Butter my banana bread

Banana Bread was one of the very first things I ever learned to bake as a child, it helped ignite my passion for food and cooking.  Its easy to make, and easily makes everyone around you happy. Over the years, I've played with and tweaked my recipe, and this, by far is my favorite. (makes 2 loaves)

Start with well ripened bananas.

Toss together all dry ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and  1/3 cup of chocolate chips, you'll use these to top banana bread before baking

Mash your bananas and add remaining wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ones, slowly mixing until well blended.

Grease bread pan with butter, shortening or cooking oil.  Lightly dust flour over greased pan, to prevent bread from sticking. Pour half of batter into bread pan. Sprinkle half of reserved walnuts and chocolate chips evenly over batter. Gently push them into batter, about half way in. 

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups flour ( I used 1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour, and 1/2 cup of coconut flour*)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt ( I used fleur de sel)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (1/2 cup in batter)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (2/3 cup in batter)

Wet ingredients

• 6 ripe bananas ( about 2 cups)
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp. vanilla extract ( I used a bourbon madagascar vanilla)
• 1 1/3 cup maple syrup ( only the real stuff, no Aunt Jemimas)
• 1/3 cup light cooking oil (I used sunflower oil, don't use olive, it's taste is too distinctive)

Bake for 40 minutes at 375*C on middle rack of oven, 45 minutes if you're baking 2 loaves at once.


* Coconut Flour is very high in dietary fiber and protein, and is low in carbohydrates. Its a little expensive, so generally i use about 20% coconut flour and 80% wheat flour.