Golden chai-nana bread with toasty cashew cream

‘Hai.  I modified a maple cornmeal banana bread recipe on the blog @feastingonfruit to make this toasty, lemon zesty banana bread studded with blueberries.  Aka, if a hipster were a baked good.  It is vegan, free of grains, gluten and oil (not part of the system).  But the coolest thing about this loaf (as a cool person would exclaim) is the turmeric, for the orange color, immune boosting, anti inflammatory properties, and being the perfect spice to tie cinnamon and cardamom with lemon.  Fall in loaf:

Golden chai-nana bread: 

1 1/2 c chickpea flour

1/2 c almond flour

1/2 T arrowroot starch

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 T cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c mashed bananas (about 4 medium)

1/3 c honey, or maple syrup for vegan

2 T almond milk

1/3 c blueberries (I used frozen)

zest of 2 lemons

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease or line a loaf pan with parchment
2. Mash your bananas in a bowl and then add the wet ingredients
3. Mix the dry ingredients together and then into the wet ingredients until combined.  Stir in the blueberries and lemon zest and spoon the batter into the prepared pan, topping with many more blueberries.  Bake for about 28 minutes, spinning the pan halfway for even baking.  When a toothpick comes out clean and dry, you are golden
4. Toasty cream!

Toasty cashew cream:

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or boiled til soft

5 T strong coffee

1/4 c maple syrup

3 dates, pitted

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Method: 

1. If your cashews are not soaked, bring them to a rolling boil in a small pot of water, then cover and turn off the heat, keeping the pot over the burner.  Let them sit until super soft.
2. Process or blend with the rest of the ingredients until smooth, pushing through a fine mesh strainer if desired.  Carefully invert the pan to remove the cooled loaf and then spoon on as much cream as you can.  And the extra is for toast, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, pancakes, ahh.  Cashew later! ha