Don?t Forget to Flax?er Floss

So I sort of lied yesterday when I said I’m unemployed.  I have a job but it’s not a permanent one.  I have until September and then I get booted from my position as a research assistant on campus because I won’t be a student anymore.   It’s too bad, I love the lab I work for and my professor is awesome.  For my birthday I got the greatest gift, mostly because I wasn’t expecting it and also because it is suitably geeky! Departing from my job under my favorite fun-guy (haha get it, fungi?) professor will be bittersweet when I have a real job because they have been so nice to me in the plant pathology department here.  Or just bitter if I’m still looking come September 1.  This bread sums up that feeling with delicious ripe bananas, low sugar and a bittersweet cocoa undertone. 

Cocoa-Nana Walnut Flax Seed Bread

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Cocoa-Nana Bread

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan or spray down with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, bp, salt and baking soda in one bowl.  In a second bowl beat the butter until it is softened and then add the sugars–beat for another 2 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time along with the bananas.  Then add the dry mix and alternate each addition with the buttermilk (add about a third of each every time)

Once the mixture is aerated by hand mix in the walnuts and flax seeds, keeping the reserved tablespoon for sprinkling on top of the batter after you pour it into the pan.  Bake the cake for about 30-40 minutes.  Then tent the cake with some aluminum foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool.  Slice and slather on a thin layer of buttery spread and enjoy with a strong cup of coffee in the morning.  It is a delicious way to start the day before heading off to work.