Banana Bread

Don’t you just love a fruit that can be eaten ripe or rotten? Not too many fruits you can say that about either. The ever wonderful banana is in a league of its own.

Just love bananas and I buy them all the time to put into my power shakes. Since I ran out of my Wonder Powder for my shakes, I let the bananas go bad…….not exactly how I had it planned….but it just worked out that way for this weekend’s sweet tooth.

Getting back to the using more applesauce, less sugar base for my sweet cooking.  I stumbled upon this recipe that was right up my alley. I only tweaked a few items.

First I reversed the sugar and applesauce amounts. Then instead of cinnamon applesauce, used regular applesauce and added fresh nutmeg. Smells like Heaven when grated! This combination my mother taught me from a banana muffin recipe she found and I have loved it for decades!!

Try this one yourself and I don’t think you will be disappointed. And you certainly won’t feel guilty about it! Got this from the “Kitchen Runway” Blog on www.tastespotting.com. What’s not to love. (Thanks for sharing)

Prep: 10 mins  – (LITERALLY)

Cooking time: 50 mins  –  Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

* 3 ripe bananas
* 2 C flour
* 1 C sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar)
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* ½ C cinnamon apple sauce (I used one cup regular + 1 tsp nutmeg)
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2 eggs, beaten
* ½ C nuts, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°, spray loaf pan with cooking spray
2. Mash bananas with a potato masher or a fork, set aside (I like to keep it on the chunky side because I like little bits of banana floating in my bread)

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda in medium bowl
4. Add cinnamon apple sauce, eggs, vanilla and bananas (and nuts if using) to flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined, do not overmix
5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake on center oven rack for 50 mins – 60 mins (until inserted tooth pick comes out clean)
6. Let cool in pan for 5 mins and then cool bread on cooling rack

Listened to some Boz Scaggs………what great memories. Wore my Napa Apron!! Whew…..June is finally looking like June!

Bon Appetit!

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