Banana Bread

I am back up and running! Whew...I didn't realize how much I enjoyed doing this until I couldn't for 2 weeks. We did have to replace the hard drive and unfortunately lost all our pictures. So I will have to redo a few blogs I already had ready to go, that's OK practice makes perfect.

So today I will share with you my favorite Banana Bread recipe.

I was so excited when I go this as a gift for Christmas!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

*The recipe calls for 1/4 cup chopped walnuts but I do not like nuts in my bread so I chose to leave them out.

Let's get started!

I ended up halving the recipe because I only had 2 bananas.

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease your pans. I used a small square cake pan. Of course use loaf pans if you have them.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Next combine the bananas, eggs, sugar, and oil in a bowl. I mashed everything with a potato masher. Sometimes you have to get resourceful :)

Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).

Now for the kicker. A streusel nut topping! mmmmm.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs butter
1/3 cup chopped hazel nuts.

*The recipe calls for walnuts but I love the change to hazel nuts. I feel it compliments the bananas nicely.

In a bowl combine the brown sugar and flour. Using a fork cut in the butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the chopped hazel nuts.

Add your streusel topping to your bread mixture.

Bake for 50-55 mins for 9x5x3-inch pans or 40-45 mins for 71/2x31/2x2-inch pans. I baked my 6" square cake pan for about 50 mins.

Cool for 10 mins on a wire rack, remove from pan and enjoy!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday!