Banana Bread

Tonight I baked a loaf of banana bread with my kids. It had been raining all day and I couldn't resist the idea of a warm, sweet, slice of banana bread smothered in butter. As the smell began wafting through the house my kids kept running up to the oven, taking a peek and asking, "How much longer?" As soon as the bread was out of the oven the kids were perched on their stools with forks in hand. I cut huge, thick slices and topped them with large pats of butter. As I was cleaning up I took one more little slice to eat and my daughter said, "Wow, that is a HUGE slice of butter on a very small piece of bread." Yes, my dear, it is, and I am enjoying every bite...


Banana Bread

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup organic whole cane sugar or sucanat
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teapsoon sea salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large organic eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9x5-inch loaf pan. In a small saucepan, melt butter and coconut oil and let cool slightly. (if you don't have coconut oil you can substitute with butter, so it would be a total of 6 T. of butter) Whisk flour, whole cane sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl, mix mashed bananas, buttermilk, eggs, butter and coconut oil mixture, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together until just incorporated. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown and cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.