Banana Bread

Anyone have any great moist banana bread recipes?

AH... one of Deb's fall specialties...
This one is very moist and dense and has a very strong banana flavor...
Goes great with some cream cheese spread over the top...
A recipe we adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook Recipe...
Deb makes 10 or so every Thanksgiving/Christmas for gifts to some of our friends...
after ten or so years, they now expect it from us every year!
I'll have to post our cranberry bread recipe now too...
with Grand Marnier infused dried Cranberries... another favorite for Christmas time!

[color:"blue"]BANANA BREAD[/color]

INGERDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg, or allspice
1/4 tps. salt
1 large egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup mashed, very ripe, bananas (we let the bananas get completely black)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup veg. oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
(1/4 cup finely chopped dates, optional)
whole pecans to decortae on top

DIRECTIONS:
pre-heat oven to 350F
grease loaf pan with Crisco Butter Flavored.
combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt well mixed
in another bowl, mix egg, mashed bananas, sugar, cooking oil, vanilla and lemon peel

make well in the dry ingredients, and add wet ingredients
mix til just a little lumpy, don't over mix...
(we usually just use our kitchen-aid mixer on SLOW! with the bread paddle)
fold in nuts
pour batter into loaf pan
decorate with whole pecans on top

bake for 50-55 minutes ot until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes or so
unmold loaf and wrap loosely in foil and store overnight before slicing


enjoy!

Below is a recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook that I have been using for years. I have 5 older brothers and they would be very disappointed at the holidays if I showed up with out it. Sometimes I add a 1/2 cup of choc. chips or a cup of blueberries. My brothers like the traditional the best.

Banana Bread


1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk (if I don't have buttermilk I mix 1 T of lemon juice with regular milk to make 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired


1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

I'm not home now, so don't have access to my recipe, but I got a great recipe from I think (gasp!!) Emeril online. It has sour cream in it. It is excellent. You could probably find it on the Food Network site..

I had banana bread with pineapple in it while on a vacation to Barbados, and that sure made it moist and memorable -- I've never forgotten it.

Carol, I'd like to see that recipe...
Sour Cream in quick breads is soooo good...
I don't like dry, cake like quick breads...
anything to make some moister and more dense is good...
some of the quick bread recipes I have are just too much like pound cake...

Brian, I've made this for years, however, due to the amount of sugar I haven't made it in a while. I don't think Splenda would adapt to the large amount of sugar. I'll try it in the future. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
BTW, this is large enough recipe to divide into a couple of loaf pans. I make it in a lasagna pan. I've also added chocolate chips a couple of times. Chocolate and banana are a good marriage.

Banana Bread with Sour Cream

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Brian--here it is--

Banana Bread
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min Level:
Intermediate Serves: 1 loaf


Ingredients
10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas) (I add more..)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze from www.myrecipes.com

A nice Caribbean twist to an ordinary banana bread. Rum......yum!!




Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.

Icing
Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Thanks Carol!

Contessa, that sounds great! But? no limoncello in the icing??? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Now, you might just gave something!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />



<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Kiss.gif" alt="" /> C