Walnut Banana Bread

I live in a frozen tundra now. Dangerous wind chills, icicles, and snow are turning me into a hermit. The mere thought of having to leave the house has me frozen in place. Looking at the inventory of food in the house it looks like my diet will consist mostly of oatmeal, eggs, nuts, dark chocolate, wine, and a fresh baked loaf of Walnut Banana Bread if I was forced to remain in hibernation for some indefinite period of time. Not exactly bad options for a hermit living in the return of the ice age. 

Apparently my stint as an ice cream scooper at Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors during college may have foreshadowed my new stint as a Banana Bread recipe maven. The recipe for this Walnut Banana Bread puts me 26 recipe versions away from reaching the magical 31. Having posted the Spiced Pecan Banana Bread recipe just three months ago, I should probably lock the doors (and throw away the key) to the banana bread test kitchen for awhile for so many reasons. But mostly importantly because we all need time for this one to receive more than its' fair share of some well deserved love and attention.

I either learn something new each time I made a new recipe or come to realize technique matters as much as the quality of the ingredients. Being reminded how the best results often come from the use of the simplest techniques is the kind of lesson we all need to (re)learn every now and then.

All you need to make this Walnut Banana Bread is a bowl and spoon. In other words, there is no need to pull out the mixer. And rather than combine all of the ingredients at once, as is in the case of most quick breads, the wet ingredients (egg, melted butter, vanilla, and mashed bananas) are mixed together before the dry ingredients are added in. Mixing the wet ingredients first helps to ensure you don't over mix the dry ingredients. Which generally results in a bread with a dry, tough, dense crumb. If you use a heavy hand when making a banana bread, you end up with a not so great heavy bread. While using a lighter hand gives you a moist, tender, perfectly textured one.

I could have made this banana bread with chopped chocolate instead of the walnuts or with both chocolate and walnuts. Instead I decided to go the toasted walnut route. To toast your walnuts, place them directly on a baking sheet (no parchment paper) in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely and coarsely chop.

Adding a banana on top of the Walnut Banana Bread is one of those finishes that make simple look extravagant. And when combined with topping the banana bread and sliced bananas with some sparkling or sanding sugar, you are stepping into heavenly territory. But sprinkling a little more of either sugar on top of the bananas after the bread bakes puts this Walnut Banana Bread in a league of its' own. Definitely deserving of a four star rating. Skip the bruleeing part, and you have the 3 1/2 star version.

So you might be wondering, which of the five banana breads now posted to the blog is my favorite? I will answer it by saying this one is my current favorite. It would be the one I would want to take with me to Siberia, the Arctic Circle, Antarctica, the top of Mount McKinley, or here in Chiberia. Spring is just 49 days away. This Walnut Banana Bread won't last that long. I hope I do.

Recipe
Walnut Banana Bread 
Makes one 9" x 5" loaf

Ingredients
5 overly ripe bananas, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 generous teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup walnut halves, toasted, and coarsely chopped
Optional: 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
Optional: 1 - 2 Tablespoons Sanding or Sparkling sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9" x 5" inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper. Butter any exposed sides. Alternately line only on the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment cut to fit. Spray the sides of pan with vegetable spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mash 4 bananas with a fork.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and melted butter. Using a large spoon, stir to combine.
4. Add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir just until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix.
5. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts. (Or chocolate chips if using)
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula or back of a large spoon.
7. Cut the remaining banana in half lengthwise. Carefully place on top of the banana bread.
8. Sprinkle with sanding or sparkling sugar, if using. 
9. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 60-75 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the baking pan midway through the baking process. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clear.  Note: My baking time was 62 minutes.
10. Remove banana bread from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing.
11. Serve in thick slices.
12. Cover the cooled banana bread with plastic wrap or aluminum foil if not serving immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Warm slices in the toaster or in the microwave before serving.

Notes: (1) To send this Walnut Banana Bread further over the top, sprinkle on some additional sanding/sparkling sugar over the banana slices. Using a kitchen torch, brulee the sugar.  (2) Four bananas should yield about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. If it's a little more, don't worry. But if it's a lot less, add more mashed banana.