(you might also like this recipe for Mayan Banana Bread)

“With one tree able to produce as much as 400 pounds of food a year, using the Maya nut prevents rain forest clear-cutting to harvest other foods and increases populations’ food supplies. Dried, the Maya nut can be stored for up to five years — a lifeline for regions with frequent drought.

The Maya nut has high levels of nutrients including protein, calcium, fiber, iron and vitamins A, E, C and B…

It is also less susceptible to climate changes than the crops that had been brought in to replace it.”  -CNN

Adapted from a recipe by The Equilibrium Fund

1 1/2 cups sprouted wheat flour
1/2 cups Maya nut, ground
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-feee baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon true cinnamon
1/3 cup panela or other non-refined sweetener
1 cup strong coffee (use decaf if you prefer)
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons coumarin-free Mexican vanilla
2 tablespoons organic cider vinegar

Grease an 8″ deep-dish pie pan (or two 4-inch ramekins) with coconut oil.  Sift together the dry ingredients.  Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then slowly stir back into the dry ingredients.  Pour the batter into the pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Take care to not over-bake.  Allow to cool 15 minutes before inverting onto a large plate and glazing.

1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coumarin-free Mexican vanilla
2 tablespoons warm, filtered water

Melt the chocolate in a pan set over steaming water. Whisk in vanilla and water, then spoon over cooled cake.  Garnish with coconut flakes, cinnamon and ground, toasted Maya nut.

The Equilibrium Fund in partnership with Alimentos Nutri-Naturales, BanRural, Rainforest Alliance, the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture started the Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests Program in September, 2008..

Please visit The Equilibrium Fund to learn more