Unbelievable Banana Bread
Why I Love This Recipe
From The Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook
My notes: I love this bread! The one thing I usually don't like about most banana breads is how overly banana-y they are and this one is not - just a hint of banana. Next time I think I'll try pecans instead of walnuts and maybe play around with the spices. I had to bake the bread over an hour, but all ovens are different so just watch the baking time. Enjoy one now and freeze the other loaf for later, or eat them both now - it's that good!
Ingredients You'll Need
1 1/2 c. Walnuts (5 oz.)
2 1/4 c. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
3/4 c. Vegetable oil
2 1/4 c. Sugar
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 c. Buttermilk
2 c. Very ripe mashed bananas (about 5 small bananas)
Directions
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350.
Put the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until aromatic and lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. After 6-8 minutes, shake the pan and rotate if necessary to ensure even browning. When broken in half, the interior of the walnuts should be golden. Let cool, then roughly chop or break pieces by hand. Keep oven set to 350.
Spray two 9x3 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
Stir together the flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine the oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use a hand mixer. Beat on low speed until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk in a small bowl. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the mixer, followed by half of the buttermilk, and mix on low speed until barely combined, 10-15 seconds. Repeat. Scrape down the sides and mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Add the mashed bananas and walnuts and mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into prepared pans.
Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pans and let cool on the racks for at least 10 minutes before serving.