Chocolate Banana Almond Crumb Cake

It started with a list. Everything with me is a list. I think I like to write them more than I like to cross off my victories. I was lying in bed the night before last thinking about my next kitchen adventure when I remembered that Kody, The Texan, keeps making fun of me for all the brown bananas in the freezer.

Every time I add one to the pile he just shakes his head and laughs. Really?" he says "another one?" My reply is always “what they’re frozen, they last forever?" How long do bananas actually last in the freezer? I have no idea... This morning when he woke and found a plate of brown bananas on the counter he just chuckled. Cake here we come. I have a love hate relationship with his distaste for sweets. How could anyone not love dessert? The love part is that there is always more for me to eat; the hate part is that there is always more for me to eat.

As you may have read I am obsessed with Food 52, in fact I am obsessed with all things food blogging these days. I literally just read and read and think of ways to make voice heard. Not like that screaming annoying way like waving my arms and jumping up and down, but in that way that just showcases who am I am. Maybe a few jumps. 

Okay I am rambling and there is a point here.... oh right I made a Chocolate Banana Almond Crumb Cake today. Say that 5 times fast. With only my interest in mind I started to search Food 52 for chocolate banana bread recipes, the Texan will absolutely not be partaking (the hate part) and I found this one that is a crumb cake for an added bonus. If you adapt a recipe, change a few things, you can call it your own, how much change is change? To be on the safe side and the honest side this is her recipe with my touch.

After eating batter all afternoon, snapping 300 pictures, and skipping breakfast it was hard to tell if what I created was delicious. I honestly felt exhausted and a bit delirious as I ate the piece I waited so patiently to cool. Then I had another piece. Then I took 300 more pictures. I still had no idea. Was this the best piece of Chocolate Banana Almond Crumb Cake ever?

The only way to find out was to cut my cake into pieces and bring it to work. I would let my fellow peers be the judge and jury over my labor of love. We have family meal everyday that is set up on the pass, for non-restaurant people that is a counter that the Chef hands over the finished plate to be taken to the guest, I would add my goodness to the bunch anonymously.

What came after was pure victory and an empty plate. Within minutes the news spread like a wild fire that there was cake and that it was delicious. When the truth came out it was mine everyone was impressed and I crossed that victory right of my list. 

Chocolate Banana Almond Crumb Cake

Almond Streuesel Topping

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Flour

3 Tablespoons room temperature Butter

1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

3/4 cups chopped Tamari Almonds

Chocolate Banana Cake Batter

6 Tablespoons room temperature Coconut Oil

2 Eggs

1/2 cup plain Icelandic Yogurt

2 cups sifted Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1 cup semi sweet Dark Chocolate Chips

4 very ripe mashed Bananas

1. Preheat oven 350F and pray your pan with cooking spray, I like to use a 9in spring form round
2. Combine streusel ingredients, mixing well with more butter if necessary
3. Cream coconut oil and sugar
4. Add eggs one at a time
5. Mix the vanilla and yogurt and then incorporate to the mix
6. Combine your dry ingredients for the cake
7. Fold the wet ingredients into the flour
8. Alternate with the mashed bananas
9. Fold in chocolate chips
10. Pour 1/2 the batter into your pan
11. Top with 1/2 of the topping mix
12. Poke the mixture into the batter loosely with your fingers
(yes get messy if you are not already)
13. Top with the remaining batter
14. Finish with the remaining topping mix
15. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes
16. Cover loosely with foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes
17. Do the toothpick test
18. Slightly cool, cut and enjoy.

Recipe: Chicken Fried Steak

As my Texan would say this dish is never to be called Country Fried Steak, to a Texan that is just blasphemy, it is always Chicken Fried Steak. Here is how I make it, with just a few changes and a very happy Texan.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound cubed steak pounded into 4 pieces

1/4-1/2 pounds Country Sausage(optional)

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour

2 cups Panko(Japanese bread crumbs)

1 pint buttermilk

1/2 cup whole milk

bacon grease

coconut oil

2 Tablespoons Cajon spice

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons+ salt

2 teaspoons+ pepper

2 dashes Tapito

2 dashes vinegar

First: soak cubed steak in buttermilk and brown county sausage

Then: prepare breading for dipping mixing flour, Panko, dry spices in a dish that is easy for dipping. I like to use a pie dish. Mix all ingredients well and with your hands. You want to crush the Panko into smaller bits and incorporate all the spices evenly. Now you could use a food processor but there is no fun in that and it is not as rustic.

Now: Heat bacon grease and coconut oil in a heavy duty skillet, cast iron preferably. Use a 3:1 ratio. More bacon grease. You want the oil to come a little less than halfway up your breaded steaks. You could use all coconut oil to make this low fat, but if your going that route I would just omit this whole recipe. This is for special occasions in moderation, so please leave in the bacon grease. The coconut oil is only so you can achieve a higher smoke point for frying.

As the oil heats up start to batter your steaks. Drain off the buttermilk, but leave a nice coat. Dredge in breading mix. Get it thick on both sides. Once the oil is hot, over medium heat(about 375 degrees), carefully place your steaks in the pan. Do not crowd. Do take your time. When the blood pools on top it is time to flip. About 3-4 minutes, and again be very careful. I like to use a 2 spatulas to lift and guide over. This side should take only about 1-2 minutes. Repeat for every steak.

When one is finished transfer on to a wire rack. Depending on how big or how many pans you are using the steaks will stay hot an crispy for up to 10 minutes. You can keep warm in the oven on that wire rack for bigger batches. Otherwise they are fine at room temperature.

Now that all are finished frying it is time to make the gravy. Remove almost all of the grease, leaving behind about 2 tablespoons and all the "bits". What are "bits"? These are all of the bits of batter from frying and some meat juices. Stir your those 2 Tablespoons of flour into that remaining grease and bits. Cook off the flour taste and slowly begin to add the milk, whisking like a crazy person. Fully incorporate all the bits and taste for the flour. The consistency should be thick, but loose enough to cascade over the pretty fried steak. You may need to add more milk.

Here add the browned country sausage, Tapitio and vinegar. Little by little, tasting, tasting, tasting. I have a garlic pepper vinegar that I like to use but you can easily use apple cider, sherry or champagne. Really anything you have on hand that is not balsamic. When the richness of the gravy is balanced by salt, sour, sugar and spice you are golden.

Serve with your choice of sides depending on if this breakfast, lunch or dinner. I recommend breakfast so you have all day to burn these million calories and not feel guilty. Enjoy!