Carol L. Cain
Laurel's Banana Bread
Here's a plug for a cookbook I got awhile back: The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book by Laurel Robertson. Absolutely great book on whole-grain breadmaking. We seem to spend a lot of time see-sawing between good-for-you food and good tasting food; most of the recipes I've tried in this cookbook satisfy both criteria. Tried a the bananna bread recipe a couple of nights ago and enjoyed it lots ... even the guys at work liked it, tho they generally avoid 'healthy food' like the plague! Anyways, here's the recipe: 1/2 C date sugar or 1/3 C honey 3 Tbs oil or butter 1 tsp vanilla (opt) 1/2 tsp salt 2 C mashed ripe bananas 2 Tbs lemon juice 1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 C whole wheat bread flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 C chopped dates or dried apricots 1/2 C chopped toasted walnuts, pecans of filberts Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8"x4" loaf pan. Use a fork to beat the sweetner, fat, vanilla and salt together. Add the bananna and lemon juice. Sift the flours and leavenings together and mix the wet and dry ingredients. Fold in the dates and nuts, reserving about 3 Tbs on nuts to sprinkle on top of the loaf before baking. Spoon into loaf pan and bake as long as an hour and a half, until done. susan