banana peanut butter bread

Banana bread may sound mundane and commonplace in today's world of decadent and triple-tiered desserts, but do not doubt the power of the mighty banana as it emerges sweet and caramelized embedded in a buttery loaf.

In my kitchen, fresh baked banana bread does not last long. And it's not meant to. The ripe bits of banana make this bread intensely moist and dense, perfect for eating warm, straight out of the oven, with a spoon. Chocolate chips are always great, but I prefer PB chips as they remind me of many a smushed brown-bag sandwich in elementary school.

I had some leftover batter that I spooned into small brioche molds which baked up nicely. Maybe not enough for a single serving, but definitely endearing.

Sigh...no words or pictures can do this justice...


Banana Peanut Butter Bread
adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
(generous) 1/2 cup PB baking chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 8x4x2-in loaf pan. In a bowl, mix together the first 4 dry ingredients.
2. In a seperate bowl, mix together the egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add this egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Fold in the chips.
3. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, but don't wait too long to dig in!