What you're about to read will change your life. Well, maybe not your life but it will change the life of any future banana bread you bake. This is a big deal that I share this secret with you but I'm doing it because I love you and it's the Christian thing to do. This is how I came upon this conclusion:
Question: Lord, should I share the secret to my super moist banana bread? It's so tasty and I kinda want to keep it my little secret and impress my friends with it. Is it wrong to keep this a secret? Please tell me it's not.
Answer: My dear, precious child: It's up to you but I think it would be nice if you shared this wisdom with those you love. Think about how happy they would be if they knew how to serve their own precious families this wonderful banana bread. What would Jesus do if he had come up with this recipe? Would he have kept it a secret or would he have shared the love? (Pause) What would Caroline Ingals do?
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (fresh is better if you have it)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 5 1/2 Tbs. butter, softened
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Whisk together, in a medium bowl, first 9 dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat with a mixer butter and sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gradually beat in flour mixture until consistency of brown sugar.
- Gradually beat in eggs.
- Mash bananas really well.
- Combine bananas and squash puree then fold into mixture until combined.
- Generously spray a loaf pan or muffin tin with cooking spray.
- If making a loaf bake for 50 to 60 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- If making muffins bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
Here's an easy method for squash puree:
- Peel and coarsely chop two to three cups of butternut squash.
- Place in a microwave safe dish add about 2 cups water; the water should cover only about half of the squash.
- Microwave 8 to 10 minutes.
- Test with fork, it should be very soft.
- Dump all of that into a blender and puree until very smooth.
Here is what you do with leftover butternut squash you didn't puree: Toss w/ three or four new potatoes, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, garam masala, drizzell w/ honey then roast in the broiler, tossing once or twice until just tender (about 15 minutes)
Now, go and bake. The Lord wants you to have banana bread.
Enjoy!
Stephanie
Find more from Stephanie at www.hugskissesandsnot.com.
