BANANA BREAD

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside.

4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bow]. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 C. mashed ripe banana (2 or 3 bananas)
1 t. vanilla
2 C.( King Arthur Stone Ground) Whole Wheat Flour (or white whole wheat)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional, pecans are also good)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.

3. Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla and beat well.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt (plus wheat germ if using).

5. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. At this point, add the chopped nuts if using.

6. Pour this mixture into a greased, 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then take it out and let cool on wire rack.

source: KA Flour 200th Anniversary cookbook

Yield: 1 loaf

I have always made these in mini muffin tins because they melt in your mouth when they are warm. They freeze well too. Joy

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 large overripe bananas
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate bits or chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1.5 pound loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together the bananas, white sugar and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and the canola oil and mix until blended. Stir banana mixture into the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool, then slice and serve.

Makes one loaf.

Thanks Judy, I have been away for a while traveling and have missed so many good recipes. For some reason we aren't eating our bananas like we used to, I just read about freezing them, how cool is that. Anyway with blackberries and strawberries in season around here I have been playing with banana muffin/bread recipes that have other fruit in them. Made a Banana Blackberry Bread yesterday that was actually lowfat and still great. I will have to post it tomorrow.

Joy

I like the sound of that one. So many "banana" bread recipes use very little banana it seems. Here is the low fat recipe I made with the tweaks included. I used blackberries instead of the original strawberries and changed to sugar instead of honey because I was out and my neighbor hadn't raided his hives lately.

Strawberry Banana Muffins (or Bread)

2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar 
1/4 cup brown sugar or use (1/4 cup honey instead of the sugars for a lighter bread)
1 cup nonfat sour cream
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (about 1/2 pound) or black or blue berries not chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, sugars, sour cream, egg, and salt and beat until combined.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and beat until incorporated.
4. Add remaining 3/4 cup of flour and baking powder, along with 2 tbsp of water, and beat until incorporated.
5. Stir in fruit gently.
6. Pour batter into lightly greased muffin or loaf tins. Bake for 25 minutes (for muffins), or 35 minutes (for small loaves). Allow to cool, and serve.