines

Basically, this kit comes with everything you'll need to build up your own terrarium, so there's absolutely no need for your to get anything else (unless you prefer to have other kind of figurines instead). As the plants included are all succulents, they're extremely hardy and easy to care for. You'll not need a green thumb to ensure their survival. How cool is that!

Building the terrarium takes only 5 super easy steps!

Step 1: Place a layer of small stones at the bottom of the container

Step 2: Add thick layer of soil mix over stones

Step 3: Dig up holes about 2 cm - 3 cm deep to add your plants in

Step 4: Arrange your plants as desired, cover up roots with soil

Step 5: Decorate the expose area with gravel, stones, rocks and ornaments

And that's it!

It's really so simple!

And as I've already mentioned that these succulents are super hardy, we only need to make sure that they're place in moderate (indirect) sunlight and watered once every week! 

And if you prefer not to get your hands dirty, but still wish to have a terrarium, Masons Home Decor also have a series of ready-made terrariums ranging from $54.90 to $89.90 too! 

For more information on what else Masons Home Decor (they have a huge selection of affordable furniture and other home decor items too!) have to offer, check out their website HERE

Till then,

Mia Foo

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#siryweds - Yikeshu Bridal & Photography Studio

It's been almost a year since #siryweds and I guess I shan't procrastinate further on the posts I've promised myself to do any further.
So now let's get to (one of the) most important vendor (the other being my wedding banquet venue, duh) for #siryweds and that's our Actual Day (AD) bridal package, with Yikeshu Bridal & Photography Studio.

Without doing sufficient research on this whole bridal package thing, we settled on our overseas PWS in Qingdao, China. And it was only after the PWS is done with, when I was finally doing my research for bridal AD packages when I realised that bridal studios actually do not really do AD packages, meaning it's actually so much cheaper to go for all-in packages instead, as the price difference with and without PWS wasn't as significant as I've expected it to be.
And that seriously threw me off.
For months, I've been dreaming of wearing a lacey, Pronovias (style lookalike) gown during my AD, but after looking through the pricing of bridal studios like TWC and Rico-A-Mona, and even Queen of Hearts....

I decided it's better for me to abandon this financially impractical idea. 

Sorry, bridal vendors out there, no chance for you to take my money. 

I'm not the kind of girl who would spend big money (even if I can afford that sum of money comfortably) for a fancy dream wedding; my dream wedding, sans that Pronovias gown, is just supposed to be as simple and as no-frills as possible. 

I mean, I didn't even think I needed table-stylist, photobooth or even AD videography, even though I did ended up having them all because of the HB. 

I eventually found Fleur D'sign that does seem to have some pretty good deals for gown rental (apparently from SGD $388 and up), but ultimately with the need to get everything else (groom's suits, father's suit, AD make up, AD photography, bridal bouquet and etc) one by one in ala carte method just doesn't make sense to me. As I'll most probably be paying almost the same amount as I would, with a local bridal studio's AD package, but with twice or even thrice the headache from all the sourcing and liaising individually. 

And so, I switched my focus to over the causeway to JB. But found out that situation there is just the same as for our local bridal studios (not much price difference between all-in and AD packages), and with just barely SGD $1K price saving doesn't justify all the hassle of the drive-ins (recce, actual signing, 1st fitting and choosing of gowns/suits, final gowns/suits fitting & collection, returning of gowns/suits) and high chances of horrible jams every single time). Plus, getting a package with a bridal studio in JB means I got to find my own MUA, as they typically do not provide on in the package, and topping up (or rather, getting one ala carte from them) for one is ridiculously expensive, for you have to account for them travelling across the causeway. 

And then, I found Yikeshu through Facebook ads. Basically, every sponsored page FB showed me during that period if time were everything bridal related. Sometimes, getting stalked by FB algorithm isn't wholly a bad thing. HAHAHA....

What caught my eye was that they're having their 6th anniversary wedding sale with 25% discount off all their bridal packages, which are already at extremely competitive pricing compared to other bridal & photography studios. I shan't get into the exact details of how much we paid in total to Yikeshu for our packages, but for our AD Essential Package: 2 Bridal gowns, 2 Groom suits, 1 Father's suit, Makeup & Hairstyling (Morning & Dinner), Bridal hand bouquet, 6 corsages, Bridal car decoration + ribbons for following cars plus AD photography (10 hours), only chalked up to about SGD $1.7K (after the 25% discount), which is a great, great deal! 

