I've got a week off school and I was looking for a baking project. Something to go well with my morning coffee. My freezer was stuffed full and bunches of black bananas were threatening to fall out every time I opened the door. I figured it was time for banana bread. I was coerced (pretty easily I might add) into making Robin Miller's banana bread with raspberries in it, since it is not a combination I usually hear of. There's walnuts in banana bread, or chocolate chips...I've even seen the internet stuffing their banana bread with peanut butter and topping it with Reese peanut butter cups! But the idea of sweet-tart pink berries studding my bread was exactly what I wanted.
I streamlined the recipe slightly by cutting out the step where you mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. It works out just fine. You'll have the batter mixed up and ready to go, even before your oven is preheated.
Recipe from Quick Fix Meals
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Serves 8
4 large overripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (not in syrup; don't bother to thaw)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or a bit of cooking oil.
In a large bowl, peel then mash the bananas until mushy. Add the milk, egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just blended. Fold in the raspberries (don't overstir, or they'll start to break up and turn the batter pink). Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Baked until a knife inserted near the center comes out almost clean (little bits clinging to the knife mean the bread's still moist), about one hour (mine needed an extra 10 minutes). Let cool in the pan, set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.
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RESULTS?
I have to admit, I didn't think this bread was going to work. Once I had it all mixed up I realized "she doesn't add any oil!" But I needn't have worried....this bread is SOOOO delicious. It had a nice outer crust and moist insides. The raspberries are perfect. I want to make my banana bread like this always.
Miller suggests swapping out the raspberries for blueberries or strawberries if you prefer. She also says the bread freezes well. Make a double batch and once cool, wrap one loaf in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before slicing.