"Baking With Drishti " by Drishti M

How to Make: 

Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread 

     Do you happen to have overly-ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter? Craving something sweet and high in potassium? Why not make a loaf of banana bread! Banana bread is one of the most simplest yet delicious recipes you can make in your kitchen; you can have a slice for breakfast while enjoying a warm cup of coffee, share it with a friend for a light afternoon snack, or even serve it as a dessert at the dining table during the holiday season. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients required for this recipe in your kitchen right now! My mom and I love to bake together for fun; this is one of our favorite recipes to create throughout the year, especially when we have leftover bananas at home. In my family, baking is our way of spending quality time together; it is about creating the foods we love from scratch while enjoying each other’s company. With baking, one thing is always certain: sweet, everlasting memories are bound to be made along the way. Also, the flavor combinations for such a versatile recipe like banana bread are practically endless! In this tutorial, I will be teaching you how to make cinnamon walnut banana bread. I have a HUGE sweet tooth, so I love to enjoy my banana bread with a fresh scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, or even with a light spread of Nutella chocolate. However, feel free to enjoy your cinnamon walnut banana bread however you’d like. 

P.S. If you are hesitant about baking from scratch, do not worry! This tutorial is thoroughly explained, and is simple enough to follow for those who have little experience in baking. Let’s get started! 

Overview:
Ingredients Materials

● One cup all purpose flour ○  1 cup all purpose flour ○  1 cup almond flour ○  1 stick of butter

○  Hand mixer ○  Cooking spray ○  Measuring cups/spoons

○  2 teaspoon baking powder ○  1 cup walnuts ○  4 bananas ○  3eggs ○  1 cup white sugar & brown sugar ○  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ○  1 teaspoon pure almond extract

○ 9x5 baking pan

● One cup all purpose fl

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
   
2. Smash bananas into smooth puree
   
3. Mix dry ingredients: almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar,
   salt, walnuts, cinnamon
   
4. Mix wet ingredients: banana puree, stick of butter, pure vanilla extract, almond extract, eggs
   
5. Combine both wet and dry mixtures into large bowl; do not overmix!
   
6. Pour batter in a 9x5 buttered loaf pan
   
7. Bake in oven at 350 F for one hour
   

Instructions 

I. ​Choosing the Right Bananas
I cannot emphasize this step enough. It is VERY important that the bananas you use in this recipe are ripe. The bananas should be very brown, soft, and squishy to the touch. Why? Bananas that are ripe tend to be sweeter in flavor; this will dramatically improve the taste of your banana bread. Also, ripe bananas are easier to mash into a smooth puree; you do not want lumpy batter! In essence, the browner and squishier your bananas, the better! You DO NOT want yellow, perfect-looking bananas. In fact, you want to use the ugliest bananas you can find for this recipe! Here is an example of what your bananas should look like..... 

II. ​Preparing the Batter
In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, walnuts, and cinnamon. IMPORTANT: Make sure the walnuts you are using for this recipe are chopped into smaller pieces to prevent sinking in the batter. If the batter has large pieces of walnuts, this may give your banana bread an uneven, raw texture! For this recipe, I prefer to use both almond flour and all purpose flour in my batter. In my experience, I find that almond flour gives the bread a more sweeter, nuttier taste that will enhance the natural flavor of the bananas. However - if you do not

have almond flour - do not worry! You can simply double the amount of all purpose flour that is required for this recipe. In a separate bowl, combine your wet ingredients: banana puree, stick of butter, pure vanilla extract, pure almond extract, and eggs. TIP: If you prefer your banana bread to have a fluffier, cake-like texture, I recommend that you use 1-2 more eggs than the amount suggested by the recipe. Finally, combine both the wet and dry ingredient mixtures into a larger bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix the concoction until all the clumps of flour have disintegrated into the banana puree; however, DO NOT over mix your batter! In my experience, I find that overmixing the batter gives the bread a less desirable taste. According to science... the more you mix, the more gluten will develop in the batter. This means that your banana bread may lack moisture and taste really dry; we do not want this to happen! 

III. ​Preparing the Loaf Pan
It is VERY important you prepare your baking pan by coating it with either non-stick cooking spray, melted butter, or oil. For this recipe, I prefer to use a standard 9x5 inch baking pan. If you are looking for a softer bread texture, line the baking tray with parchment paper as well. If you prefer a crispier texture for the corners of your bread, skip this step and simply pour in the bread batter. To make sure there aren’t any air bubbles inside the batter, it is important that you lightly tap the bottom of the baking tray against a countertop. By now, your oven should be preheated to 350 F. Place the loaf pan into the oven and allow the bread batter to bake for around an hour. Don’t forget your oven mitts! Make sure you place the baking tray in the CENTER rack of the oven (to ensure even baking). The warm, delightful aroma of the sweet banana bread wafting out of the oven may be tempting, but you must remain patient and allow the batter to bake for approximately 60 minutes before you take out the pan! After the timer goes off, check to see if the batter has fully baked by poking a toothpick through the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean, your bread has fully baked and is ready to be served! Happy baking... and eating! ☺