Thursday, January 15, 2009

Banana Cranberry Bread... or Nutty Banana Bread, both devine



Now this is delicious, and I've been a bit peeved about it this season. I've made so much of this stuff to give away for Christmas, and all I've gotten myself is one measly little slice. I usually tend to eat my baking in bulk, so my body isn't happy about it!

I was spoiled at first, when I discovered my local co-op had an old banana box where I could buy them immediately ready for baking fun, and at half the price. Then once I started relying on it, it disappeared! So I suppose I'll have to wait a few more days to make this again. I hope you have some bananas on hand right away though. And now that cranberries are disappearing too, try frozen, or skip the cranberries altogether and substitute chopped pecans. Doesn't it look so homey sitting sliced on my mom's old breadboard? I love it!



Banana cranberry bread or Nutty banana bread
makes 4 mini-loaves or 1 standard loaf
modified from Joy the Baker

4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4-1 cup packed light brown sugar (I used 3/4)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs amaretto (I used Disarrono)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp all-spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup fresh cranberries (or 1 cup chopped pecans)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the sugar, egg, amaretto, vanilla, and then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour and mix. Add the cranberries (or nuts) and stir until just incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 loaf pan (or minis). Bake for 1 hour. (Minis about 50 minutes.) Cool on a rack.

Done! So easy!