Banana Bread

Oh do I love banana bread...I also love banana pancakes, which is a lovely treat if you happen to have bananas around your house. This bread recipe was originally for muffins. I decided to test it as a bread recipe and it worked out great with a doubling of the cook time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour (note, you can use all whole wheat, all white whole wheat, whichever you prefer)
• 4-7 ripe bananas, mashed and separated
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup apple juice, milk or water (whatever you have available)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly grease baking pan/s then set aside
3. Mash one to two bananas depending on how many you have access to
   
4. Using a whisk attachment beat together sugars, eggs and butter, scrap bowl then add in mashed banana and whisk for approximately three minutes
   
5. Combine dry ingredients, sift and set aside
6. Add vanilla to butter mixture and scrape the bowl thoroughly
7. Stir in dry ingredients alternating half of the flour mixture, then the 1/3 cup liquid, then the remainder of the dry mixture
8. Stir in remaining mashed bananas, pour mixture into pans
9. Bake for 40-60 minutes depending on size of bread pans (Muffins go for approximately 25)
10. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing bread from the pan and placing it on wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

I used Simply Apple brand juice for my recipe, because I didn't want to add in any extra ingredients that are in other juices. You can also toast some walnuts and chop them and mix it into the batter when you add in the bananas the second time for banana nut bread. Whisking in some of the banana with the butter helps to really work the flavor into every aspect of the bread...this makes a wonderful breakfast bread or a tasty snack during the day. In moderation it probably isn't TOO bad for you...since it uses the wheat flour you get to keep the protein from the wheat germ and things, so I believe it balances itself fairly well. Like I said, it makes a good meal, or a small pick me up during the day. There is a lot of butter, which can probably be substituted for some apple sauce...another experiment that I will start on soon.