Yes, we have lots of bananas

Once again, the bananas over-ripened before we could eat them all. We’re talking about way past speckled and into the realm of almost blackened. I packaged a few in small zip-top bags for freezing into smoothie ingredients, but saved three to bake into banana bread.

My go-to recipe is quite tasty: moist yet not soggy in the middle; a nice touch of sweetness without too much cloy; and just the right crunch from chopped walnuts. The banana flavor is highlighted by a splash of orange juice, and cinnamon notes add just the right warmth.

While the loaf was cooling, I realized this was not the healthiest version of banana bread (although certainly lovely to look at, see photo). I used white flour and sugar, as well as an entire stick of butter (which may also explain why it’s so tasty).

Many of us are familiar with the ingredient changes that can lower calories in baked goods, such as using applesauce instead of butter. Other healthier options include substituting whole wheat flour for white flour and stirring in rolled oats to improve fiber content.

With those ideas in mind, I’ve included a recipe to reflect a lighter touch. Honey and applesauce - combined with the mashed banana - provide sweetness and body. Low-fat buttermilk helps balance the heaviness of whole wheat flour, creating a tender texture. Vanilla extract perfumes the batter and plays off the banana flavors.

I also remembered an article from an issue of Cook’s Illustrated printed several years ago: Ultimate Banana Bread. I found it on the bottom shelf of the kitchen bookshelf. In their typical fashion, the folks in the test kitchen tried a number of different recipes, searching for the perfect combination of texture and flavor.

Most of the bread recipes they baked were ordinary and some barely adequate. An early favorite had much better banana flavor, but the middle of the loaf was almost as damp as pudding. That particular recipe called for twice the typical number of bananas, without making any changes to balance the resulting moisture.

Here’s where the testers became creative, setting a goal to keep the banana content as high as possible (using at least five) without compromising texture. They tried throwing in commercial banana chips, roasting and sautéing bananas, freezing and thawing bananas. The problem became apparent: there’s a great deal of moisture in a banana.

The solution they devised was to extract the juice from the banana to maintain flavor without drowning the bread. They found two different ways to accomplish this. One approach was to start with frozen bananas that defrost in a colander to drain off the liquid. The second option was to microwave the bananas and keep the juice.

After draining off the liquid into a saucepan, the banana pulp was ready for the batter, Meanwhile the juice was cooked until reduced by half and the flavor essence concentrated.

Other tweaks included choosing brown sugar over white and layering the top of the loaf with slices of fresh banana. Although the photo in the magazine was black-and-white, I have to remember this recipe the next time our bananas are dark enough.

Traditional Banana Bread

1 3/4 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C unsalted butter
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 T orange juice
2/3 C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add bananas and orange juice; mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and chopped nuts; stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Lighter Banana Bread*

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 C rolled oats
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/3 C honey
1/3 C applesauce
1 t vanilla
1 egg
3/4 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining wet ingredients, stirring until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for 25 minutes before slicing.
*Adapted from Cooking Light

Ultimate Banana Bread*

1 3/4 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
5 large very ripe bananas
8 T butter, melted & cooled
2 eggs
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1 large ripe banana
2 t sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Peel the 5 very ripe bananas and place them in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat until bananas are soft and have released their liquid, about 5 minutes on full power. Transfer banana mixture to a fine mesh strainer placed over a saucepan and allow to drain thoroughly, about 15 minutes. Place bananas into a mixing bowl; set aside. Cook the juice over medium high until reduced to about 1/4 C. Pour liquid over bananas and combine with a potato masher until almost smooth. Whisk in melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in walnuts and pour batter into prepared pan. Cut remaining banana diagonally into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange them on the batter along the two long edges of the pan in slightly overlapping rows, leaving the center clear. Dust with sugar and bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for one hour before slicing. *From Cook’s Illustrated