And here's (probably) the most important part of Yikeshu's package; the thing that's either making or breaking the deal for many brides out there. Their gown selection!

While they do not have a large selection of gowns (there's only 1 rack of gowns with a few pieces of kua that have very obviously seen better days), they're still relatively new-looking and in very good condition. 

And the very first gown that I went for was the mermaid; a style I always wanted to wear but was unable to do so for my PWS in Qingdao. 

This was also the HB's favourite, but in the end I still decided to abandon mission as it's so restrictive and hard to move around in. I'm still going to be practical and stick to my topmost criteria for gown choosing: COMFORT (lightweight, easy to move around in). 

And so, after taking roughly 1 hour to try out another 9 more dresses, I decided to go with two white gowns (1 for morning, 1 for dinner reception) instead of the usual 1 white + 1 evening gown as I planned to wear kua for my 2nd march in during my dinner reception. Can you guess which are the two gowns that made my list?

It's 4 (for morning) and 7 (for dinner reception)! 

Other than being simple, I chose this gown for the morning schedule also because it's so lightweight! 

The length of the gown aside (I wore The Kate Spade x Keds Wedding Collection, no heels!), this gown is so light that I could have easily ran or jump around in it. HAHA!

The wedding reception gown, though slightly heavier, is still quite light and easy to move around in. I actually have a thing for satin gown (number 5) but they're SO HEAVY. 

And on their kua selection, I'll highly advise that you do not rent from them. Even if they've renewed their selection of kua by now, having to pay $100 - $120 for rental is really not worth it. It's so much cheaper to get yours off taobao instead. 

I bought a bright red one at around SGD $50 for my tea ceremony. 

And the fancy pink one, which I wore for my dinner reception was around $100. 

Both fits me really well and look EXACTLY like pictures. Just make sure that you go through the users' reviews and check through for the actual photos they uploaded along with their reviews. 

Makeup & hairstyling was good as well, especially my hair. But it's a shame that everyone was simply too busy to help take a clear shot of my hairstyles. The MUA did take, but apparently her phone had some problem and nothing was saved. T.T

So this candid shot ended up as the "best" hairstyle photo I'm left with....

Till then,

Mia Foo

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BestInSingapore's Acai Bowl Delivery [Sponsored]

In recent years, the Acai berry has been one of the hottest trend in the #healthyeating culture, touted as one of the superfoods that is packed with tons of benefits. And even though they're called berries, the acai berries grows on a tree and contain pits like apricots and olives, making them a drupe. 

-credits to https://fineartamerica.com/-

And the main reason why these berries-in-disguise drupes have joined the superfoods' team is due to their impressive list of health benefits that includes:
- Nutrient dense
- Loaded with antioxidants
- May improve cholesterol levels
- May have an anti-cancer effect
- Could boost brain functions

So I'm super elated when Best In Singapore sent over some of these delicious healthy treats from The Acai Lab, which was listed as one of the Best 7 Acai Bowl available for delivery in Singapore. 

Other than offering islandwide delivery in 60 minutes, and using only organic and non-GMO fresh fruits in their acai bowls; what sets The Acai Lab apart from the others is their special PurpleBlend Acai base, which was created with the vision of combining great taste, nutrition and aesthetics into one. Pure Acai puree was combined with various purple superfoods, along with bananas and almond milk to create a rich purple coloured creamy base that is used in every single one of their acai bowls, which supposedly boost immunity, improves brain and gut health, and also improves skin complexion. 

That's just what I need in a bowl of healthy treat! 

So let's see what I've chosen for my greedy self to feast upon!

Signature Acai Bowl - $10.20 (med) / $15.60 (lrg)

Featuring their signature acai base, along with 10 most popular toppings (granola, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, raisins, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, cranberries, chia seeds), givine you the perfect mouthful all in one bite! 

Even though there's already so much topping given in the standard serving, I still very greedily added on some mangoes and nutella, YUM! 

But in the end, because this signature bowl is really packed with A LOT of ingredients, I ended up using the nutella for the other bowl (Berry Berries) instead. This is definitely the go-to if you're undecided on which bowl to go for; for this has literally everything. An order of the large bowl can easily make it a hearty meal for you than just a healthy snack. 

Berry Berries - $10.10 (med) / $15.20 (lrg)
Loaded with all the antioxidants you need (granola, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, raisins, almonds), topped on their special Mango-Acai blend for a "berry-special" time!

