Crazy Good Banana Bread

All photos courtesy of Mel Adair.

I love cookie dough.  Chocolate chip cookie dough.  After whipping up a batch, I have to bake it or freeze it as quickly as possible or I eat it.  Then I have guilt so I don't make it for a long time.  

Confession:  This banana bread dough is nearly as good, if not dangerously better than cookie dough!  I know, I know.  You're thinking that no one in their right mind would eat bread dough.   But this isn't normal bread dough.  This is crazy good banana bread dough that does a Cirque du Soleil in your mouth.  If you are a purist, this recipe is NOT for you.  If you are adventurous, this one is worth a shot!

I pulled the original recipe off the Food Network site, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, in 2010 and have been making adaptions since.   

Speaking of crazy....

Prep time: 20 minutes

Level: Easy

Servings: 2 bread loaves / 4 mini loaves

I provide lots of recipe options.  Use the ingredients based on your personal preference and/or what you have on-hand!

Ingredients:

1 cup softened (not melted!) unsalted butter.  Don't even think about substituting butter magic in a recipe.  The original recipe calls for shortening but contains hydrogenated oils ('bad heart-clogging fat').  Bleck!)  

2 cups of sugar.  Substitute 1/2 the sugar with Stevia or Splenda for fewer calories.  Stevia is way better for you but spendy.

4 eggs.   Substitute 2 of the eggs with 2 TBSP of organic ground flaxseed for extra health benefits.  Use vegetarian, free range chicken eggs for best nutrition and flavor.  I discuss the health perks and my favorite egg brand in my Rarebit with Pinot Grigio Sauce recipe

1 tsp of vanilla extract, not vanilla flavoring!

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt  (sea salt)

2 1/2 cups of flour (all-purpose, unbleached)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup roasted slivered almonds (substitute chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts).  

4 very ripe bananas, cut into chunks

Fun additions: 

This is where the party begins!  I add everything that I have on-hand!  The amounts are conservative suggestions.  I usually add a tad more of each.  

1/2+ tsp almond extract

1/2+ tsp rum flavoring or 1 tsp of dark rum

1/2+ tsp orange extract - delish with dried cranberries!

3/4+ cup DARK chocolate chips  

1/2+ cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes.  Trader Joe's has amazingly huge flakes!

1/3 cup finely chopped candied ginger

1/2 cup (a couple handfuls) of oatmeal for more texture in your bread

1/2 cup (2 medium) grated carrots 

1/2 cup grated zucchini

For quality and cost-effectiveness, I purchase Splenda, cooking spray,
chocolate chips, ground flaxseed, and vanilla from Costco.
Watkins has the best extracts and flavorings and is found at grocers.
 Candied ginger, slivered almonds, and cranberries can be purchased
 in bulk and stored in glass jars for easier organization.
I use vegetarian fed chicken eggs, of course!  This brand happen to be on sale.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray loaf pans with cooking spray.  Lightly dust with flour or sugar.  I prefer stoneware for all my baking as foods bake more evenly.

Roast nuts slightly over low heat in a saute pan until golden to bring out their flavor. Here's some great tips  on roasting from a fellow blogger! Allow nuts to cool prior to adding to other ingredients.

Using an electric stand mixer, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time.  Mix well.  Slowly add the desired extracts.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and seasonings.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture just until blended.  Do not over mix!  While the mixer is off, add the banana chunks and all the other additions.  Turn on the blender and mix slowly until the ingredients are incorporated.  

Fill loaf pans 3/4 full.  Sprinkle tops of loaves with extra nuts, a bit of white sugar, or drizzle with a bit of melted butter.   Hey, I never promised this was a low fat recipe!  I just make a few healthy alterations but YOU control how much you eat after it's baked!  (or before - whichever).

Bake full sized loaves for about an hour or until the center is brown and set.  Bake mini loaves for 35 minutes or until set.

Enjoy and SHARE! 

Crazy Good Banana Bread - Yum!

The boys came home from school!

Other ideas:

*America's Test Kitchen provides taste tests on grocery items.  This is a great link for those results  which are updated regularly!

*To use more ground flaxseed in your diet, store it in a parmesan cheese glass shaker on the counter.  Use it with your seasonings before roasting veggies or meats or after steaming your veggies.  Get creative with it!