I'm not sure why but we have had quite a few rotting bananas sitting at our house. With peaches, strawberries and blueberries becoming more available, our favorite staple "the banana" hasn't made it to the breakfast table.
Last week, after another round of fruit flies and rotten bananas, Jeff took out the New England Bed and Breakfast Cookbook and found this recipe for banana bread with a streusel topping. It sounded very interesting adding a sugary topping to a basic banana nut bread. It was submitted by the Morrison House Bed & Breakfast located in Somerville, MA. It's amazing what you can do to a banana bread recipe with a little bit of leftover streusel topping.
Let's start from the smell in the house while it was cooking...HEAVENLY! The bread baked and rose over the sides of the pan. (NOTE - You can split the recipe into two loaves or use a bigger pan.) The streusel topping browned perfectly and gave the bread a wonderfully golden crust...and the bread was absolutely delicious. I am not a banana or a banana nut bread fan. I'll always try a piece but it is not something I typically eat but I will admit...I took a second slice. Whether I wanted to eat it or not, it was a huge hit at our house. Large slabs of banana bread were sliced, toasted, and microwaved before it disappeared as a breakfast favorite.
If you are a fan of banana bread, try this recipe. It's a very different twist that adds some character to an old favorite.
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1-1/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
5-1/3 tablespoons of butter, softened
2/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 large eggs, well beaten
3 very ripe, large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
For streusel topping: Combine all streusel ingredients until crumbly.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add bananas and mix well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda; add to butter mixture and mix just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Makes 1 loaf.