Being a huge berry fan (strawberries, blueberries, raspberry, blackberries), I had to order this when I saw this. And of course, you can't have too much strawberries; hence the extra order of more strawberries for my Berry Berries bowl. HAH! 

The addition of mango to the acai base not only added a more subtle sweetness, but also gave the base a slightly less appealing, muddy brown colour. 

Initially I thought it was the nutella, and then I realised it wasn't. 

The berries aren't tart enough for my liking (and both the blueberries & strawberries are disappointingly neither tart nor sweet), not something that The Acai Lab can do anything about it though; but the generous amount of granola and almond flakes added a nice crunch to the overall mouth-feel and also a great nutty flavour.

Nutty Nature - $8.90 (med) / $12.90 (lrg)
A mix of dried fruits, pumpkin seeds, mixed nuts as well as kiwis, bananas and blueberries on their signature acai base. This bowl is well-loved by many for having just the right amount of sweet and sour while still being just as refreshing, chilled and tasty like other bowls. 

If you're a huge fans of nuts and prefer having more crunchy "texture" in your acai bowl, this is your jam! The HB had this whole bowl to himself and quite liked it (although he prefers the Signature Acai Bowl more). 

For more information on what other Specialty Bowls & DIY Acai Bowls The Acai Lab has to offer for delivery, visit their website HERE. 

Also check out bestinsingapore.com for more of what's the best of everything Singapore has to offer. 

All food styling photographs credit to Owari Photography

Till then,

Mia Foo

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Mia Bakes: Applesauce Walnut & Raisin Quick Bread (With Green Banana Flour)

 Frankly speaking, I don't really understand the logic of quick breads. Let's face it, you can't get bread without long proofing. The texture just ain't right. They're still cakes, albeit coarser and denser.... Muffins! Yes, they're muffins baked in a loaf. Are they not? But breads or muffins, they're delicious. And they're also super quick and easy to make. So let's make ourselves some (slightly healthier) walnut and raisin quick bread using applesauce and green banana flour!
This is also going to be an eggless recipe, as I was baking this for my grandma, who doesn't eat eggs in the morning (due to religion). Making this eggless will allow her to eat the bread for breakfast instead of having to wait till after noon to eat it. 

If you've not heard of green banana flour, it's a gluten free alternative to grain flour, having been made from green bananas. They're said to be high in resistance starch, with benefits such as:

1. Improving negative effects of metabolic syndrome

2. Promotes a healthy colon

3. Could reduce insulin sensitivity

4. Possibly aids weight loss

5. May reduce cholesterol levels

So let's get over with the ingredients so we can get started!
To get 1 loaf serving, you'll need:

250g unsweeten applesauce

80g dark brown sugar

135g plain flour

85g green banana flour (I used Edward & Sons)

75g unsalted butter, soften

70g honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

1/3 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

100g raisins (I mixed sultanas with yellow raisins)

50-60g walnuts, roughly chopped.

In a large bowl, cream the soften butter and brown sugar together. Then, add in the applesauce, honey and extracts and mix until well combined. There might be some "separation" of the butter, but it's alright. From 135g of plain flour, take about 1 to 2 tbsps and mix it into the raisins and chopped walnut mixture and toss till everything is well coated. This will prevent the walnuts and raisins from sinking to the bottom of the bread while it bakes. 

Then, add in all the of the dry ingredients (flours and leavening agents) into the wet ingredients and mix until there's just a few streaks of flour to be seen. Then, dump in the chopped walnuts and raisins and mix until just combined. You do not want to overmix your batter, as the green banana flour (along with applesauce) will make your cake quick bread slightly denser (and crumbly) than usual. Overworking the gluten in your plain flour will definitely give you a super dense and tough bread. 

Once there's no more streaks of dry flour to be seen, scoop the batter into a lined loaf pan and bake at 175 degree Celsius for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with just a few crumbs. Leave the bread to cool down slightly in the loaf pan for 5 to 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan and letting it cool COMPLETELY on a wire rack. Do not try to slice it when it's still warm; things will get messy with all the crumbling. 

And tadaa~ 

The dark brown sugar and honey will add a lot of rich sweetness to the cake, and while the applesauce helps to make the cake quick bread super moist, the green banana flour helps to give the bread a denser and "coarser" texture, like a christmas plum cake. Well, as I've said, this is definitely more of a cake (rich and sweet) than a bread (bland). Try it and let me know what you think!

Till then,
Mia Foo

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