This is one of my favorite breakfast or tea breads. This recipe makes 2 loaves. I use black baker’s steel pans (9.5-inch loaf pans) to achieve a beautiful browning on all sides of the bread. This bread freezes very well, so make it ahead and thaw it the night before your lazy Sunday Brunch.
INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup butter room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs room temperature
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 fully ripened bananas, easily done in a food processor)
3/4 cup walnuts chopped
1 cup dried apricots diced (tossed with a little flour to separate)
1/3 cup crystallized ginger minced (available in the Chinese section of a grocery store)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°
Sift together the first six ingredients and set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth. Beat in the mashed bananas.
With the mixer on low, add the sifted ingredients in three batches to the banana mixture. Beat will after each addition.
Fold in the walnuts, apricots, and ginger. Blend well.
Divide the batter between 2 greased bread pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes away clean when poked into the center of the bread. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans to a cooling rack and let cool completely before wrapping.
COOKS NOTES
I use canola cooking spray to grease my pans. For me, this has proven to be the most reliable method to keep my breads, muffins and other baked goods from sticking to the pans.