Banana Bread with Grapenuts

Lots of bananas that suddenly turned very ripe in the late, unexpected, September heat. A big box of Grape-Nuts still to be used. Walnuts at a better price than they have been for years.

Time for Banana Grape-Nuts bread.

This is a recipe I started making years ago, with just a few tweaks here and there. Adding the lemon juice to the bananas as they are mashed keeps them from browning quite as much and counters, just a little, the overall sweetness of the bread.

Back when I rarely had whole wheat flour on hand, the addition of Grape-Nuts provided just a little more body and texture than more standard recipes. The nice thing about this cereal is that it is still one of the few that does not have added sugar.

As with most of these kinds of bread, it slices much better on the second day, an advantage if you are making it for a brunch or coffee and have lots of other last minute kitchen work to do.

Finally--it is wonderful without any kind of spread--though a little cream cheese or butter on each slice is certainly acceptable!

While the original recipe suggested using one large loaf pan, I have always had better results by making this in smaller pans--a little more of the caramel-y crust and less likelihood that the outside will dry out before the center is completely baked. It also works nicely in small 3 X 6 pans for Christmas or other gift giving occasions.

Banana Grapenuts Bread

1 c mashed ripe banana

1 1/2 t lemon juice

1 1/2 c Grape-Nuts cereal (generic brands work just as well too)

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c canola oil

2 eggs

1/3 c dry milk powder (see NOTE)

2/3 c water (see NOTE)

1 3/4 c unbleached flour

2 1/2 t baking powder

2 t cinnamon
3/4 c coarsely chopped walnuts

1.  Mash the bananas and stir in the lemon juice.

2.  Beat the bananas, Grape-Nuts, sugar, oil, eggs, milk (dry milk and water) together and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes.

3.  Sift together and gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, mixing only enough to incorporate all the flour mixture.

4.  Fold in the nuts and turn the batter into two well oiled 8 1/2" X 4 1/2" pans (OR one 9 X 5 and one 8 1/2 X 4 1/2, if those are the only ones you have--like me!)  




 


5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes,  until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

 NOTE:  This can be made with 2/3 cup milk or plain yogurt instead of the dry milk and water.

About the nuts:

I have written before about the moljahete that I have been blessed with--if you haven't heard the term, this is a large mortar and pestle made out of rock that makes wonderful guacamole. However, I have learned that, because I don't use mine for a very garlicky salsa, it also provides a very quick way to coarsely chop walnuts...as you can see here:





And one more thing, another OOOOPS moment:

I had taken the photos of the walnuts being crushed in the moljahete and the batter in the pans, so into the oven went the two loaves. As I began to clear away the bowl, spatulas, etc., I realized there were two eggs laying on the counter. 

Two eggs that were supposed to have been in the batter. I quickly pulled the pans out of the oven, thankfully before they had really started to heat up, and turned the batter back into the bowl. Remember the instructions to "gently" fold in the flour? These breads come out best when the batter is handled lightly, but now I had no choice. There was going to have to be more mixing in order to get those eggs fully incorporated.

All turned out well, as I should have expected. While the preferred method is still the one listed in the recipe above, most things we make are more forgiving than we sometimes think. In this instance, it was impossible to tell that there had been an added step in the making of the bread!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Much of what I do in the kitchen depends on seasonal produce or what has been on sale lately. Recently, there were some really good sales on store brand peanut butter and bananas, so of course, I stocked up on both.  While the peanut butter has a nice long shelf life, the bananas have been doing what bananas always seem to do: ripening faster than I had planned.  I am one of those people who likes to eat bananas out of hand only when they are just barely beginning to get a few brown freckles. Once they get past that stage, well, in my mind, they are really only suited for baking. It was pretty evident this week that my most recent purchases needed to be used--and soon. Now that I also had lots of peanut butter, I thought it might be fun to try to mix the peanut butter and chocolate flavors together with the bananas for a "new and improved" banana bread. Someplace in my recipe files, I have cards for both a peanut butter bread and a chocolate bread.  I remember serving them for neighborhood Bible studies decades ago. Served with a little whipped cream cheese or butter, guests would often sandwich them together, one slice of each. Time to go back to a basic banana bread recipe (from Mrs. Bert Feltham) in my old brown (1936) Brick Church Cookbook. I grew up cooking recipes from this, and the copy I have once belonged to my Great Grandma Mereness. It is still fun to go back and flip through its pages, some carrying the spots and stains that indicate frequent use.   Starting with that classic, it didn't take much to update the old version by adding in both peanut butter and cocoa. The result was a great melding together of all these favorite flavors for a wonderfully delicious alternative to ordinary banana bread.  I think even Great Grandma Mereness would probably have approved. Kids Cooking Note This recipe combines a whole bunch of kid friendly foods and isn't too unhealthy. It also is very easy to make and uses ingredients most families are likely to have available—including those bananas that always seem to go from barely ripe to past their prime overnight. This could be a good cook together recipe. Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana Bread 1/2 c peanut butter—may be creamy or chunky 1 T soft butter OR oil 1 c sugar 1 c mashed bananas 2 eggs 1 t vanilla 1/2 c baking cocoa 2 c flour 1 t baking soda Cream peanut butter, butter, sugar and eggs together until smooth. Stir in bananas, vanilla, and cocoa powder and beat until well blended. Sift flour and baking soda together and add to remaining ingredients. Stir only enough to blend—don't overbeat.  Pour into two greased 4 X 8 loaf pans ("medium" loaves) and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack before wrapping tightly.  If desired, you may sprinkle the loaves with about 1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts  before baking. This is especially good the second day, sliced and served with or without butter or softened cream cheese.

