Best Banana Bread!

   What do you do when you have bananas that are way too ripe to just peel and eat?! Please don't say, "throw them away", because that is a complete waste of a perfectly good ingredient. When life gives you extremely ripe bananas, you make banana bread!!

     I was excited when my mom requested me to bake banana bread and use the bananas we had that just weren't very pretty to look at anymore.  In fact, the browner the better!  Here is a cool trick I read in my baking book (The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book): 

~Over-Ripening Bananas~ 

"The abundance of natural sugars in overripe bananas is the secret to big flavor and serious moisture in baked goods.  Yellow bananas don't have as much sweet flavor and will remain starchy even after baking.  But if that is all you have on hand, try this trick for "ripening" them quickly.  Before peeling and mashing, pop them on a baking sheet and into the heated oven for 15 minutes while gathering and measuring the rest of the ingredients.  The skins will turn black but the flesh will be brown, soft, and sweet.  This quick roast acts like an accelerated sunbath, coaxing out the prized natural sugars.  However, this trick will not work with green bananas, which are far to starchy and bitter for baking."

  I did not actually have to "help the bananas along", as mentioned above, because they were already to that point, but it is a very good bit of advice!  

    So, I mixed up all of my ingredients, super excited to be baking at 8:30 a.m., which almost NEVER happens. So, it was a great start to my day!  

   There is one ingredient to this recipe that is quite unique.  It calls for 1/4 c. of plain yogurt which allows you to cut back on butter, keeping it healthy, while adding some nice moisture to the bread as well as taste! 

The unique ingredient! 

   

     After everything was mixed together, I poured the banana batter into a greased bread loaf pan.  It cooked at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  I checked it half way through and rotated the loaf pan.  

   So, now that the yummy batter was cooking away in the oven, this is what was waiting for me to do next:

Yes, clean up is always apart of baking! :) 

 
     Quickly, here is the recipe for this best banana bread: 

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cups sugar          
3. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 3 very ripe, mashed bananas (1 1/2 cups) 
6. 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
7. 2 large eggs
8. 1/4 cup whole or low-fat plain yogurt 
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10. 1/2 walnuts, toasted (optional), and chopped 

~ Set oven to 350 degrees and adjust the rack to lower-middle position.  Grease a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2- inch loaf pan.

~ Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl.  Then in a separate bowl, whisk together the bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla.

~ Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined (don't over mix).  Fold in walnuts.  The batter should look thick and chunky!  (So good!)

~ Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.  Place it into the oven and bake for 55 minutes, until golden brown on top and when an inserted toothpick into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs.  Remember to rotate the pan half way through baking! 

    

~ Lastly, after out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking the bread out onto a wire rack where it will cool completely.

~ Enjoy!! 

     This was my finished product:

 

The walnuts add such a nice texture to the bread giving it a great crunch, in addition to the yogurt, which adds good moisture, but not too much.  Perfect balance! 

    I was glad to make mom happy by using up the ripe bananas in a way that she would enjoy.  Baking for my family is the best!

Now, you go use your overly ripe bananas and make the best banana bread ever!