t
seems that every time I open a food magazine or cookbook I am enticed by a
new banana bread recipe. This time it was in a BBC Good Food
magazine where the batter contained so many flavorful ingredients that I
just knew it was a winner.
First, there was the coffee flavored yogurt which goes so well with the
sweetness of the bananas. Second, there was the chopped
pieces of chewy caramel which become soft and sweet when baked and provide
a nice contrast to the crunchy pecans. Finally, there was the streusel
topping, made with even more chewy caramels and pecans. When the bread
first comes out of the oven the caramel pieces on top of the bread are
hard and brittle. But if you can wait for the bread to cool, you will find
that the streusel softens and becomes sticky and tastes so delicious.
Although this recipe calls for coffee flavored yogurt, you can
substitute caramel, vanilla, or even plain yogurt with excellent results.
For the caramels you
will need one - 5.5 ounce (155 gram) package of Werther's Original Chewy Caramels
which are found in the candy section of your grocery store. Cut the
caramels into thirds either with a sharp knife or a sharp pair of kitchen
scissors. You may have to wash your knife/scissors a few times as the
caramels are quite sticky.
Preheat oven to
350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter
(or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides
of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm). Set aside.
In a large
bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2/3 cup of
pecans, and half of the chopped caramels. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs,
melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly
fold the
wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined
and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the
batter. Over mixing the batter will
yield a tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan
and sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup of pecans and chopped caramels over the top of the batter.
Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean, 50 - 60 minutes. Place on
a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room
temperature.
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