A vegan banana bread with dark chocolate chip, a hint of vanilla and lemon zest, shaped into cute mini cakes and made with spelt flour.

I love chocolate. There's no way I can hide it. I think you've already noticed by now that I add chocolate (cocoa, chocolate chips or chunks, chocolate spread) to most of my baked goods. Even in my "healthier" recipes.

Chocolate is my weekness, I just can't live without it.

And I guess I'm not completely alone out there.

It is already 22 days and a few hours that I left -momentarily- my husband in Edmonton to come back to my city, Rome, to work. In less than three months I'll be back to my other home and to my husband, but for now, chocolate helps keep my mood up. I know, in some older posts, you heard me complaining about missing Rome, my family, friends, even work, but then, when I'm finally here, I miss my life there, in Edmonton: my yoga and jazzercise classes, my -very few- precious friends, my cats, not having to work and mostly and absolutely my lover, partner, best friend, my husband. I miss our breakfasts. Every morning of the week I get up and we have breakfast together even if I could stay in bed a little longer, but I just can't imagine not having breakfast with him, not spending morning time together. So, in this lonely sunday morning (I'll go to my parents for lunch, don't worry) I am baking Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip "Tortine" and I so desperately wish I could share them with Loreto.

Tortine, in italian, are mini cakes, they are like muffins but wider and less tall. I found the liners at Ikea and immediately I had the idea of what I wanted to bake. I had some organic farro (spelt) flour, a couple bananas and the inevitable bittersweet chocolate chips. Soy milk, peanut oil, brown sugar, a touch of vanilla and lemon zest, a pinch of salt, baking soda and baking powder, that's all the rest I need. A couple medium bowls, a whisk, a rubber spatula and those pretty individual mini cake (or muffin) liners.

I love spelt flour in my baking, it is so versatile, and you can switch it for the all-purpose or the whole wheat flour without worrying about dramatically compromising the texture of your baked good. Spelt is an ancient grain, so it is not gluten-free, but it is tolerated even to those who have a mild gluten intolerance (NOT if you're celiac). It has a fairly strong nutritional profile, has slightly fewer calories than wheat flour and is somewhat higher in protein. Spelt flour is easy to digest but is lower in fiber than wheat. It makes a really light, soft, highly nutritious texture, with an appealing nutty flavour.

In these Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip "Tortine" the spelt flour blends perfectly with the banana flavor and is exalted by the chocolate.

The mini cakes are so moist and light and fluffy that I could eat the entire batch. Luckily for me, I will take some to my parents and I will stop at my friend Laura's house to hand out a few.

Breakfast is not the same without my husband (anything is not the same without him) but what a girl has to do? I talked to him on Skype, then, due to the time change, while he was ready for sleep, I was ready for breakfast and I enjoyed my cappuccino with a tortina, in my cute, lonely, white kitchen.

Have a great Sunday, all of you, and enjoy this vegan version of a banana chocolate muffin.