Showing posts with label banana bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label banana bread. Show all posts

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Banana Bread

It seems that there are always tired, over-ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl. I have 3 choices - bake with them, toss them into the freezer to add to my growing collection of frozen bananas with the intention of using them for baking - or throw them into the composter. Today is another one of those days where guilt for my over-buying gets the best of me and I have to bake yet another banana recipe. Perhaps I should change the name of my blog to "Bananas 'R Us!"

This recipe is from my girlfriend Kim who got the original from a cookbook called "Lick the Spoon" by Marilyn Smith. I do not own the cookbook, so I can't comment on the book overall, but we have enjoyed this recipe numerous times. I did change it a bit - cut back on the sugar and oil from the original.

The recipe calls for wheat germ which I couldn't find in my freezer. (That means it's time to clean out the freezer or put wheat germ on the shopping list. I wonder which I'll pick.....)
I used ground flax instead. I think it should be a good substitution since I cut back on the oil from the original recipe.

Instead of 3/4 c. of brown sugar (original recipe) I cut it back to 1/2 c. - and used a blend of 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup Splenda®.

So here's the recipe - and it's an easy one.

Banana Bread

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Wheat germ (or 1/4 c. ground flax)
1/4 cup bran
1/4 cup All purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda


Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil ( I cut back to 1/4 cup)
1 cup mashed bananas (approx. 3 bananas)
3/4 cup brown sugar. (I cut back to 1/2 cup - and used 1/4 cup Splenda® and 1/4 cup brown sugar)


1/4 cup chopped nuts. (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9' x 5' loaf pan with vegetable spray.
Mix together dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients separately. A few pulses with a hand blender works beautifully.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until moistened.
Add the nuts if using.
Pour into 9' x 5" loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and continue cooling.
Enjoy!

The flax meal was the perfect substitution. The banana bread is delicious and moist - and the easiest recipe to make as long as you have the ingredients!