anana
Bread has stood the test of time. You can tell a favorite recipe by how often it
is used, and this recipe is one I return to again and again. In fact I often buy
bananas expressly for making this bread, impatiently waiting for their skin to
turn brown and their flesh to become soft and sweet. Banana bread falls under
the category of 'Quick Breads' which means it is leavened with either baking
powder and/or soda and is made by simply combining the wet ingredients with the dry
ingredients.
Banana bread starts with a
thick sweet batter that is full of mashed bananas, ground cinnamon and toasted nuts.
When you pull it from the oven the golden brown crust is delightfully crisp
and although the crust softens once the bread
is covered and stored, its wonderful moist texture and sweet flavor remain intact.
There are many types
of bananas, but most of us are familiar with that long and curved bright yellow
variety sold in bunches. Arriving at our shores over a hundred years
ago, this tropical dessert fruit has many virtues; it is available year round,
reasonably priced, of consistent quality, easy to peel, and most importantly, we
know by the color of its skin how firm its flesh will be and how sweet it will
taste. When you think about it, not many fruits can tell us so much just
by looking at them. Bananas are picked while still green which means
its flesh will be hard with little flavor. As time passes and the banana
ripens its skin begins to turn yellow and with that its flesh softens and flavor
sweetens. Further aging causes the skin to brown and its flesh to become
very soft and sweet. At this stage some people throw these bananas in the
garbage thinking they have gone bad, not realizing how delicious they will be
when mashed and baked in a bread or cake.
If you are like me almost
every time I buy bananas a few (not enough though to make this bread) will turn brown before I get around to eating
them. Instead of throwing them away simply slip them into a plastic bag
and place them into the freezer until you have enough for baking. You
can also peel and mash them, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice
for each banana, and freeze in an airtight container or bag. They will
keep about six months in the freezer.
Preheat oven to 350
degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and
flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of
a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
Place the nuts
on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let
cool and then chop coarsely.
In a large
bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs,
melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly
fold the
wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined
and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the
batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will
yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan
and place the slices of banana on top of the batter for garnish. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on
a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room
temperature. This bread can be frozen.
Makes 1
- 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.
Recipe:
1 cup (115
grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
(optional)
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