Start with something that needs using up.

• Overripe bananas
• An abundance of berries or rhubarb
• Squash going bad
• Sour milk
• Wrinkly apples

Or start with a craving.

• Chocolate or cinnamon
• Pops of summer brightness in the cold of winter
• The grittiness of walnuts
• The warming of oats
• That magical mélange of sweet and fatty

Visualize and strategize.

• Sweet or savoury?
• Cakey or crunchy?
• Spoonable or squarable?
• Gluten-free or dairy-free or vegan or none of these?
• Layers or mixed together?

The basic ingredients are the same but flexible, and all are optional.

Dry:

• Some kind of flour to hold it together
• Dry fillers: oatmeal, hemp hearts, seeds whole or ground
• Leavening agent – baking powder (baking soda works if batter is acidic)
• Salt, spices, herbs

Fat:

• Coconut oil, vegetable oil, butter, cream cheese

Sweet:

• Mashed banana or squash
• Sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, stevia

Liquid

• Juice, leftover tea or coffee, milk, vanilla
• Eggs

Chunks:

• Nuts, seeds, dates, raisins, currents, dried apricots
• Chopped apples or pears, fresh or frozen berries
• Chopped vegetables
• Chocolate chips

Mix wet with wet and dry with dry, combine, then stir in the chunky. Too dry? Add liquid. Too wet? Make pancakes.

Pour or plop into greased square pan, bread pan or muffin tin, according to your vision. Top with something if you wish. Bake at 350 for 30 to 60 minutes until done. Cool on a rack.

Eat, share and evaluate. Did you achieve your vision? What would you do differently next time?