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Quick Banana Bread

While I had the oven heating for an Apple Raspberry Crisp, I thought it would be a good time to use up some bananas browning a little too rapidly on the counter. Since I also had some mayonnaise in the refrigerator, it was a good time to do some more experimenting with that interesting ingredient.

I discovered there are quite a few banana bread recipes made with mayonnaise on the internet. However, almost all of these seemed a little bland, without any spices or vanilla.

Really?

How can you think of baking quick breads without some spices and flavorings?  Cinnamon and vanilla are almost as basic for me as onion in chili or meatloaf.  I like ginger in breads and cakes, and it goes well with bananas. Freshly grated ginger would be even better here, but I didn't have any in the house, so the ground form had to do.

And then there is the whole wheat flour, another thing missing from the internet recipes I found.  I won't pretend this is a totally "healthy" bread, but I prefer to use whole grain flours whenever I can, for the flavor as well as the better nutrition. However, it's not a deal breaker if you don't have any; just use all enriched flour if you don't have whole wheat.

A few notes about bananas:  The riper they are, the more sugars they contain, so you can cut back a little on the sugar. However, besides providing sweetness, the sugar in quick breads like these provides a softer texture; cutting it out completely is likely to leave a much less tender product.

Many older recipes (and some new ones too!) will list "3 bananas" or some other number, rather than a measured amount. A problem with this approach is the variation in the size of each banana. However, you might be tempted to throw away part of a banana if the 3 or 4 called for here equal more than a cup. Please don't do that! How can a site that lists "frugal" as its first word ever recommend such waste?! Be aware that a little extra banana (probably even as much as another quarter cup) will not lead to failure. The bread is likely to be just a little more moist, but you probably won't even notice the difference.

On the other hand, if you have only 7/8 of a cup or so of banana and you don't want to start another one, you can just fill the cup with milk--or applesauce if you prefer. The key here is to be sure the bread is moist enough, but a small variation in amount shouldn't cause problems.

Hmmm, maybe those old-fashioned cooks had the right idea by just saying "3 bananas."

That's a pretty long introduction to a really easy recipe. The longest part of making this is the baking, so it could be whipped up as a last minute dessert after you get home from work. However, as with many breads of this type, it is even better the second day.

Final result of the experiment? A tender, almost creamy bread with lots of flavor (but not a hint of a "mayonnaise-y taste).

Easy Banana Bread

1 c mayonnaise
1 c mashed bananas (about 3 to 4, depending on their size)
3/4 c sugar (if the bananas are very ripe, you could cut this by a few tablespoonsful)
1 t vanilla
1 c enriched flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t ground ginger (optional)
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Beat together the mayonnaise, mashed bananas, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture. Stir gently just until completely combined.

3. Turn the batter into well oiled pans. Since I prefer smaller slices, I use an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch pan along with two 3 1/2 X 6 inch pans--the size of those small disposable pans you can buy in sets of three. You could also use two of the 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 pans, but I only have one of those. Using the smaller pans means I always have a small loaf to share with a friend or neighbor too.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees. (If using a glass pan, lower heat to 325 and add a few minutes to the baking time.)

The smaller breads will take about 18 to 20 minutes while the larger loaf will take about 28 to 35 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with no unbaked batter clinging to it.

5.  Allow the breads to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 15 to 25 minutes before removing. Store in the refrigerator.





Variations:

Add half a cup or so of raisins or dried cranberries with ( or in place of) the nuts.

If you are one of those people who need chocolate in everything, a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips could be folded in with the nuts. I'd omit the ginger and increase the vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

If you really, really like chocolate, stir in 1/3 cup cocoa with the bananas and yogurt and then add chocolate chips with the nuts.

Cranberry Banana Bread

As last minute home-baked hostess gifts or a contribution to a holiday potluck, quick breads are a great thing to have in your kitchen repertoire. The one featured today upgrades the old familiar banana bread with the bright colors of cranberries. This recipe makes one full sized loaf or four small, "gift-sized" loaves and should be easily doubled. If your bananas threaten to over-ripen before you can get to them, mash them and freeze in cup-sized portions. Cranberries can also be frozen if purchased when they are at their seasonal price lows, so you could have all the ingredients for this recipe at your fingertips at any time. I've included methods for making this both with a processor and the old-fashioned mixing bowl way.

Cranberry Banana Bread

2 large or 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 1 cup)
1/3 c oil
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1 c cranberries--fresh or frozen--about half a 12 oz bag
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Processor method

1.  Chop the cranberries coarsely in the processor and then return them to the measuring cup.
2.  Put the bananas in the processor and process until they are well pureed.
3.  Add the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, and chopped cranberries to the processor bowl. Blend just until smooth.
4.  Add the flour, soda, and spices. Pulse lightly until just mixed.
5.  Add the cranberries and walnuts and pulse just once or twice, until the berries are blended evenily into the mix.
6.  Pour the batter into well-oiled pans--four individual loaves or one 4 1/2 X 8 1/2 inch loaf.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes for the small loaves, an hour or so for the large loaf. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8.  Allow the loaves to cool in the pans about 5 minutes. Then turn out on to a rack and cool completely before wrapping.

Mixing bowl method

1.  Cream the sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until light.
2.  Mash the bananas (just mash them right in the measuring cup) and add to the creamed mixture. Stir until well mixed.
3.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture. Stir well.
4.  Cut the cranberries in slices (the "prettier" approach) or chop coarsely. Stir into the batter along with the chopped nuts.
5.  When the batter is well mixed, pour into the pans, proceeding as with the processor method from step 6 forward.