During hurricane Irene our test kitchen was open. We had overly ripe bananas and you know how I hate to throw away food, so banana bread was on the menu. I can NEVER leave a recipe alone, which is why I call my kitchen a “test kitchen”. OK, if I am being “real” I call it a test kitchen because I can write off my blunders under the “test kitchen” umbrella and I have A LOT! For the recipe below I took what I liked from two recipes: Jessica Seinfeld’s Banana Bread (Deceptively Delicious) and Allrecipe.com’s Pineapple Banana Bread submitted by Mary Watkins.
This is what I came up with:
Banana Yam Applesauce Bread
What? Don’t knock it till you try it =P Why yam? Drew will not eat vegetables and so I hide them in EVERYTHING! Also, yams are full of vitamins, they are sweet so less sugar is needed, and I didn’t have any pineapple. =D Why Applesauce? I didn’t have enough banana. HA! This is a real kitchen people and clearly not stocked by the Food Network. =)
It was time to bake so I grabbed Brett and off I went. It’s always better for me to be supervised when baking is involved because I inevitably forget pivotal ingredients like eggs or the leavening agents. Besides this is another opportunity for Brett to shake his head at me so he is game. For example, while baking I like to mention all the things “you’re not” supposed to do WHILE I AM DOING IT…. ex. “You should not measure the cinnamon over your bowl of dry ingredients.” My foods teacher would NOT be pleased with me. She used to throw raw eggs at us if we were stupid… NO JOKE! (LOL) I think maybe that is why I am such a nervous nelly in the kitchen. What? I gotta blame someone! “Blame” is the new “take responsibility”, you know, like 40 is the new 30! ;-) (kidding)
Anyway here is the recipe…
Dry ingredients:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. sea salt
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder (non-aluminum preferred)
1 tsp. cinnamon (I use organic but it doesn’t effect taste either way)
1 cup walnuts
1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (Hershey because we’re in PA)
*I never sift but instead mix the dry together with a wisk. This is due to laziness not because I think I am smarter than actual bakers. ;-)
in a second bowl wet ingredients:
4 large egg whites (from chickens with some freedom a.k.a free range)
¾ canola oil (I’d like to use a different oil in baking not a fan of canola… suggestions?)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (Our vanilla is homemade… made from vanilla bean and vodka…. it ‘s not completely ready so it is really mostly vodka with Vanilla flavor… but whatev!)
1 cup mashed overly rip bananas
1 cup yam puree (no time to puree & don't have yams? Substitute with applesauce or more mashed banana or crushed pineapple (drained))
¾ cup organic applesauce
*beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Add all other wet ingredients and combine with mixer.
*Combine dry ingredients with the wet by stirring in the dry slowly with a spoon until combined.
As I mentioned I usually forget the leavening agents, which must stem from my unconscious desire to be a mason because my bread comes out as bricks! This batch however………. Came out great thus me sharing the recipe. Heehee.
Bake at 350 degrees. If you’re making two large loafs bake for 50 to 60 minutes (test with toothpick). If you’re making mini loafs, this batch will make 5 mini loafs baked for 25-35 min. If you are like me and cram all of the batter into 4 mini loafs because that is what your pan holds then increase the mini loaf time to 40 to 50 min (test with a toothpick).
Happy Baking =)
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