Mustang, Oklahoma, United States
60-ish 'child of the prairie' who loves sewing, baking, knitting and most of all -- family & friends.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Sunday Baking . . . . or I can't throw away bananas


I can't throw away bananas - simply cannot do it. I've been known to freeze over-ripe bananas if there isn't time to bake a batch of banana bread -- my favorite use for brown-speckled bananas. But if time permits, I use the following recipe from my much used Southern Living Cookbook to bake three loaves of wonderfully moist quick bread - the secret is the pineapple.
Yesterday, I had time for banana bread.

Hawaiian Banana Bread

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 (8 oz) can of crushed pineapple
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix together the first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, blend together well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened, do not over-mix.

Spoon batter into loaf pans ( 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" x 3 inch) sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool on wire racks.

I've been making this bread for almost 20 years and it's always turned out well. This recipe makes 3 loaves with my loaf pans, which are little smaller than a regular loaf pan. I bake the smaller loaves for 45-55 minutes.


By the way, this bread is great with these . . . .