I’m not used to the light in the new kitchen yet. So, I decided to practice shooting some photos while throwing together a banana bread the other day. I was not planning to do a banana bread post for the blog, I just wanted to play around with the camera, ingredients, and pots.

I never planned to do a banana bread post. Don’t get me wrong, I make a phenomenal banana bread. But blog posts about banana bread are a dime a dozen, and I didn’t think I had anything to add. My recipe just didn’t seem unique.

So, I had some fun with the camera and the light and the bananas. And then I took a nice, long walk with Ruth, my dear friend and office mate. And afterwards, I gave her a slice. She kept commenting how good it was. So I said banana bread is always good. She said how moist it was. And I said banana bread is always moist. She disagreed. She felt that this was an unusual slice of banana bread. She was quite adamant about it.

I started to think…maybe my banana bread really is good enough to post. I began to run through memories. There was the time I was asked to leave a party because of my banana bread. Neil, a wonderful friend I very much admire, said the following to me: “You have one hell of a nerve bringing that thing here. I can’t stop eating it. It’s outrageous. I can’t control myself. Please take it and get out!”

That night I noticed more than half the bread was gone. There was only one possible culprit. Bob. I asked him if he wanted another slice for dessert or was he tired of it? He said he’d had difficulty refraining from finishing the whole loaf and would be delighted with another slice. I gave it to him warm, with some ice cream on top. I will not tell you what happened after that because it was x rated.

So, I concluded that I’d better post the recipe after all. I hope it brings you the same reaction it brought me.

Banana Bread

I believe that walnuts belong in banana bread. But if you don’t like walnuts in yours, leave them out or use your nut of choice.

3 ½ very ripe bananas*
2 eggs, room temp
½ cup cane sugar
1/3 cup yogurt
2 tbs. neutral oil or nut oil (I like almond)
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
½ cup organic all-purpose flour
½ cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. demerara or other coarse or raw sugar (optional)

*Freeze the half banana for later. Thawed frozen bananas work perfectly well in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a standard 9 x 5 loaf pan very well with oil or butter or cooking spray.

Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well. Add the walnuts and mix again.

Place 3 of the the bananas in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until they are broken down and goopy. Alternatively, you may process them in a food processor or mash with a potato masher and do the rest by hand.

Add the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Now, fold in the flour/walnut mixture. Don’t overmix. Stop when just combined.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Slice the remaining half banana and lay the slices across the top. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until just firm when pressed with a fingertip. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of the pan. Let cool at least another 20 minutes before you start demolishing. You can do it!

This well keep for a couple of days at room temp and freezes well. It tastes great toasted. Butter or coconut butter are great on top, but my absolute favorite it almond butter.