Fruity Banana Bread
Jun. 14th, 2012 01:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wendelah1 in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
omnomnomI have another good recipe for banana bread with dried apricots, but it requires whole bran cereal and I don't keep that on hand. So I decided to look for another one. Though I found this at the New York Times, it's actually Nigella Lawson's recipe, modified by me to be a bit lower in fat by cutting the butter in half. I promise you will not notice this at all. This recipe can be found on her website with European measurements, self-rising flour, etc. Just search her name plus "fruity banana bread."
Fruity Banana Bread
TOTAL TIME 2 hours 30 minutes (About, plus 1 hour for soaking apricots)
4 ounces (1/2 cup, packed) dried apricots
1/3 cup orange juice
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil, for greasing pan
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter (my alteration)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs
1 cup (about 3 medium) mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I've just used walnuts or left the nuts out all together--either way it tastes great)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar or granulated white sugar
PREPARATION
1.
Using kitchen shears, cut each apricot in half lengthwise. Holding halves together, cut four or five times crosswise. In a small saucepan, combine apricot pieces and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to rest until apricots have absorbed most of the liquid, about 1 hour.
2.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray or oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, and if desired, line with parchment paper (I didn't). Melt butter in a microwave oven or small saucepan; reserve.
3.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, blend together reserved butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and orange zest. Mix in eggs one at a time, then mashed bananas, apricots, and nuts. Stir in flour mixture one-third at a time, stirring well after each addition.
4.
Scrape dough into pan, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Place pan on a rack to cool. To serve, remove from pan, and slice thinly.
YIELD 10 to 12 servings
Fruity Banana Bread
TOTAL TIME 2 hours 30 minutes (About, plus 1 hour for soaking apricots)
4 ounces (1/2 cup, packed) dried apricots
1/3 cup orange juice
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil, for greasing pan
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter (my alteration)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs
1 cup (about 3 medium) mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I've just used walnuts or left the nuts out all together--either way it tastes great)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar or granulated white sugar
PREPARATION
1.
Using kitchen shears, cut each apricot in half lengthwise. Holding halves together, cut four or five times crosswise. In a small saucepan, combine apricot pieces and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to rest until apricots have absorbed most of the liquid, about 1 hour.
2.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray or oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, and if desired, line with parchment paper (I didn't). Melt butter in a microwave oven or small saucepan; reserve.
3.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, blend together reserved butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and orange zest. Mix in eggs one at a time, then mashed bananas, apricots, and nuts. Stir in flour mixture one-third at a time, stirring well after each addition.
4.
Scrape dough into pan, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Place pan on a rack to cool. To serve, remove from pan, and slice thinly.
YIELD 10 to 12 servings
