All good things in one loaf.  Doesn’t that look like it’s ready to burst in luscious goodness guaranteed to make a great morning?

I made this last Sunday for breakfast.  The recipe started out as plain old banana bread from my old stand-by Betty Crocker Cookbook.  I did go a little over the top when I found some dried cranberries from Christmas in my pantry.  Then I decided to add a handful more walnuts and an extra egg just to make the bread cakey-er.

I’m still having problems baking in high altitude…no matter what I do (lessen the leavening, sugar or oil; increase oven temp; or, add water and flour to the batter) I’m always stuck with dry cakes and breads…unless I use prepackaged mixes of course, which I don’t like doing at all.  I did most of  the adjustments this time, plus I added the extra egg and the bread came out perfectly moist.

Start by putting about half a teaspoon vinegar in half a cup of milk to make buttermilk. Preheat your oven to 350F (375F at high altitude for the first 30 minutes).  

Rough chop 1.25 c. walnuts and mash about 1.5 c. bananas, 3-4 depending on their size.  Microwave a cup of butter on medium for 30 minutes to allow it to soften.  Mix in 1.25 c. granulated sugar using a wooden spoon.

Then add in 3 room-temperature eggs, one at a time, until well-blended. Throw in the buttermilk, bananas and a teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix until smooth. Then add 2.5 c. all purpose flour, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon (half at high altitude) of baking soda.  Mix only until the dry ingredients barely get wet.  DO NOT overmix.  Throw in the walnuts and mix in with the batter.

Transfer to a big loaf pan with a greased bottom.  Don’t grease the sides to allow the batter to stick to the sides in the baking process and this will make your top nicely rounded.  Bake for an hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Now be patient and cool the loaf completely before slicing, otherwise, your slices will crumble like this:

 

 

Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads, Vol. 1
Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads, Vol. 1