Back With Banana Bread

I made this wonderful banana bread with the assistance of my mom who was visiting for the holidays. Between burning my hand on the stove while making fajitas the week before, and being sick with no appetite, I only have a couple of posts to catch up on. But I'm finally feeling better, so I hope to make some new dishes & get back to more blogging this week.

I have been making the same couple of banana breads/muffins for a while now, and I was looking for something a little different. This one had pecans in it and a little bit of a different technique for mixing the bananas, both of these things added great flavor & texture.

My loaf pan was a little smaller than the one specified in the recipe, resulting in a few more minutes cook time and a browner top & edges...next time I would pour some of the batter in muffin tins (or maybe just get a bigger pan!)

Banana Bread with Pecans
Food Network/Tyler Florence

Prep Time: 25 min Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream.

Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend.

Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.